PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[jadderly]

Inade - Aldebaran

I've tried to get into Inade before many years ago through earlier material than this and live recordings, but I never though they were that special. This album is a bit more refined than other material I've heard from them and a little more melodic as well. I'm not sure I would hold this up as high as some people do, but it's very good.

Obscene Noise Korporation - 2xCD on Malignant

IIRC this is a project of Peter Nystrom. I've never been a big Megaptera fan, but I have enjoyed some of his other work. The first disc is all old recordings while the second is newer material. I think the second disc is better executed overall and quite enjoyable. If you hadn't guessed by the name, this stuff seems heavily inspired by old SPK, maybe leaning more towards Information Overload Unit than the type of variety on Leichenshrei.

Terra Sancta - Aeon

I'm slowly trying to let go of my prejudice against ambient music released after 2000 or so, and this is an album I put on my list to try as it comes highly recommended. This is well executed and avoids being too cliche for the most part. The very faint bits of rhythm in a couple places were the highlight for me.


Steve Roach - Magnificent Void

A lot of Roach's work is just on the wrong side of new-agey ambient for me. I guess this is marketed as one of this darker sounded releases, but it's not nearly as bleak and dark as the typical "dark ambient" release from this time period or after. That's okay though, because the sound of the album works well, and everything is very well done.


Edgar Froese - Aqua

From the Virgin Years boxset. Between this box and the Tangerine Dream one I'm still digesting, you get a lot of value for money. This set has 5 albums over 4 discs. Unfortunately some of the albums are split across two discs, which is annoying, but I can't complain too much considering the price and the sound quality. I bought this mainly for the first two Froese albums, which are great. Even if the others don't grab me, this is still cheaper than picking those first albums up individually as they appear to be out of print right now.


Thomas Koner - La Barca - Complete Edition

I missed the boat on this release when it was new, but Koner has offered up an expanded version through his bandcamp site. You get over about 2 hours of music and a large video file, which I haven't watched yet. The main difference between this and other Koner recordings I've heard is the heavy use of field recordings, gathered while Koner was traveling across several different cities around the world. Most of the field recordings are just noise from the street and people talking. Some may find this spoils the experience of the music, but I don't. I think it works really well and I like this album a lot.

Organum - Submission

Hadn't put this on in quite awhile until recently. Maybe not as incendiary as the very early Organum material, but it's nice. 

Raison d'etre - Mise en Abyme

There were a couple Raison albums I loved in the 90s but I haven't kept up with his work at all, as my tastes have changed a bit over time and I've always kinda felt the choral samples and gothic atmosphere were overused in this project. That said, I became curious about this album after listening to soundclips of later Raison stuff, which are more organic and noisier sounding than what I've heard before. This album still has the choral samples and gothic moments, but they seem to be used with much more restraint. Some of the more active sections of this have metal clanging and scraping that's done very tastefully and the whole thing comes off as highly refined and well executed. Excellent stuff.

[Haare]

AVARUUDEN SÄHKÖ "S/t" tape
Heavy Meditation
Mr. Haare and bunch of other guys. It could be Haare, but perhaps more "electronic" here? I was expecting it would be more into sort of kraut electronics, but it is bleak droning. Dark, suffocating.

We thought about adding beats/pulses but decided not to. The ebow/delay guitar makes it sound like Haare I think. More to come!

HAARE "Musta Magia" tape
Heavy Meditation
I have listened this before from advance cdr, I think?! More tape hiss. Suffocating slow moving drone on a-side, noisier, almost harsh works at b-side. Again, very good Haare tape. He never fails?! Especially I like that b-side is not just one thing, but he can move to different sounds and atmospheres without losing drone-noise spirit.

I think I sent at least some of the material for you to check out, I put a LOT of work into this one.
The a-side was supposed to be released on a split lp.

HEFAISTOS  "s/t" tape
Heavy Meditations
Was this described to be something between Dead Reptile Shrine and AMM ?! I guess so. Improvised music, what occasionally lean towards more eccentric side of "black metal", with distorted guitars, rhaspy vocals, etc, but overall it has more common with improvised music than anything remotely "metal". Ok tape.

"Black metal without any metal" is how I described it to someone recently. Jussi of Circle on drums btw; should make it appeal to NWOFHM fanboys, heh.
Thanks for the reviews, Mikko!

[acsenger]

Vidna Obmana – The Ultimated Sign of Burning Death (LP, Urashima)

Reissue of VO's first tape, recorded in 1984. The music is kind of noise mixed with dark ambient, but definitely on the harsher side. While the music is great, I'm not too fond of the shouted vocals. Still, it's a good listen and a good document.

Taint – Justmeat (LP, Urashima)

Great filthy noise/PE. Not much to add, perhaps only that I love the frequent use of loops.

Nord – NG Tapes (LP, PCP Records)
Nord – LSD (LP, PCP Records)
Nord – Electronic Initiation (CD, Kinky Musik Institute)

Someone earlier remarked in this thread on Nord as being obsessive. I couldn't agree more: these two early LPs mostly feature singular, obsessive synth sounds. There's occasional (guitar?) noise and while there are weaker parts on both records, when Nord is on, it's awesome. Gotta get the other early LPs too (although I've heard the first one is very different).
The Electronic Initiation CD has a totally different lineup from these two LPs, and the music is, not surprisingly, very different. This is very much psychedelic electronic music (and not noise, although sometimes noisy). At over an hour, it's too long, but it's still an enjoyable listen.

M.B. – Telmegiddo (LP, Menstrual Recordings)

Apparently the last album from the early 80s, recorded after Armaghedon. While I haven't heard that album in a while, from memory Telmegiddo is in the same vein. Murky, lo-fi ambient noise with a desolate atmosphere.

Drug Age – Abandoned Geography (one-sided LP, Second Sleep)

The album starts slowly with high-pitched feedback that occasionally gets disrupted and then the whole thing turns into chaotic noise. There are some quieter parts now and then, making for an excellent and dynamic harsh noise record.

Keith Rowe/Graham Lambkin – Making A (CD, Erstwhile Records)

One of my favourite releases of recent times, and one that I nearly left at the record shop where I chanced upon it. Rowe and Lambkin use field recordings and contact microphones to create an album with a unique atmosphere that's really hard to describe. Let's just say it's very minimal and if you love small sounds amplified and the careful use of contact mics, you'll love this album.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

JUN KONAGAYA "Travel" CD
Art Into Life
mr. Grim doing stuff. I didn't fully read descriptions what exactly was to be expected of this. Perhaps because some of the GRIM stuff seems to barely live up to praise. If no expectations, then perhaps approach for listening is different. Not sure why material couldn't be GRIM? Maybe theme? Grim itself has been diverse, and over here too you can find noisy stuff, but most of all quite monumental and dark ambient / ritual music soundscapes. But not only that. Also quite exotic sounding traditional music perhaps, noisy industrial pieces. Gloomy and intensive tracks, what may have imperfections here and there, but I'd immediately rate this most definitely more recommended purchase than some of the Grim releases! One long track that has various elements throw in mix can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TstciqXhMEA

BIZARRE UPROAR "Lily The Flesh live" tape
Filth & Violence
Perhaps quite biased to say things about this. I requested BU to play in venue next door from my store. As it's just small pub, it was requested that something unusual, something what works in smaller settings. And I also made the live recordings. But of course BU performed it all, and F&V put out. And well he did! Professional tapes and covers. Nice sound and the same rugged design we've used to, but just now professionally printed. I guess this is only time he actually performed Lily the Flesh material, what was originally done due being invited to take part VHS xxx themed compilation on IOPS, which got cancelled/delayed and his material was so long anyways, that it simply came out as solo tape. These curious details lead to facts that original tape, the gig, and therefore also this tape, is kind of unique in BU's output. Of course almost all the elements he's known for, are here, but it is also much more harmonic, droning than most of his stuff. At least in different ways Also involving tasty video sex noise material never hurts!  Excellent!

AURAL HYPNOX "Underworld transmissions II" tape
Aural Hypnox
I guess the fans of the label know the drill. Helixes related artists join together in spontanous sessions in underground space where Aural Hypnox operates. From these sessions with different changing line-ups, results series of underworld transmissions. If you know what to expect, that pretty much what you get. Still, it's fairly poor judgement to say it would be "the same". Especially B-side here, I feel, is among closest things to my taste than ever before heard from this crew. Involving more industrial feel among darkest ritual soundscapes hits the spot!

RICHARD GARET "Areal" CD
23five inc
Icy slow ambient. In many ways, routines of the genre are used, but I like so much when it doesn't appear to be cheesy synths/keyboards, but something physical, something hand made. What this is, is textures what is probably most of all radio static or somehow "corrupted signal". It is not at all noisy. Harmonic, but with tasty surface textures. I have pretty much gotten rid of most of "ambient" in my collection, what somehow leans towards waves of synths or such. But stuff like this, I still consider worth keeping!

[Baglady]

Randomly picked out a zine at home. Happened to be #2 of the once brilliant Det Grymma Svärdet, from 2008. The issue has a two page feature on Swedish noise on tape, written by Matthias Andersson. Felt like revisiting some of the stuff reviewed in the article.

REGIM - Dedicated To Oskar Dirlewanger CS (Vigilante)
A shame how little there is written about Regim outside Sweden (or in Sweden too actually). I guess the very limited releases has something to do with it (50 copies in this case), but it bothers me that a brilliant tape like this remains unheard by alot of people who would most likely appreciate it. I was lucky enough to stumble upon it for 5€ this summer. A-side is a warzone, b-side is a wet cloth stuffed down your throat. One of the best Swedish harsh noise releases I've heard. Well, not that there are millions of them, but still...

ALTAR OF FLIES & JOSH LAY - Collab CS (Hästen & Korset)
This and the Creeping Unknown tape were my first encounters with Altar Of Flies. Released in 2007. I remember how excited I was when I heard these tapes for the first time. I'm not very familar with the guys work, but Lay's presence here seems strong; it doesn't sound much like the AoF one is used to, even at this early stage. Lo-fi basement sounds, screams... Quite rough, but not harsh. Having the latest AoF LP in mind when revisiting this tape is interesting considering how the project has developed since then. (Still) a good tape!

[Dr Alex]

Various - The Art Of Noise - 100 Years Anniversary cd

"Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Luigi Russolo's "The Art Of Noise", this compilation presents the 7 winning works (out of 60 contributions) of the annual Luigi Russolo electroacoustic and noise music contest, hosted by Studio Forum and Gràcia Territori Sonor."

Highly recommended compilation for all lovers of experimental noise and musique concrète.

[Strömkarlen]

I'd like to hear NIFELHEIM - Satanatas 12"*. I liked "E.O.L." a lot. I think I read the new 12" is only being sold at their performances...?

I listened to Teitanblood's "Death" a couple of times last week & a Mercyful Fate tape has been played over n' over in my van.

*here's a song from "Satanatas": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk3tzdwWyVk

There is a Swedish "comedy" based on the Niefheim brothers called Mammas pojkar (Mommy's boys). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2256749/?ref_=nv_sr_1 They weren't too pleased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi53FCu4efk

[Baglady]

I'd like to hear NIFELHEIM - Satanatas 12"*. I liked "E.O.L." a lot. I think I read the new 12" is only being sold at their performances...?

There is a Swedish "comedy" based on the Niefheim brothers called Mammas pojkar (Mommy's boys). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2256749/?ref_=nv_sr_1 They weren't too pleased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi53FCu4efk

From what I've heard they contacted a lawyer to prevent the director, Ulf Malmros, from making the film. Fruitless effort apparently.

[Ashmonger]

No Festival of Light - If God Would Live On Earth, We Would Break His Windows (CD, Fluttering Dragon): Dark/Ritual Ambient. Not bad, but it seems the music overall leaves less impression than the title did...

Lettera22 - Subsequent Teeth (C32, Monorail Trespassing): It's Lettera22 so it's good. However, I feel a bit letdown. This to me sounds more like 'usual' Harsh Noise than on Lack of Attention & Physical Point both releases which were really special in my view.

Ahlzagailzehguh/Brad Griggs/Breaking The Will/Developer - Summer Scum Harsh Noise (C10, New Forces): Got this tape because I quite like Developer, liked what I heard from Breaking The Will (though that hasn't been much yet, I think only the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment tape box), had heard a lot about Ahlzagailzehguh, but hadn't heard his stuff yet and had never heard before about Brad Griggs. I'm certainly not disappointed. Only 10 minutes and it's a good headfuck, some volume changes between the artist it seems, but doesn't matter a lot. Might want to check out some other Ahlzagailzehguh stuff.

Dreadful Relic - Archaic Conjurations (tape, Frost and Fire): New band from Commando Wolf & Hjarulv Henker (ex- & current Der Stürmer members). This is really good, very Hellhammer/early Celtic Frost alike with some cool keys here and there. Of course don't expect anything technical or complex. This is just solid old school (Black) Metal.

[anomalie]

Various ‎– Hard Panning (The Ultimate Contemporary Cut-up Harsh Noise International Compilation) (Triangle)

Such a high quality release.

Maaaa / K2 ‎– Split (Triangle)

Pretty good too.

Stillingskerrkozletskynystrompetrus ‎– Death Instruktions (Malignant Records)

Somehow this is not catching my attention as much as I wanted it to do.

Corpsessed ‎– Abysmal Thresholds (Dark Descent Records)
Dead Congregation ‎– Promulgation Of The Fall (Martyrdoom Productions)

These are some proper Death Metal releases. Spinning them a lot.

[Dr Alex]

Stillingskerrkozletskynystrompetrus ‎– Death Instruktions (Malignant Records)

Somehow this is not catching my attention as much as I wanted it to do..

Same thoughts after 2 listening. I will listen it again for sure.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Vidna Obmana – The Ultimated Sign of Burning Death (LP, Urashima)

Reissue of VO's first tape, recorded in 1984. The music is kind of noise mixed with dark ambient, but definitely on the harsher side. While the music is great, I'm not too fond of the shouted vocals. Still, it's a good listen and a good document.

Yeah. At first vocals sound pretty dull, but either I get used to it, or fact that they are much less dominant in mix later on. Good stuff to see on LP, despite the vocals on first track...

V/A "WHITE POWER" LP
bootleg of the infamous tape. Cheap packaging. White disco sleeve, with couple small xeroxes, not even glued to cover. Just front and back thrown in plastic sleeve. How good it would have been just with blatant LP size swastika?! Anyways, great release nevertheless. Great tracks from basically everybody, even if MB isn't that big deal for me here, as everybody else is much better. Worth to get!

KHMER NOIR "Bödlar Med Svarta Fanor" tape
Nil By Mouth
Swedish power electronics, with part contemporary, part "timeless" feel to it. Very distorted. Aggressive, and fierce, but also keeps me waiting something extra to arrive. I guess for example comparing above mentioned LP recordings with this, I do miss the kind of sound that things are not overlty "in your face", but seems to happen in some sort of space/room. But would still recommend for PE fans to check this out!

JAH EXCRETION / TORTURING NURSE split tape
Cipher
Neat rubber package of heavy industrial style rubber sheets bolted into oversize envelope that houses inside 20 mins of no-bullshit harsh noise. Nothing new, nothing innovative. Just blasts well.

[anomalie]

Baptists - Bushcraft (Southern Lord)
Baptists - Bloodmines (Southern Lord)

Great band. Like the sound and drumming a lot.
Drummer is going to be heard on the forthcoming Sumac Album. Looking forward to it!

Maaaa ‎– Decay And Demoralization (Mind Flare Media)

Good noise!

Heinz Hopf ‎– Gothenburg (Triangle)

More good noise!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Richard Rupenus & Nobuo Yamada "81/44" LP
Art Into Life
I guess edition of 150 is justified by packaging. Each cover slightly different hand made collage on transparent clear mylar or acrylic plate of some sort. And not sure what is the actual demand for TNB related collaborations these days? Anyways, I listened this couple of times now, and feel that A-side is pretty lame. Noises and radio signals and short japanese voices, but compositionally appears lazy and dull. Short burst from each channel, almost identical length of sounds and pauses for entire side.
B-side is entirely another case. Ranging from good to great. Almost acoustic noises, but also feedback can be heard. Tinny metallic sound quality refers a bit that it could be amplified with some smaller amp and recorded most likely digitally. No tasty overdriver or saturation, but there are also benefits of this crystallic cold sound. All layers are easy to follow, there is plenty of things going on. For this side, LP is worth to grab. But obviously special cover and small edition had made availability and prices difficult.

[coinbender]

V.A. - introverted formula

at first i wasnt really impressed from it , but the more i listen to it the more i like it. 
aof and  sewer election/dahl  are the most stong pieces in this one for me.


hello to you all btw!