It was mentioned earlier in live show announcement board that if you got reports of the shows, you can post it on main discussion. It would be good to hear about good gigs that took place anyways.
It would be good to mention location/date and then proceed with reports.
Friday in Chicago:
(http://i.imgur.com/icMa0.gif)
Friday, July 29th at Enemy Arts (1550 N. Milwaukee, 3rd Floor) in Chicago
- KOUFAR - final Chicago performance
- NYODENE D - Cleveland power electronics / death industrial.
- JASON SOLIDAY - Chicago harsh electronics
- SHATTERED HYMEN - Chicago self-destructive harsh noise
- BLESSED SACRIFIST - Milwaukee power electronics
- HATE BASEMENT - Chicago harsh noise, members of Bongripper, CSTVT
$5 donations, BYOB, show starts at 8 pm
Gig report to follow soon.
I mean, ads about gigs = gig announcements
reports = here.
I'm sure plenty don't check out announcements because they simply can't attend (like two above), but I'd be curious to read reports of both!
(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/953/atorfinal1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/685/atorfinal1.jpg/)
Same venue where CON-DOM played in Hki. Now there is a new owner and improved PA system. Sounded good!
LOINEN 2xbass,drums and vocals. Ok slow (sludge?) stuff. Pretty original I guess. JUMALATION old thrash copy/homage band. a`la Dark Angel etc. RIDE FOR REVENGE! Played new material from upcoming Full Lenght. Hypnotic, low tuned as hell, massive and noisy. Impressive,innovative! For my ears its pure GODFLESH "Streetcleaner" era rhythm/beat. Besides usual vocal style there was few very nice anguished close to spoken word lines. ya know a la CELTIC FROST.. I am not a good writer so this doesnt do justice how damn good RFR was!! Guest vocalist from PRO-DEATH and GOATMOON.
On a side note there has been some disscussion on punk forum here. There has been some "hailing" and fight on event. Oh dear! kids and internet. One guy was hailing front of stage(could be also regular fist in the air action- hard to tell) And "fight" was over in a 10 sec. I knew both guys. Both drunk as fuck. In a front row. some accidental push- beer was spilled- more pushing.Both on floor few seconds and thats it.
Show report: Final Koufar show, Enemy Artspace, Chicago, IL
Pre-show:
Mack (Koufar), Jay (Blessed Sacrifist) and I got to the spot around 8:30, to find it in the middle of a brownout, so there wasn't much in terms of light or ventilation happening. We killed time waiting for the power to come on by passing around a 2L bottle of Lebanese moonshine that Mack's friend had sent him for special occasions. Anise-flavor, reminded me a lot of Ouzo. Too much apparently causes internal bleeding.
The Enemy space is really huge, with a massive (say 40x30) performance area opening out into the kitchen and sitting room. There were people there pretty early, both performers and crowd members. There seemed to be, throughout the night, a group of about 50 people there to watch the show, which is great. There were some random hipsters who came up to drink, but they bolted almost as soon as the first act started.
Hate Basement:
Duo of Nick Dellacroce from Bongripper (on electronics and vocals) and Will McElvy from pop-punk act Castevet on moog and electronics. Utterly nasty thick harsh noise. It was my first time checking them out, and I was not at all let down. Unexpected inclusion of vocals from Nick, had some serious Deathpile vibes to parts of it. distributed collage xeroxes stained with piss.
Shattered Hymen
Last time I saw Vadim play, he had a lot of technical difficulties stemming from his setup, which was all digital synth modules. This time was different. Shattered Hymen played pretty much in the dark, used a table full of digital rack units and a Nord synth as well as a sturdy contact mic and a piece of metal sheeting. Really bassy harsh noise sound to it, much better than his set where his gear gave him trouble. Set up a nice harsh synth wall and then brought in more and more scrap, taking the synth out until there was only scrapwork left.
Jason Soliday
Jason Soliday is one of the three roommates that calls Enemy Arts home, and is perhaps one of the most adept electronics performers I have seen live. He played a massive 30-minute set of buzzing nasty synth cutup and blasts of harsh noise, using a variety of consoles. I'm not exactly sure what they were, there were a few oscillators and two synth boxes with an assload of alligator clips all over them. Huge stereo panning effects and fast cutups.
Blessed Sacrifist
Jay played next, using his rig of mixers, digital delays and synth loops. Blessed Sacrifist is a dark industrial / power electronics project that uses a lot of melodic string, synth and piano loops along with walls of harsh noise. Symphonic P.E. if that makes sense. Reminds me of a more formless Nothing or a more ornate Cocaine Death-era Prurient. His set was creepy, strong deep vocals fighting through the washed-out depressive synth loops and crackling harsh noise. Really great. Jay's other projects are worth noting too; he plays with Peter J. Woods in straightedge P.E. project xALLxFORxTHISx and is the bass player in a sludge metal band (Slob Donovan) and atmospheric black metal act Owlscry, both of whom are excellent. Owlscry shares members with Shroud Of Despondency.
Nyodene D
I was playing my last (planned) Nyodene D set until my upcoming December tour and was ready to play a longer one and make it worth it. Despite some technical difficulties (table leg giving out while moving it, starting over about 20 seconds in because a digi reverb wasn't set on the right setting, PA speakers overheating one at a time during my second song), I think i managed a pretty good set. I got a lot of compliments. Played two pieces from upcoming CD on Black Plague, tenatively titled "Maruta" and "Last Disciple Of Christ". Simple setup: vocals, iPod with samples, Casio SK-1 through pedals / reverb units. Really enjoyed my vocals and was glad that people didn't seem to notice (or pretended not to notice) that the moonshine kept me from playing my synth with some amount of accuracy a couple times.
Koufar
The star performance of the night was Koufar, his last before moving out to the Bay Area. Apparently, Disgust will be taking a backseat to both Crown Of Cerebus (Mack's new analog tape / drone / industrial project) and Koufar, for which he has written about a half-hour of new material. Mack's setup was different for this gig. Two Fostex MR-8s, a meatbox pedal, a Kaossilator pad and an oscillator box (repurposed from some science lab). Very synth-y loop sound to it, cold synths, manic glitched-up vocals, worming oscillator tones, etc. Awesome 25 minutes, played about four or five new songs, including a reworked version of "Patriot" off his split with Persistence In Mourning. New look too, no longer with the keffiyeh, but now in old-school Ben Sherman english skinhead regalia, covered in Maronite Militia tattoos, etc. Mack got a five minute ovation at the end for his set. Jason Soliday recorded it, but not through soundboard. I have soundboard recordings of everybody buy Hate Basement and probably Koufar (ran out of space and powered down in the middle of his set). Mack is in Dayton, OH for a few weeks before moving out west, so I imagine he'll maybe get to record this newest effort soon.
POST-SHOW
Awesome show, everybody's sets were different, but very high quality. Even though Mack is leaving, it seems like there's a really strong HN/PE scene left in it's place. Can't wait to go back.
Norberg Festival, Sweden - July 28-30 (http://www.norbergfestival.com/)
This 3-day festival for all sorts of experimental electronic sounds has been going for well over a decade now, and this year's lineup was one of the most interesting... even though I didn't care much for all the various flavors of extreme dance music (techno/breakcore/chiptune/etc), nor the more serious electro-acoustic and sound art performers/composers that were represented. It takes place at an abandoned mining site, unfortunately not in the subterranean shafts, but in various ground-level buildings. The main stage being inside the pithead frame of the mine, an enormous concrete structure with fantastic space and natural reverb. So this is what I sampled over the two days I was there...
(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a163/meta_mythos/Blog%205%202011%20live%202k11/Mimerlaven.jpg)
IRNI was the new collaboration between Thomas Ekelund of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words and Joachim Nordwall who's in the Skull Defekts when not operating the Ideal Recordings label. This sounded pretty much as expected considering the members, dark drones and static noises with Ekelund's tortured vocals on top. I thought this was quite good save for some stretches of uninspired knob twisting.
Next was The Magic State aka Nadine Byrne, the solo outing of one of the two Byrne sisters that comprises Ectoplasm Girls (whose debut LP is out now, after a six month delay). She's also a visual artist with a penchant for exploring myths, rituals and transcendence in her works, some of which were shown on the backdrop projections. Her music is a sort of semi-ambient, cosmic hotchpotch where laptop meets synthesizers. Very enjoyable.
I admit haven't heard much Sudden Infant before, but still knew pretty much what to expect, and I don't think anyone left disappointed. Joke pulled of a great show with fragmented noise loops, spoken word stuff, and frantic use of contact mics. Picked up his massive 4xLP career retrospective afterwards, which proved to be a wise move.
By Raionbashi I had heard exactly zilch beforehands, and did not know what to expect. He staged a ritual; hooded, cloaked, and standing on a chair with arms spread, like in the infamous pictures of Iraqi war prisoners at Abu Ghraib, while his music was playing in the background. This was obviously something very personal for him, and hard to get into for an outsider.
Stephen O'Malley went on stage armed with guitar, loads of fx, and a wall of amps, and started riffing... a 45 minute riff-o-rama stripped of the Spinal Tap factor that the SunnO))) context provides - well, this gets pretty dull after a while.
Twice a Man are Swedish ambient/electronic veterans that have sustained since the early 80's thanks to doing commissions for theatres, radio, and even music for PC games. I haven't followed them closely, but they proved to still be in good shape when performing their sofisticated (some would say pretentious) filmic music - at times reminding a bit of the Legendary Pink Dots. A nice surprise.
Then came :zoviet*france* who - just like Twice a Man - also have a near 30 year history. A couple of their albums are definite desert-island-discs for me, and I've enjoyed many concerts by them in the past. While there certainly still are moments of pure bliss, I felt that there are stretches when they just go through the motions. I miss the ethnic elements that Robin Storey brought to Rapoon.
Last but not least another legend, Lustmord. Strangely enough he's played in Sweden twice in a half year now, after hardly not performing at all previously. In Stockholm in January he had complaints about the PA not being up to the standards he requires. Nothing like that this time, with this venue's stellar Funktion One sound system. At times the building was pretty much vibrating from the crushing bass frequencies, and the cavernous space filled up with ominous sounds. The set was somewhat other than in Stockholm, though the biggest difference was this time your body actually resonated with the soundwaves. A fitting midnight mass in the concrete cathedral.
Just saw Godflesh live and damn they were good! I think they played pretty much every song from Streetcleaner.
If someone had doubts about the Godflesh reunion, I don't think they'l have any after that gig. Very powerful and crushing.
I didn't know Zoviet France was still around. I saw them in the late '90s? in Dallas. 2 guys with a tableful of wooden toys/instruments/things, a couple of open mics, a few pedals. They'd pick something up, fiddle with it, hit it, whatever in front of a mic. Lots of delay, I think? Wish I could remember more. It was interesting & took place in a very proper bar where you would not expect an experimental performance. Basically a yuppie bar. A few years ago at the House of Tinnitus in Denton, I met a guy who was at that performance.
Human League and Men Without Hats, Boston, September 22.
There is far more to MWH than being a one (or two) hit wonder. They've always been one one favorite synthpop acts, from their first ep in 1980 though their first few lps. They played a good cross section of singles, early and obscure tracks and a new track which stays true to their original sound. Ivan's baritone voice still sounds good. They are working on a new album.
I had seen the Human League 3 three years ago on Cape Cod so I wasn't as excited to see them as Men Without Hats. I was never really a fan of HL past the Hysteria album so those songs did nothing for me but it was great to them do the pre-Dare tracks Being Boiled and Empire State Human. They also played a few new tracks which were ok. The one new track MWH played is better than the whole new HL album.
Quote from: Niko on September 25, 2011, 01:28:30 AM
Just saw Godflesh live and damn they were good! I think they played pretty much every song from Streetcleaner.
If someone had doubts about the Godflesh reunion, I don't think they'l have any after that gig. Very powerful and crushing.
This was a good show indeed! At least the first 40 or 50 minutes were excellent. Not every track from Streetcleaner was played. For example my personal favourite Pulp was not played, neither was Devastator, or Locust Furnace... But Avalanche Master Song from the first EP got played! Great. After the Streetcleaner part of the show was done, they moved on with material from Pure and I kind of lost the feeling there. Also the volume could have been a lot louder.
I think the setlist was like this: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/godflesh/2011/hmv-forum-london-england-2bd31406.html
After Godflesh it was good to head up for checking out Ride For Revenge, once again and sure it was okay. Obviously not their best effort, maybe a bit too drunk. BlackGoat came naked on stage, even with his cock painted, haha. It was the last RFR gig for a while.
Quote from: fetch the rope on September 25, 2011, 04:47:11 PM
Quote from: Niko on September 25, 2011, 01:28:30 AM
Just saw Godflesh live and damn they were good! I think they played pretty much every song from Streetcleaner.
If someone had doubts about the Godflesh reunion, I don't think they'l have any after that gig. Very powerful and crushing.
This was a good show indeed! At least the first 40 or 50 minutes were excellent. Not every track from Streetcleaner was played. For example my personal favourite Pulp was not played, neither was Devastator, or Locust Furnace... But Avalanche Master Song from the first EP got played! Great. After the Streetcleaner part of the show was done, they moved on with material from Pure and I kind of lost the feeling there. Also the volume could have been a lot louder.
I think the setlist was like this: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/godflesh/2011/hmv-forum-london-england-2bd31406.html
After Godfleah it was good to head up for checking out Ride For Revenge, once again and sure it was okay. Obviously not their best effort, maybe a bit too drunk. BlackGoat came naked on stage, even with his cock painted, haha. It was the last RFR gig for a while.
GODFLESH were ok." Streetcleaner" tracks even great! But you could ask is this really needed? Why now when your erection angle is not what it used to be to travel all around to perform old stuff. You got nothing new to offer. I guess its a good excuse to get away from wining cunt and annoying brats.
SISTERS OF MERCY live at same venue few months earlier was shit. Pretty embarassing. I wish people would get old w/ some dignity and self criticism.
On the other hand BLASPHEMY reunion was fist in your face! So go figure...
Quote from: Markkula on September 27, 2011, 10:42:41 PMSISTERS OF MERCY live at same venue few months earlier was shit. Pretty embarassing. I wish people would get old w/ some dignity and self criticism.
I saw SoM finally live about two years ago and it was a huge disappointment. They had "upgraded" their sound and it was closer to something like Rammstein than the old albums. Didn't work for me at all.
Quote from: Markkula on September 27, 2011, 10:42:41 PM
SISTERS OF MERCY live at same venue few months earlier was shit. Pretty embarassing. I wish people would get old w/ some dignity and self criticism.
This is nothing new. I saw them 20 years ago and it was one of the worst/most disappointing shows I've ever seen.
http://thephoenix.com/Blogs/onthedownload/archive/2011/09/28/the-return-of-the-repressed-sudden-infant-at-starlab-9-23-11.aspx
wrote a brief review, accompanied by a live video, of Sudden Infant's recent performance in boston. have a look. thanks!
pleased to see a thread dedicated to live reviews.
Got up a few hours ago after reaching home at 5.30 in the morning after the JAAKKO VANHALA etc show in Copenhagen yesterday. As usual, a nice evening at Mayhem! Good gathering of Danes, Swedes and Finns. Even though it took perhaps a bit too long to go there from the station, hah... always good with some exercise.
The bands were as always numerous, and perhaps a bit too many (before the first act, the "stage" area with the tables was bigger than the audience area...). Hard to keep track of who played at which table with what sound. But I'll give it a try... when arriving at the venue, a disturbing tinitus-like sine tone was hovering around the venue, I suppose this was the sound installation. I remained outside till it finished.
AMPHETAMINE LOGIC (Christian Stadsgaard) began with some droney melodies, building up to some nice noises with some kind of metallic spring contraption wielded like a keytar. Good, but lost in the blurr of the evning.
Second up, ASSAULT GUARD. Thenceforth referred to as "the young guy in camo jacket". IT felt... young. A lot of machines that I don't know the name of making good noise sounds, but slightly lacking in the department of purpose and direction. Will surely improve as time goes by.
ALLEYPISSER has (I think) been around a bit longer, moving into the tape loop and scrap metal-area. The sounds were really good, especially some the loops. The metal scraping didn't really come out at all in the mix. As the impressions I have from ALLEYPISSER's recordings, the sounds are good but go on for a bit too long; though what I hear as a bit of treading water, is someone else's amazing minimalism. I enjoyed it, but for the evening perhaps slightly too long, with only 3-4 acts it would have been better.
TUFTHUNTER came afterwards, synthesizer noise. I think it was the same person responsible for the sound installation earlier? I didn't appreciate the melodic noodling (also increasing fatigue + hunger starting to take out its toll), but the background sounds where violent enough!
FUZZARDS, also a new project from the Posh Isolation crew, I think? Klaus from Ashley C and that other guy whose name I just can't remember right now (Kåre?). Brutal and competent electronics, burly and minimal. Highly appreciated. Should've picked up their tape.
The only vocal act for the evening, LR is also the only one of these projects I've seen before. Aggressive un-confrontative power electronics, a lot of microphone feedback and great screaming vocals. Seems there were some technical issues, the second song (interspaced by some metallic clattering) was cut short, mr. LR storming out of the venue. Perhaps part of the performance though? Anyway, one of my favourite performances of the evening.
As the clock was reaching 2 in the morning, it was time for the headliner JAAKKO VANHALA to perform. I missed him on the tour with UMPIO earlier this year, so I was looking forward to it. What can I say? HARSH NOISE. Then I made the mistake of sitting down, and fell asleep for most of the performance. Sounded great though.
As said, a bit too many acts to enjoy them all, fully. But definitely worth the trip...
So now the question remains - who won, Freak Animal or Unrest?
Quote from: pestdemon on October 01, 2011, 06:48:48 PM
So now the question remains - who won, Freak Animal or Unrest?
I did. He had no chance. I hear he's sulking all the way back to Finland now.
Pestdemon's live reports correspond pretty much with my own opinion. Was Tufthunter the girl who stood hunched over her gear looking drugged out and anti social? If so I thought she was better than you did.
I didn't fall asleep during Jaako's set either which IMO was the best on the night.
Fuzzards made me reach for the balaclava but I was pretty drunk by then.
Thanks to Kåre for letting me stay at his home and for sharing his bitch Maggie. The sweet young thing was too much for this old man in the end.
Copenhagen was great but it had to end badly. 4 hours to get home due to the trains being cancelled and a huge bust up with a pregnant bitch who thought she had the right to move my gear around so she could sit down. She can have the seat but it's custom to ask before moving other people belongings. She thought otherwise and so did her arab boyfriend. Not much to be done about idiots. And wouldn't it be just awful if the upset caused a miscarriage? What the world needs now more than ever are for subhumans like her to breed and multiply.
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on October 02, 2011, 01:09:28 PM
She thought otherwise and so did her arab boyfriend.
LOL.
Why does this not surprise me, fucking towel heads.
Bachir would never have tolerated it. He would have taught her some fucking manners!
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on October 02, 2011, 08:20:40 PM
Bachir would never have tolerated it. He would have taught her some fucking manners!
MUZBOOT YA3NNI!! (So correct, my friend!).
CRANK STURGEON performed in Warsaw yesterday. Unfortunately, it wasn't good live show. Something like theatre of absurdity in dada vein for solo player but very poor, especially in music. Not recommended.
Maschinenfest2011 .......i'll spare you the details on violent IDM, cliché distorted-beat 'industrial' etc etc ....venue was good, big pa, nice crowd (almost no cyber goths!!!), Oberhausen is a nice place to chill in the day....
acts that could be of interest :
Atrabilis Sunrise....i was pretty smashed by his 7" on Formosan (an underrated gem), he has a full cd out now.....nice visuals but the sound/act didn't convince me.....it was a compilation of past CMI-highlights, boring ambient intermezzo's etc etc ....
Thorofon .....i like Thorofan all the way, from the harsh german pe masterpiece debut lp to the later more minimal & structured work.....this set was even more minimal/electronic with a wound-up Dan on vocals, Pasquier fondling the MS20 (great ass!), and pounding live drumkit.....and the drums really gave it punch, is a DAF way.....no 'early songs', but later work (Gigamesh, Riot Dictator,...) & from the recent cd on Ant-Zen (incl an SPK-cover http://youtu.be/6RD3Bxv5WAQ (http://youtu.be/6RD3Bxv5WAQ)). very good & high energy-set.
Contagious Orgasm .....easy-listening muzak, not bad, but pure wallpaper.....pfffff
Lustmord ......man was this BORING. huge screen with nice visuals (but nothing new if you've seen Herz Jühning's lp on Galakt), only laptop, the bass was loud, the sound huge, but the magic wasn't there, using bits & pieces of old tracks to create something new, no evolution, no build-up.....just plain boring. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFtU6uVrRCM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFtU6uVrRCM)
what impressed me most : Mobthrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN5BkwZZpXc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN5BkwZZpXc)), Imminent (venetion snares is for sissy's), näo (never heard of them, real band doing soundscapes/instrumentals, was very powerfull live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IONh2-It16k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IONh2-It16k), the Thorofon set (http://youtu.be/cQS1ZpqS144 (http://youtu.be/cQS1ZpqS144)).
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Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
01/10/11 - Electrowerkz/Slimelight London UK - Sutcliffe Jugend/Costes/Bizarre Uproar/Silent Abuse/Anti Child League/Bagman
I mainly went to this gig to see Bizarre Uproar and Silent Abuse. I hadn't heard of Bagman man before but he played a good set, I wished his vocals would have had more volume though. ACL did a very short solo set and then was joined on stage by Silent Abuse and they did tracks from their 7" collaboration which sounded great. Then Silent Abuse continued on vocals though I couldn't work out if the noise/PE was her own or ACL as they were still both on stage but it sounded very good.
Bizarre Uproar was great. It looked like there was some video playing on the screen behind him but due to lights being shined at the screen you couldn't really see much but that's not important. I believe he was playing stuff from the forthcoming LP and possibly a track from Musta Rotta which I recognised but I might be wrong. Vocals sounded amazing, the Finnish language is very suited to being screamed down a microphone. Mrs Bizarre came on stage in nazi nurse uniform to play with her slave for a bit and even grabbed some guy from the front row and made him drop his trousers and piss in a bag, I couldn't really see what happened after that, I'm not sure if the slave's head was in the bag while that was happening, possibly. Absolutely amazing set.
Did anyone else from here go to it?
I did go. Great evening!
As you said Bagman's vocals were way too low in the mix. It could have been much more enjoyable if there had been more power in the vocals.
ACL/Silent Abuse was very nice even if I had not heard any of their material beforehand.
Bizarre Uproar was the highlight of the evening for sure. Perfect noise/p.e. with powerful vocals. And yes, there probably was some material from the upcoming album since Pasi was shouting "viha ja kiima!" a lot and that is supposed to be the title of the upcoming full-length. And the slave/torture performance was good. Too bad the background video was not really visible due to the lights.
Sutcliffe Jugend was excellent at times but also with some weaker moments. I didn't really care for those "manifestos" with just spoken word and some simple bubbling/screech in the background. But when they went for a full power electronics assault it worked really well.
And then Costes... oh boy. Crazy theater with lots of props, insane shouting and performance. Not at all for me. The evening could have ended with SJ and I would have been happy.
Can't wait for the Broken Flag fest in May!
Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
I hadn't heard of Bagman man before but he played a good set, I wished his vocals would have had more volume though.
Well Steve told me that he wanted to have more volume on his vocals but the owners didn't allow him...
Pestdemon in deed nailed it pretty well.
I thought Amphetamine Logic could have been longer. Which is rare case, when many time "europeans" tend to do long sets. Maybe it was also because he played first, and I was hungry to hear, but all transitions came quick. All parts I could have listened easy 5 mins more.. perhaps 15min more to total length? It was good, though.
Assault Guard, I didn't see the lack of direction - since I expected none. Camo jacket, short cut hair, brutal mid-frequency noise blast. Worked for me!
Alleypisser was very good until very last minutes. Everybody I talked to, was thinking it was slightly too long. And not overall, but the last thing. I think the flow of set was good, until finally it just started grind the same sound over and over again with going nowhere. I think one of essential things in noise show is the compact ending. It is always better to short with total hard on, than wait the cock soften and soften and just not be sure if this is minor dribbles of piss or end climax. Good set with bad ending.
Tufthunter has its moments. First few minutes was almost like Monde Bruits "psychosomatic performance", but then drifted into aimless keyboard notes via distortion.
Fuzzards was very good. Simple, brutal wall of synths.
I guess LR supposedly suffered from bad sound, but I thought it was good. The thing, that vocals basically brutally over-rided the sound itself in some parts was just good spontaneous element what made these different from album versions. He actually does play real songs, so I liked that they did differ from recorded versions by filthier sound quality. I guess storming out of venue was just part of the very Prurient influenced performance style, hehe..
Jaakko Vanhala did great. I have seen him only play as Zoat Aon before. One can still hear little shadows of his past, yet transformation into high-energy harsh noise has been very good. In times when majority appears to trust brutal and kind of crude textures, it was brilliant to hear the good filter sweep "jap noise" influenced brutality. Material worked on many levels and especially the density of high frequency details was great. Not just fuzzy distortion on top, but endless amount of micro details of sound happening on top of everything.
Quote from: pestdemon on October 01, 2011, 06:48:48 PM
So now the question remains - who won, Freak Animal or Unrest?
Perhaps I merely compensated the loss with extensive trading!
Route back was c. 1000km drive. In heavy duty traffic of Stockholm I cursed I will never return to stockholm anymore, but after meeting Treriksröset and also finding mint copy of Atomage Rubberist #3 at HSon, I changed my mind.
Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
01/10/11 - Electrowerkz/Slimelight London UK - Sutcliffe Jugend/Costes/Bizarre Uproar/Silent Abuse/Anti Child League/Bagman
.... grabbed some guy from the front row and made him drop his trousers and piss in a bag, I couldn't really see what happened after that, I'm not sure if the slave's head was in the bag while that was happening, possibly. Absolutely amazing set.
(http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6677/tumblrlsjufca0fp1r2iu3d.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/tumblrlsjufca0fp1r2iu3d.jpg/)
Quote from: Markkula on October 04, 2011, 09:12:15 PM
Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
01/10/11 - Electrowerkz/Slimelight London UK - Sutcliffe Jugend/Costes/Bizarre Uproar/Silent Abuse/Anti Child League/Bagman
.... grabbed some guy from the front row and made him drop his trousers and piss in a bag, I couldn't really see what happened after that, I'm not sure if the slave's head was in the bag while that was happening, possibly. Absolutely amazing set.
(http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6677/tumblrlsjufca0fp1r2iu3d.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/tumblrlsjufca0fp1r2iu3d.jpg/)
seems to have ben a romantic evening full of pleasure.
Brilliant picture!!!
Quote from: MT on October 05, 2011, 09:03:29 PM
Brilliant picture!!!
Perfect to use on cover for live album.
lucky fan!
Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
grabbed some guy from the front row and made him drop his trousers and piss in a bag
BU is slowly turning into Rock Bitch, HAHA
Quote from: AC on October 06, 2011, 11:23:50 AM
Quote from: Si Clark on October 04, 2011, 12:07:52 AM
grabbed some guy from the front row and made him drop his trousers and piss in a bag
BU is slowly turning into Rock Bitch, HAHA
hahaha, holy shit.
Recent review (http://blog.thephoenix.com/blogs/onthedownload/archive/2011/09/28/the-return-of-the-repressed-sudden-infant-at-starlab-9-23-11.aspx) from Suddan Infant/Keith Fullerton Whitman/Xiphoid Dementia/Einfgall/Ophibre show with video posted in the local paper:
QuoteFriday night saw a blowout bonanza of industrial noise, as Somerville's Starlab played host to SUDDEN INFANT, the long-running, highly-admired project of Joke Lanz, a Swiss national living in Berlin. Influenced by actionism, fluxus, and dada, Lanz' physical, bodily brand of noise and performance art is shot through with perverse humor and warped reflections on daily life.
A cadre of New England noisicians and sound artists opened up the proceedings, and the crowd's palpable enthusiasm for these local favorites charged the air with electrifying energy. OPHIBRE played first, inaugurating the evening with his glacial drones. XIPHOID DEMENTIA packed the basement and the treacherous flight of stairs down, forcing latecomers to peer over the staircase railing for a glimpse of the unfolding deathindustrial intensity.
Egan Budd, the man behind the alias Xiphoid Dementia, also booked and organized the show -– he takes much of the credit for the night's success. KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN'S intricate, progressive soundscapes, informed by academic music as well as the outré side of so-called IDM, reverberated through the space, rattling the windows, and EINFGALL, a collaboration between A SNAKE IN THE GARDEN'S Matt Mayer and ZERFALLT'S Lee Tindall, pulled off the most impressive performance of the openers. The two conjured hateful, earsplitting squalls and squeals from contact mic'd sheets of corroded iron as onlookers grimaced at the pair's relentless intensity. I've seen Tindall play countless sets around Boston over the last five years, and this was, by far, his best that I've witnessed.
The man of the evening, the aptly-named Joke Lanz, then took the floor, nonchalantly surveying his mics and stripped-down setup. Cuing up some throbbing noise, Lanz opened with wordless howls and ululations, holding a contact mic against his throat and translating the vibration of his vocal cords into harsh sound. As the Sudden Infant set unfolded, Lanz introduced to the appreciative audience his conceptual concerns, demanding, "What do you know about the good father?" This rhetorical query centered the night's entertainment, as Lanz made his way through a set examining familial relations and a little boy in a wheelchair. Though not overtly perverse, his clipped singsong warble and caterwauling peals of laughter infused his peculiar lyrics with an atmosphere of the grotesque.
Modern noise is divided between earnest, obsessive efforts and overtly ludicrous provocation, with each camp sniping at the other from time to time. By presenting the family drama and psychosexual concerns that obsess modern PE practitioners through the lens of early industrial's surreal humor, Sudden Infant's set was at once archly serious and blackly comic, not to mention aurally blistering. Deftly managing his equipment, Lanz married excellent prerecorded material with live improvisation. Passages of agonizing restraint gave way to pulsating rhythms and sonic incisions, paired visually with Lanz' frenetic body movements. The crowd roared in approval at the conclusion of each song, and Lanz, won over, quipped "This is Boston, not LA! Oh my goodness!"
Prompted by the rabid enthusiasm, and a swig or two of Jim Beam provided by an onlooker, he even deigned to play an encore, a practice practically disowned by this music scene. Word has it Lanz told Budd this was the best crowd he encountered on his whole US tour.
We hear that a lot.
The Italians KAM HASSAH and Claudio Rocchetti visited Malmö on the 13th, Thursday I think, a small basement venue called Borgen (the castle). Haven't been there before, seems they are more into hosting freejazz/improv or more dance-based electronica events. Nice & cosey little room with couches & stuff, will probably return. Hadn't heard Rocchetti before, and only KH I'd heard was his side of the split with HEINZ HOPF. Which is really good, so I was looking forward to this. KAM HASSAH didn't disappoint, very simple set-up with backing tapes + sampler doing almost all the work; undistorted and filthy rumbling sounds, very open and porous, building up to some kind of climax which didn't arrive because the goddamn PA couldn't handle the bass frequencies so the sound turned into shit every time it peaked, and the organizer promplty had to go up to the mixer to softly turn it down just a little bit, very carefully, which meant that he stood precisely in front of me. No sound-check? Hrm. Anyway, I enjoyed the sounds. Claudio Rocchetti was next/last, using a bit more gear... couldn't get a good grip of the music. Constantly, erratically turning & twisting all the knobs and levers on his mixer + pedals, everything was just jumping around, and he didn't have any volume to speak of either, so it felt like he was just fucking around rather than actually playing. Also, he seemed to have a lot of problems with contacts and cables glitching, sounds disappearing and all, couldn't tell if that was part of the performance or accidents with malfunctioning equipment. Would probably have been better recorded, rather than seen. He managed to get some good, angry sounds towards the end, but then it just ended, so I don't know.
The problem was that that night, there were three concerts attracting mroe or less the same crowd: besides this, Miko Vainio of PANSONIC was supposed to do a show elsewhere (but he didn't show up), and the LEGENDARY PINK DOTS were also playing elsewhere. Including the dj, bartender, + performers, there were about 14-15 people at the venue, most of which seemed to be regulars + friends of the venue rather than crowds into the music. When KH played, I was the only one standing up within 2 metres from the "stage", and when Rocchetti played, I was joined by KH. Lazy bastards sitting in a couch or lying on the floor (!!!) in the back of the venue... Lack of crowd + sound problems made the event anti-climactic but at least it took place...
(http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7987/vinyljunkieshow.jpg)
"preshow" before HNW fest.
-Glasgow Smile started the show (last minute add since r.s.p. was not able to make it) set started off with a sample of doctor talking to little girl then was made of hn coming from contact mics on a metal bowel and chains as well as other effects to give off crumbling and decayed sound.shouted vocals here and there.good set from rising project.
http://youtu.be/1dlo7Lhrt3w
-Streetmeat, i started my set off with crackling i was getting from my keyboard then to some harsh and heavy noise focusing on the "cut up" style until i faded in a loop which was main focus. vocals with effects on the filthier side.touching & pulling audience. ending with microphone feedback.
http://youtu.be/WOcwJGrsuhs
-G.S.S.(Richard R & Sean M.) began with a porn sample that ramirez used a microphone against his laptop to manipulate (which was later turned around playing "niggers revenge") classic harsh noise, junk metal and plastic bags distorted and abused. i think debut live performance from project.
http://youtu.be/LoBuPme6DF4
-Ascites each member played out of their own amp or pa. best performance ive heard from project. distorted junk and loads of high pitched & fast synth action.
http://youtu.be/OsIh2pKdpho
-Churner's performance had a technical difficulty giving the sound a blown-out and distorted effect(due to pedal) but i could still tell it was harsh noise with a strong power electronics roots. very good set minus pedal breakdown.
http://youtu.be/JWOJJX3Uvgs
-Boar was Alex joined by Patrick of ilikeyougohome their set consisted of harshnoise, heavy synth,feedback, drowning delays, and screaming vocals by alex. great end to night.
http://youtu.be/3Df-sJgUQAY
http://youtu.be/pl7QS6vrCZw
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/129182-out-noise-artists-soundtrack-screen-screams-at-ye/
short review of recent show in Boston featuring Reviver, Xela, Zerfallt, Vomit Arsonist and Xiphoid Dementia.
Any Copenhagers want to share the Marhaug+Niblock+Bennet vs Mayhem experience from yesterday (I think it was)? If anyone attended, I mean.
The 30 minutes of Cut Hands I witnessed before leaving was straight up 90s Ant Zen power noise complete with pumping digital beats and gritty youtube visuals, every time Bennet managed to build up something remotely interesting he changed direction and started over so to say. When a visual resembling a 92' 7up commercial/SNAP music video appeared on the backdrop I packed up and left. Googling African tribe ritual and sampling drum patterns of 80's OL ceremony African performance dance type sounds hardly qualifies as Afro Noise in my book. Many have flirted with the absurdities and mysteries of the African continent. This must have been the most halfassed attempt I've come upon yet(mind you I left one third into the gig)
Quote from: AC on November 03, 2011, 10:24:06 PM
The 30 minutes of Cut Hands I witnessed before leaving was straight up 90s Ant Zen power noise complete with pumping digital beats and gritty youtube visuals, every time Bennet managed to build up something remotely interesting he changed direction and started over so to say. When a visual resembling a 92' 7up commercial/SNAP music video appeared on the backdrop I packed up and left. Googling African tribe ritual and sampling drum patterns of 80's OL ceremony African performance dance type sounds hardly qualifies as Afro Noise in my book. Many have flirted with the absurdities and mysteries of the African continent. This must have been the most halfassed attempt I've come upon yet(mind you I left one third into the gig)
My impressions are the same... I am sorry to say it, because Sir. BENNETT's works (as WHITEHOUSE) and views are one of the most important in my life, but his new, solo activity is weak, very weak... and ... probably - needless...
Quote from: AC on November 03, 2011, 10:24:06 PM
The 30 minutes of Cut Hands I witnessed before leaving ... mind you I left one third into the gig
You mean he played 1½ hours?
!!!
Is anyone actually surprised that Bennett sucked?
IRM yesterday was the loudest most vicious I've seen them ever. None of the Supersonic Trend Fucks graced us with their presence of course. Had they dared they would have been crushed by one of the most deafening bands to hit the sorry provincial town with its ever safer bets known as Birmingham in a long, long time. Had a has been like Bennett appeared on the same stage he would have had his arse raped and been left for dead by the roadside. This was more than just a concert, it was fucking war! IRM have had a shitty time of late and it shone through in the performance. There were technical issues before the gig. Misunderstandings between them and the promoter (no ones fault, I know both parties and all are well meaning people who are not out to fuck anyone) and then maybe 20 people in the audience. There was a strange and not always pleasant vibe going on yesterday. The kind that would normally lead to an uninspired performance but IRM just went up there and gave everything. In the end was just Martin on the floor in a fetal position howling as if he was being butchered. I've seen people try similar and it's looked and sounded stupid. With Martin it made the sensation of frustration and desperation all the more potent.
Yesterdays concert blew almost everything I've seen in the last few years right the fuck away!
Couldnt make IRM Due to logistics and stupid Late apointments ahh well there will be other times!
fuck man, I love IRM. Got to see them live
Saw IRM twice in 2009, also very intense; seems like a band that manages to channel all setbacks and negativity to pure intimidating musical force.
Also saw IRM live at Fylkingen a few years ago. Superb live act, very focused and good sounds. The bass guitar work did very much for me, cool to see someone deliver with a traditional instrument but with not so traditional sounds/playing style. Also the background visuals together with the music maked the whole experience even better.
Next IRM concert this coming Saturday at Nalen/Stockholm (http://www.nalen.se/KonsertInfo.aspx?HId=5&KId=2778). Tommy, Love... are you in for a pre gig booze-up? I've seen them around five times since helping put on their first show back in 2002; always a treat.
Frank Cordry and I are both attending the Anenzephalia / Kama Rupa / Pharmakon / FFH + Lussuria shindig in NYC this friday night. I'm sure we'll both have summaries up for you this time next week...
Frank Cordry and I are both attending the Anenzephalia / Kama Rupa / Pharmakon / FFH + Lussuria shindig in NYC this friday night. I'm sure we'll both have summaries up for you this time next week...
Also I'll be at the 4th Tesco night in Philly too. Hopefully my (most likely) booze soaked memory will come together for a decent show report.
(http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/2494/posterfest.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/641/posterfest.jpg/)
Nice venue. Old factory. Extremely nice/noise friendly soundmen. Proper PA.
I saw only few acts:
LR- good stuff. PE. piercing feedback,small objects in a metal can/contact mic aktion, vocals. Good control over material.
LUST FOR YOUTH- not really my cup of tea usually. Electro stuff w/ sometimes harsher elements, Beats, keyboard melodies etc. Disco stuff. Anyway I like it a quite a lot. Somehow very honest stuff. One thumb up. Two thumbs up for the band name. Brilliant!
MASSIVE EJACULATION- Someone said it was shitcore. Noise from cdplayer guy w/ cock out in a terrorist mask doing vocals. Short set.
Some all-stars ( Finnish?) improvisation set before BU. Stage full of treehuggers, gtr,bass, plastic can as a drum, 2 hippy chicks doing sounds w/ their little mouths, one idiot was standing there w/ kid`s taperecorder and was a wearing a cape full of tribal/mystic drawings,
I was told these were people from "Kemialliset Ystävät" and "Tomutonttu" ( Dust Elf !). What a bunch of morons. Avantgarde? I got 3 words: count me out. One nice moment in a half way of their set when those unshaven arm pits/hirsute cunts started to do coughing( as a part of their show) to same mic at same time- semi erotic.
BIZARRE UPROAR- Loud and putrid. Pretty ok. Some hippy chick was operating our backround video = it was on for a few seconds. She stopped it. She was " a laptop player" for last local act on bill. Watched their show for a 4 minutes. some ponytail boy was singing : "Whats the purpose in life?" Good question. The laptop chick was wearing a furry mask. You know kind of oversized hat w/ eye loops.
Quote from: Markkula on November 07, 2011, 10:27:05 PM
(http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/2494/posterfest.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/641/posterfest.jpg/)
BIZARRE UPROAR- Loud and putrid. Pretty ok. Some hippy chick was operating our backround video = it was on for a few seconds. She stopped it. She was " a laptop player" for last local act on bill. Watched their show for a 4 minutes. some ponytail boy was singing : "Whats the purpose in life?" Good question. The laptop chick was wearing a furry mask. You know kind of oversized hat w/ eye loops.
Hahaha!
I wish Lust For Youth had a different vocalist, they would be one of the better synth-pop bands out there I just can't get into his over dramatic downer vocal styling.
No need to report really. The poster says it all. It's not because it's the ugliest poster I've seen. It's the same ugly tasteless cliched shit every time. What is it about noise people and their love for total lack of aesthetics? No fucking chance would that have been given a pass in industrial. And still these jokers dare to attempt a superior attitude.
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on November 08, 2011, 12:56:51 AM
What is it about noise people and their love for total lack of aesthetics? No fucking chance would that have been given a pass in industrial. And still these jokers dare to attempt a superior attitude.
This is second time I've noticed you expressing such disgruntlements. Something someone said?
While I couldn't say for certain whether I've encountered more superior attitude from one camp or another, I would say that pe more readily sets itself up for ridicule simply by virtue of hanging more on the line. It should go without saying that concrete ideas (however approached) are easier targets. The greater the abstraction, on the other hand, the greater difficulty in mounting a basis for attack. In point of fact your two principle rants (that I've seen) have focused on almost everything but the actual sounds...
In any case I do think it pretty cool to see the pe/noise rivalry fomented with such passion!
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on November 08, 2011, 12:56:51 AM
No fucking chance would that have been given a pass in industrial.
I dug this one out from the depths of the internet to calm you down:
(http://www.maggs.com/hires/thumbnail.asp?cppl%3ENP0NP582460%27jnh%3E28782/kqh%27jnbhfJE%3E889964%27xnQpt%3Ecm%27xn%3E2%27x%3E36%3A%27i%3E511%27px%3E36%3A%27pi%3E511%27trvbsf%3E1%27tjufJE%3E4%27hL%3E1)
The performance was even held at an art-fag institution!
My impressions from Saturday.
Overall if not BU and LR it wouldn't be worthy going there.
About the poster - it's excellent when it's without purpose and there's no info written there. what time the gig starts? who knows. where is it? who knows. or everyone on globe knows what's KATEL? well, perhaps it serves as some sort of piece of art or something like that. ok.
About the venue - nice, big venue with couple of stages. I've heard that the organizer was doing all sorts of artsy stuff for years so if he is able to rent such a nice place - excellent.
About the crowd - when i came there, right away i started to look for "corner for bloggers", starbuck's cafe, circles of people discussing postmodernism and making remarks with their typewriters and of course non-alcoholic cocktails. hm. there were no such place or at least i couldn't find such. but the 80% of the crowd was somehow unintentionally looking for these, I suppose. So it's been nice to meet several Finnish guys and some Lithuanians in there. otherwise it would be truly weird.
About the gig - I suppose first two acts were Kaspars Groshevs and Savidivas. Something boring. So I spent these walking here and there and drinking beers
LR - Very good. Very dynamic, loud and harsh. From time to time I even become jealous of his nicely put layers of sounds that go so well with each other. Very good. People going out one by one because of the loud sound, I guess.
Free Improvisation from Finland. - WOOOOOWWWWW.... Ville told me that it'll be perhaps interesting to see these. I lasted for 5-7 minutes and though it was so cold outside, it was better to shiver with bottle of beer outside than listen to that. ok. so the guy making rhythm on a bucket, two girls shouting to the microphone.. witchery i suppose. some dude and a girl doing whatever by the microphone. and two guys making drones, I suppose, at the back of the stage with guitar and bass. enough is enough.
BU - Not surprisingly the best that evening. Atmospheric, loud and perhaps not that brutal, but more twisted performance. Mr.BU making noises at the back of the stage and Mrs. Silent Abuse tearing apart her skin, spilling fake (or not) blood on her white dress etc. etc. It's been rather difficult to concentrate only on sounds because of the performance, but the overall experience was excellent. and i've noticed that there was some sort of visualization only when looking through filmed material.
Lust for Youth - Not for me, not for that evening, though this was one of the acts that I was curious to see, but felt rather tired and chose to get back to hostel.
so it's one of these fests where one should go only when there are truly known names playing for everything else that you'll wonder what could that be and go to check will be guys asking what's the purpose of life, dudes with traffic signs eating something and making it a performance and so on and so on.
Quote from: heretogo on November 08, 2011, 08:48:39 AM
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on November 08, 2011, 12:56:51 AM
No fucking chance would that have been given a pass in industrial.
I dug this one out from the depths of the internet to calm you down:
(http://www.maggs.com/hires/thumbnail.asp?cppl%3ENP0NP582460%27jnh%3E28782/kqh%27jnbhfJE%3E889964%27xnQpt%3Ecm%27xn%3E2%27x%3E36%3A%27i%3E511%27px%3E36%3A%27pi%3E511%27trvbsf%3E1%27tjufJE%3E4%27hL%3E1)
The performance was even held at an art-fag institution!
Hippie performance art group performs at the ICA. I see nothing strange or out of the ordinary there. The poster, albeit not to my personal taste, is good. Looks like it was made by someone who knows his or her stuff.
Quote from: Levas on November 08, 2011, 10:16:11 AM
BU - Not surprisingly the best that evening. Atmospheric, loud and perhaps not that brutal, but more twisted performance. Mr.BU making noises at the back of the stage and Mrs. Silent Abuse tearing apart her skin, spilling fake (or not) blood on her white dress etc. etc. It's been rather difficult to concentrate only on sounds because of the performance, but the overall experience was excellent. and i've noticed that there was some sort of visualization only when looking through filmed material.
No fake blood.
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on November 08, 2011, 04:19:05 PM
Quote from: heretogo on November 08, 2011, 08:48:39 AM
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on November 08, 2011, 12:56:51 AM
No fucking chance would that have been given a pass in industrial.
I dug this one out from the depths of the internet to calm you down:
(http://www.maggs.com/hires/thumbnail.asp?cppl%3ENP0NP582460%27jnh%3E28782/kqh%27jnbhfJE%3E889964%27xnQpt%3Ecm%27xn%3E2%27x%3E36%3A%27i%3E511%27px%3E36%3A%27pi%3E511%27trvbsf%3E1%27tjufJE%3E4%27hL%3E1)
The performance was even held at an art-fag institution!
Hippie performance art group performs at the ICA. I see nothing strange or out of the ordinary there. The poster, albeit not to my personal taste, is good. Looks like it was made by someone who knows his or her stuff.
my guess would be Sleazy did the poster .....
and that's not industrial, THIS is industrial :
(http://www1.sk-static.com/images/media/img/col4/20100301-065329-861281.jpg)
;-)
If you're curious about how Finnish hippies sounded like in Tallinn you can check it out here:
http://soundcloud.com/tomutonttu/kemialliset-yst-v-t-at (http://soundcloud.com/tomutonttu/kemialliset-yst-v-t-at)
Far poppier than KY (J. Anderzen + friends) normally is but still pretty fuckin' good if you ask me. But then again, I also listen to Grateful Dead & Incredible String Band... eh. And apparently the festival took place close to a location where some parts of Tarkovski's Stalker were filmed... how industrial is that, huh?
Quote from: heretogo on November 08, 2011, 09:39:28 PM
If you're curious about how Finnish hippies sounded like in Tallinn you can check it out here:
http://soundcloud.com/tomutonttu/kemialliset-yst-v-t-at (http://soundcloud.com/tomutonttu/kemialliset-yst-v-t-at)
Far poppier than KY (J. Anderzen + friends) normally is but still pretty fuckin' good if you ask me. But then again, I also listen to Grateful Dead & Incredible String Band... eh. And apparently the festival took place close to a location where some parts of Tarkovski's Stalker were filmed... how industrial is that, huh?
Thats not the saturday set I was talking about.. Please post a link if there is any? I would love to experience the girl on girl coughing again!
Quote from: Markkula on November 08, 2011, 09:44:04 PM
Thats not the saturday set I was talking about.. Please post a link if there is any? I would love to experience the girl on girl coughing again!
Ah sorry, I guess that's not online, just yet anyway (the above track is probably the Friday set). But girl on girl coughing does sound kinda sexy, when you put it that way!
Just returned home from Trauma Fest. Think I've had enough bearded desperate digital delay yelling and gritty visuals for a lifetime. And what the fuck is up with Sweden and Mexican wrestling masks?
Damien Dubrovnik played an absolutely amazing set, turning the sound system problems that more or less plagued all acts on stage into their advantage. Really intense ending. DD would be my pick for best contemporary PE/Industrial live act. Last couple of shows has been truly impressive
Enema Syringe delivered an totally unique and bizarre set, never have I seen so many knobs under almost total control
The lofi harsh noise of me and Tobais couldn't have been more out of place. But playing felt really good and the sheer fun of everybody trying to avoid eye contact and having to tell their honest opinion afterwards was well worth the trip alone
Anatomit must be the contender for most over the top retarded debut ever. Can't say I found the sound very interesting. But the youthful enthusiasm and complete cluelessness sure was charming.
A more simple Stage/PA setup would have done the whole fest and a lot of the performers good. Much respect to Richard and the other organisers for putting so much effort into the weekend
Unfortunately, I missed the Friday evening of the Trauma festival - seems like the party was bigger & better then, whereas Saturday felt a bit... hung over? Also, it's weird that the first day was longer & had more sets than the second; weird way to prioritize. Anyway, it was a good venue, though the sound equipment didn't really stand up to the test. Two scenes (or rather, two rooms, one big and one small - sound was better in the small one). First act I saw was METEK, who seemed to be doing some kind of parody of power electronics, waving his arms and howling with a goofy voice. Didn't seem like he was taking himself seriously. Played for far too long.
Was more fun to watch Klaus, Lukas & T.R. set up their rock&roll set. Klaus = mix of Jimi Hendrix & Masonna; explosive guitar noise with sparse drum abuse by Lukas (the young guy I think is JACKMAN) and straight-forward feedback from TR Kirstein. When I saw the drums I was hoping for some noisecore, but alas... it was good anyway, esp. when the guitar started flying around, strings ripped off etc. A friend of mine, not into noise, came up to me afterwards asking "...what was that?". My reply: modern rock.
Back to the small room, time for KHMER NOIR. Aggressive, abrasive power electronics; black boots, fists in the air, communist revolution, angry beard guy 1 flying into the audience, angry beard guy 2's mic unfortunately not working properly. A brutality that was much needed this night that in the end became kind of nerdy and nice.
The headliner for me that night was TREPANERINGSRITUALEN (angry beard guy 3), which I was very much looking forward to. Hindered by a serious amount of sound issues (soundcheck floated into real performance, first song had to be restarted a few times), some of the atmosphere and attack was lacking once the show actually got rolling. But hell, this was the highlight of the evening. Visceral vocal attack, occult subjects (judgment - crucifixion - cremation - resurrection), heavy rhythmic industrial (with screamed vocals almost approaching industrial metal). Eucharist in piss and shit. Very professional set-up as well, this guy knows what he's doing.
Last but not least was ENEMA SYRINGE's set. Also very rhythmic, but this time the audience was dancing. Pretty fun, with aggressive vocals about noisy neighbors with bad music taste, disgusting pets etc. Party industrial, esp compared to Trepaneringsritualen.
A good night, though it felt a bit anti-climactic (save more bands for second evening next time, ok?). Hopefully this will become a recurring event, with even bigger, heavier & more interesting names.
Tesco USA 10th Anniv. show 11-11-11 to 11-12-11.
Friday night:
FFH + Lussuria - pretty good but not really memorable. I do like FFH's strained, almost hoarse sounding vocals but the sounds here were not able to penetrate the alcoholic fog in my brain. This seemed more suited for a smaller stage because there FFH and Lussuria didn't really have the presence of the later bands.
Kama Rupa - if I saw this performance I don't remember it at all
Omei - Originally I was bummed that Chris wouldn't be playing as Sickness but that was before I heard the sounds. Never have I witnessed such tension and aggression pared with non-harsh music. The vibes were just total depression and anger. I think Mr. Sickness was pacing back and forth on the stage at some point but I can't really remember, either way such a large stage seemed too small to contain him. From here on out the night was excellent.
Pharmakon - I've seen Pharmakon about 6 times now? This was easily the best performance. The synths were much sharper and bass heavy, reminiscent of German PE. And as usual the vocals were top-notch. Shrieks that could peel the paint from the wall. People started to get violent and shove each other towards the front which was totally appropriate I though. I was actually hoping for a little more violence. Towards the end she came out into the crowd to finish the set. Everything was perfectly timed and well constructed, it was nice to hear real songs with direction.
my friends and I rushed down the street when Pharmakon ended to get a few drinks before Anenzephalia played. Thankfully we got back to the venue just as Anenzephalia started:
Anenzephalia - the first time I've seen any of the Tesco big names live, I was extremely excited for this. Awesome backing videos of assorted imagery (dead bodies, radio towers, industrial ruin, dead animals) all projected in a very disorienting fashion when combined with the venue lighting. Extremely clear and full sound, making full use of the venue PA. What I liked most was that B. Moloch and W. Herich took turns handling vocal duty. I don't remember what songs specifically were played but it sort of irrelevant. the performance was a total sensory experience. My only complaint was they didn't play Final Pulse but that's neither here nor there.
The ride home my friends and I blasted Ke/Hil's Hellstation to get excited for Saturday, which I will write about later today.
Quote from: ConcreteMascara on November 14, 2011, 04:51:34 PM
Tesco USA 10th Anniv. show 11-11-11 to 11-12-11.
Friday night:
FFH + Lussuria - pretty good but not really memorable. I do like FFH's strained, almost hoarse sounding vocals but the sounds here were not able to penetrate the alcoholic fog in my brain. This seemed more suited for a smaller stage because there FFH and Lussuria didn't really have the presence of the later bands.
Kama Rupa - if I saw this performance I don't remember it at all
Omei - Originally I was bummed that Chris wouldn't be playing as Sickness but that was before I heard the sounds. Never have I witnessed such tension and aggression pared with non-harsh music. The vibes were just total depression and anger. I think Mr. Sickness was pacing back and forth on the stage at some point but I can't really remember, either way such a large stage seemed too small to contain him. From here on out the night was excellent.
Pharmakon - I've seen Pharmakon about 6 times now? This was easily the best performance. The synths were much sharper and bass heavy, reminiscent of German PE. And as usual the vocals were top-notch. Shrieks that could peel the paint from the wall. People started to get violent and shove each other towards the front which was totally appropriate I though. I was actually hoping for a little more violence. Towards the end she came out into the crowd to finish the set. Everything was perfectly timed and well constructed, it was nice to hear real songs with direction.
my friends and I rushed down the street when Pharmakon ended to get a few drinks before Anenzephalia played. Thankfully we got back to the venue just as Anenzephalia started:
Anenzephalia - the first time I've seen any of the Tesco big names live, I was extremely excited for this. Awesome backing videos of assorted imagery (dead bodies, radio towers, industrial ruin, dead animals) all projected in a very disorienting fashion when combined with the venue lighting. Extremely clear and full sound, making full use of the venue PA. What I liked most was that B. Moloch and W. Herich took turns handling vocal duty. I don't remember what songs specifically were played but it sort of irrelevant. the performance was a total sensory experience. My only complaint was they didn't play Final Pulse but that's neither here nor there.
The ride home my friends and I blasted Ke/Hil's Hellstation to get excited for Saturday, which I will write about later today.
Was a blast running into you... you kept talking about hitting bars after the show though, which I don't know if you were in any condition to do, haha..
- FFH + Lussuria - really cool to catch these acts live. I agree with Frank's assessment and could add that the vocals were mixed to high (they pushed the other stuff out of the mix...). Really would have loved more drone from Lussuria's end, but I guess they decided during soundcheck to go with overall harsh.
- Omei - also legendary, was really excited. To be honest, I didn't care for the part with the vocal loops (again, the looped screams were a bit too loud in the mix), but once he spent the last 20 mins of the set doing some nasty synthy death industrial, i can say that I really enjoyed his set.
- Kama Rupa - excellent ritual industrial set. synths, oscillators, auto-harp and e-bow with some percussion loops and candle-light for the first part of the set. Then Sean from Cult of Youth started playing trumpet through effects and it was like hearing the horns of the apocalypse. Seriously hazy apocalyptic ritual goodness... wish they'd play more often.
- Pharmakon - absolutely crushing. my first time seeing her. Margaret needs to put out a full-length already, containing mostly material from this set.
- Anenzephalia - really awesome, like frank said. Klaus and Moloch trading vocals and laying down excellent heavy electronics. played a lot of new material from the upcoming full-length CD, some stuff from Noehaem and Final Pulse Extension ("this is where the dream dies!")
really excellent night, wish i got to stick around for philly the next day. worth the 14-hour round trip.
Saturday night:
Saturday was a mess before I ever made it to the show. Do to my own fuck up my friends and I went to the wrong venue first, then drove around aimlessly finally getting there after the first (2?) acts had played.
Jonathan Canady - dark synth music to scenes from All the Colours of the Dark with Edwige Fenech. This could have been great but instead it was just monotonous and repetitive. Also, this could have been Plotkin's set but I couldn't tell. Needless to say I got a drink.
Yellow Tears - one of the most disorienting and unsettling performances I've ever seen. The vocals and samples were so mixed up that I couldn't tell what was going on or who if anyone was talking. There were videos, cowboy hats and overall nauseating vibes. I had to sit down towards the end of this because my head was absolutely spinning.
Ke/Hil - similar to Anenzephalia (not surprising) but less confrontational and more brooding. The videos were great especially at the end when they played Adrenalin. The set started with my 3 favorite songs: Black Snow, Grey Savior and Ephedrin. The sound was massive and the bass could be felt heavy in your chest. Teutonic destruction!
I felt like Friday was a much more solid line-up/event overall but Ke/Hil and Yellow Tears were both exceptional. I'd love to watch some video recordings of the show as there was often so much going on the details just blurred. Maybe the booze had a part in that? hehe. Over all an excellent weekend with which I'm still recovering from.
Tues 15/11/11 - Vomir + Iron Fist Of The Sun + Safe + Now Wash Your Hands
Nottingham, Chameleon Arts Cafe
First of all, paying £3.00 for a small glass of cola poured from a Sainsburys own brand bottle in front of your very eyes is a sham, albeit one I should've stood up to at the time. Hindsight.... Anyway, never been to the venue before, it's a little tucked away but as far as venues go it was small but fine.
Now Wash Your Hands - didn't like it. Gimmicky "P.E." about personal hygiene, naff banter between songs and a glittery costume. I don't think he is taking the piss with it, but he comes across like it's all a bit of a joke. According to what I've just read, he is an OCD sufferer for which I sympathise but this project isn't for me and I walked away during the third song.
Safe - this was more like it. Very enjoyable set, some nice heavy waves of noise for what...around 20mins or so? Never heard them before so was good surprise for first interaction. One single composition for the whole set I think, not a lot going on "performance" wise but enough texture in the sound and enough volume that this was enough.
Iron Fist Of The Sun - shamefully, this was the first time I'd ever gotten to see Lee perform, despite working with him in the past. Another 20min-ish set (or so it seemed) and further evidence of Lee/IFOTS as a new leading light for this country. Really enjoyed the set - really tight, empassioned and dark, some fucking great synth sounds in the live setting and vocals perfect.
Vomir - I met Romain before the gig properly started and can honestly say he is a truly nice guy. Like HNW or not, there is no pretense with this guy! Anyway.... gig room wasn't particularly huge but all of a sudden the area direct in front of stage in front of me (I was stood centre stage around middle way back from stage) filled up with people sitting/lying etc. Abrupt beginning, abrupt ending. As expected and as desired. I took up the option of the black bag and can certainly vouch it promotes a very different experience to just standing watching. I think the set was another 20-25mins? and having not moved for the duration my feet felt like they were beginning to burn and my lower legs felt numb. If you can really get into the black bag thing, I think the psychological effects of depravation are very interesting. Thoroughly enjoyable, marred only by what was probably a well-intended heckle of sorts from Now Wash Your Hands which came across as dumb and disrespectful.
So for the most part, great. Alas, I need to go to more gigs.
I demand a report on GOVERNMENT ALPHA + TRERIKSRÖSET in Copenhagen yesterday. Got delayed so I couldn't attend, goddamnit.
GA was over the top. Rare display of modern day gadgets being put to good use. The analog fascist in me decided that it's okay for Japs to use fancy digital gear since since hifi is a part of their cultural heritage haha. Really really good show
Treriksrøset was solid. Lagged the last 10% to be all out excellent but still massive and extremely harsh. Good night
Quote from: fin de siècle on November 28, 2011, 11:04:22 PM
GERECHTIGKEITS LIGA it was simply chaotic, disharmonic, bad song-writing, sorry ... to me a little misunderstanding of "creativity".
I had the same impressions when they were performing in Wroclaw Industrial Festival in 2009.
Review of Horror Sounds Existence Establishment Halloween Event in the local paper: (http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/129182-out-noise-artists-soundtrack-screen-screams-at-ye/)
QuoteIn a festive tribute to Halloween last Thursday night, five noisicians broadly associated with the death-industrial subgenre gathered at Yes.Oui.Si., "Boston's multi-sensory exhibition space," to perform alternate soundtracks for a series of classic and not-so-classic scary movies projected onto the gallery's wall in lurid color. Xiphoid Dementia imbued Burial Ground (1981), an inane Italian production chock-full of morbid monks and shambolic zombies teeming with maggots — not to mention the antics of a sexually precocious child played by an obviously adult dwarf — with a sense of gravitas it never should have enjoyed. Dementia's pounding, energetic score — far superior, if I recall, to the film's original — provided aural cues essential to the manifestation of cinematic terror.
Zerfallt's sound designs on Alucarda (1978), a stately, atmospheric masterpiece of Mexican cinema, inverted the previous set by stripping the film of its dignity with absurd, repetitive squealing. As the rain turned to snow outside, the Vomit Arsonist played to an increasingly wet, cold, and febrile audience with Titicut Follies, vérité master documentarian Frederick Wiseman's 1967 stark black-and-white visit to Bridgewater State Prison for the Criminally Insane. Meanwhile, Deftly-D, the night's VJ, stalked back and forth clad in a chrome skull mask and a transparent poncho over his hairy torso.
The absurd atmosphere reached its zenith when Xela, a UK native who's taken up residence in Malden, showed Things (1989), surely one of the worst movies all time, shot on VHS cassette. Xela's set, the night's highlight, made the most of the film's inept cinematography by forging a visual/aural dissonance with his masterful sonic manipulation — as his set climaxed, a young woman in the audience fainted and her friends frantically dragged her from the dingy basement. Before onlookers could catch their breath, headliner Reviver hammered the space with a shrill, buzzing onslaught, and a clip of thriller Don't Look Now (1973) flickered on the gallery wall, closing out the evening. It was the stuff nightmares are made of.
Didn't get as many photos/videos as usual but there are some here. (http://existest.org/ee_v3/?p=3810)
bimfest,.....2 things that matter on this board:
The Anti Group .....awesome combo of scapes (style Iso-Erotic Callibrations) and visuals ......solid act.
Clock DVA .....legendary, cold, hypnotic, ....and one of the most sinister voices ever that didn't age at all. stripped down & extended versions of Soundmirror and The Hacker without 'raping' the originals. top class......
Mayhem, Copenhagen 2011-12-16
Body League did their first show. It didn´t really appeal to me. Synth and amplified cymbals. Perhaps it will grow stronger with time.
Witnessed Forza Albino for the second time at Mayhem. Was totally caught off guard the first time. That was probably the best show this year. I didn´t even notice the burning smell coming out of the PA. Haha! No bullshit just focused and minimalistic PE. No drenched vocals or noisy wall sounds. This time it didn´t reach up to the same intensity but on the other hand I knew what to expect.
Seen Damien Dubrovnik several times this year and this was probably one of the duos best appearances so far. They are steadily getting better and is always executed with a sense of deep honesty and sincerity.
Age Coin did rhythmic industrial with some techno/dance feeling to it. Got some Cabaret Voltaire vibes and I think worked out really good.
The KNTN Annual Noise Festival in Copenhagen the other day... a nice evening, I guess. Arriving a few minutes after the first act started (everything started on time, which was in itself a mind boggling experience no delays whatsoever, 11-12 acts between 20.00-01.00), I didn't get any chance to soundcheck or set up my gear with focus, completely my own fault but still slightly frustrating.
COAL opened, new act (live debut?), two-headed heavy Power Electronics unit. Nice and brutal synth sounds & aggressive, suffocated vocals, but all in all far too stretched out. But confident enough for a first performance.
ASSAULT GUARD next, wielding a modified guitar and some fancy electronic stuff. Noise. Can't really remember the details but it was definitely an improvement from the last time, progression pointing straight upwards.
I think KONDITOQUE was next. Massive synthesizer equipment, spaced out techno sounds, some of it pretty good but not my cup of tea. I went across the street to buy a kebab. Tasted much better than the Malmö equivalent. Outside the venue it sounded like a psychotic video game, enhanced by fireworks crackling all over town (early new year's celebration?).
PUSSYFOOTER was probably the highlight of the evening; incorporating ASHLEY C, ALLEYPISSEr, ASSAULT GUARD + one more guy, they went ballistic with big pieces of metal. Concrete mixer filled with stuff, oil barrels, chains: metal junk fetish as it's called. Nothing new at all but a nice celebration of that oldest industrial tradition. Even throwing firecrackers into the audience and all (forcing me to retaliate with an empty beer bottle, though I'm afraid no-one was hit by it). The venue was filled with smoke and dust afterwards. Invigorating.
CONCUSSIONISTS next, probably, blistering improv-noise with guitars & baritone sax. Very loud and fierce, but approaching my own set I found it harder to focus on others' music.
PUCE MARY was up next with her minimalist heavy industrial approach. Some technical problems I think, but I enjoyed it anyway (also good dynamics in performance, sitting down by the table after the preceding rambunctious rock groups). Vocals a bit low perhaps.
NXFXTX seems to be the outsider in this line-up (besides myself), doing noise in Århus for twenty years. Sharp, drilling sounds from toys and stuff, loud as hell, true to the spirit of noise as being extremely unpleasant (more Japanese than Euro/American in that sense). Not very good though.
So, the "debut" performance as ARKHE, which really doesn't differ that much from what I've been doing as PESTDEMON other than by name. Having little time to rehearse & prepare the weeks before, and no sound check, the gig was bound to fuck up, as it did; got some nice pedal feedback sounds but then the microphone decided not to work, leaving little choice than to cut everything short, just turning up the nobs to eleven and blast everything. Fuck that shit.
Oh wait, CONCUSSIONISTS played after myself. That's why I didn't really notice what they were doing. GIRLSEEKER ended the evening, the only non-industrial band of the event. Cheesy 80's sounding keyboards, a lot of piano, out of tune vocals, awful guitar solos; perverse pop music, very enjoyable in its filthy kitsch. Always nice to end a noise festival with some dance music. The night ended at some bar in the vicinity with cheap beer, dice & a good time w/ the Posh Isolation crew, and the day after with brunch & a visit to the P.I. store (there wasn't any proper merch table at the show so this was the main opportunity to spend some of that hard earned cash from the night before).
edit: unfortunately, LR cancelled his performance.
LUST FOR YOUTH/LR/FAMILY UNDERGROUND - GOTHENBURG 13/1
First show at new place in Gothenburg, runned by the fine gentlemen behind the Järtecknet and Ljud & Bild labels. Located in the same building complex as Utmarken, but much smaller. More a traditional rehearsalplace, but perfect for smaller events. Basically two small rooms: one lounge with some places to sit, a bar (filled with Elk Brews of course), records to buy etc, and then the main room with the "stage" placed under a wooden loft. Perfect size, basically like a livingroom. Also important to mention, now access to an proper toilet! Though i sometimes miss shitting in a plastic bag, an actual toilet makes stuff like this so much more convenient...
LR
I've seen Mr. Rahbek live in various constellations, but this was actually the first time under the LR moniker (if you don't count a Puce Mary collaboration in Copenhagen). Starting out with sounds reminiscent of pieces of broken glass being dragged around in a bathtub or something, going on and on and setting a mellow tone for the set. Then finally exploding into heavy electronics with some melodic parts, everything drenched in feedback. Compared to the very cathartic Damien Dubrovnik sets, this felt more restrained and more focused on the actual sounds. Good stuff.
Family Underground
Nice combination of both the more rhythmic stuff they've been doing recently, as well as the guitarbased monotonous parts with singing, going more and more in the psych/garage direction. Best parts was at the end with just a few repetitive chords on the synth being played over and over while the guitar going all out. Hazy music. Overall i think they played for a bit too long and i've seen better FU shows, but they are always good. Be sure to pick up the new album on Turgid Animal.
Lust For Youth
There is few bands i've seen as many times as i've seen LFY, must be close to 20 times at this point. Been fun to follow the band from the very start to see the progression. I think the recent lineup change only made things better, the music has another feeling and it's more dynamic now. A different beat. Show was good, both old songs and a few new songs where played. The new track played second to last will be an instant classic as soon as it get's released, seriously life elevating stuff. With this setting and somewhat new approach, LFY could probably "make it" in the more traditional club environment, i can already now see front rows of girls with wet looks eyefucking these two handsome boys...
More Gothenburg. Second night at Nattmaran, first visit for me. The asphalt outside was covered with ice, a death trap that had to be crossed before reaching the anonymous door that led down an empty corridor in this run-down, soon-to-be-demolished-before-it-collapses abandoned brewery. The roof is leaking (not on the merch table or equipment, fortunately, just on the coffee table), paint falling off the walls. Horrific scenery, perfect for a venue like this. All the cosiness and friendliness and couches of Utmarken swept away. I think the crowd was about 20 heads strong, besides the organizers.
The angry deep-red revolutionaries in KHMER (kem?) NOIR began. Aggressive power electronics, just like the last time at the Trauma festival in November. Speeches and things. Kill the rich & their police forces. Very unstable performance, shit not working, wailing feedback most of the sound. Loudest set of the evening. Enjoyable. Though the confrontative element, pushing into the crowd shouting, isn't as effective as you'd wish when the crowd is expecting it. The edge is somewhat lost but I suppose that's the way of power electronics in general... you can't all be CON-DOM. But fun.
HEINZ HOPF released a tape in ten copies for the event, tied to a bottle of Elk Brew. Haven't listened to the tape yet (looks like it's pretty long, c30 perhaps?) but the brew was downed during the set (though half of it probably squirted all over the boys when the moshpit started). Missed the first minute unfortunately, but the remaining 3 or so where as you'd expect; riveting harsh noise chaos. Mr. RTB whiping his ass with a bit piece of sheet metal, mr. HHR abusing the pedals and noise generators. Good and quick headfuck. But it was way too silent. It didn't even hurt without ear plugs. Wtf?
TREPANERINGSRITUALEN headlined. More or less same material as the Trauma fest, but without the stage, projections or failing equipment. All music backtracked from a sampler with happy coloured buttons, plus vocals (some pitch-shifted). Great performance, heavy rhytmic industrial. Not very much to add, looking forward to hear the new material.
Some photos here (though only of TPR): http://view.oblivioncreations.se/profile.php?uid=3&ic=487
Some photos here (though only of TPR)
Going just by the live photos, you'd think his work is a completely different genre than what he does... I think I read a record or 2 is in the works by TPR? Looking forward to obtaining those . I think I only have Small Doses tape & his side in that Swedish tape boxset.
The live sound these days is pretty far from the first tape releases. Same atmosphere, but much cleaner, more aggressive. Slicker? More professional? Yeah. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9JCwCQdcU8&feature=related (malmö not gothenburg). one of the few Swedish acts today that could just as well play at a German industrial goth festival without seeming out of place. Which isn't a bad thing.
There's a 10" release on Release The Bats coming out within weeks. Plus some tapes. And vinyl re-release of the first tape, sometime.
After what seems like a huge influx of people who had it been 1995 had listened to britpop and sounded like Belle and Sebastian into the Swedish scene TPR is one of precious few who interests me. I loved Dead Letters. The least false project of it's ilk who left the other chancers in a cloud of dust. TPR has been around for a while but I've missed it. I have great expectations for when I start catching up. The RTB 10" seems a good place to begin.
Great photos btw. The beard could have given an American noise hippie from Michigan vibe but it doesn't. He looks brutal as hell.
A few words on the same evening...
Had big expectations on Khmer Noir after the show in Malmö a couple of months ago, but as Andreas said, very unstable. Just too much going on at the same time with no proper focus. Still somewhat appreciated their heavily Con-Dom meets The Grey Wolves influenced power electronics for what it was, and there was a few golden moments when everything worked out well. Got the new demo which is pretty good, had me reaching for my Survival Unit reissues. Still need to get that Styggelse cassette (does it even exist??)...
The rehearsed HH set was around 15 minutes, but something happened as usual.. Something from my equipment went into the floor and around the same time I accidentely managed to cut a cable in half. I think Dan had some problems as well. Unfortunately many seemed to miss the much quieter beginning of the set which I think turned out pretty well. Anyway, nice to be back after the hiatus since last spring. Heinz Hopf 2.0, not quite there yet..
Trepaneringsritualen was good. Music top notch, although outgoing sound a bit muddy at times. An act maybe actually more suitable for a bigger scene? Not a big fan of video projections (and I totally understand it not being possible in a small venue like this), but another dimension of some sort would have lifted the show here. Looking forward to see how the 10" will be received, should be ready next week.
Next show at Nattmaran is apparently Damien Dubrovnik/Forza Albino/Feberdröm in 2 weeks.
Quote from: Matthias on February 22, 2012, 05:08:48 PMStill need to get that Styggelse cassette (does it even exist??)...
this tape?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbqEnLjYoI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbqEnLjYoI)
http://www.discogs.com/Khmer-Noir-Bring-Back-The-Age-Of-The-Guillotine/release/3254201 (http://www.discogs.com/Khmer-Noir-Bring-Back-The-Age-Of-The-Guillotine/release/3254201)
I like TPR's eyeliner.
Quote from: P-K on February 22, 2012, 06:01:06 PM
this tape?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbqEnLjYoI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbqEnLjYoI)
http://www.discogs.com/Khmer-Noir-Bring-Back-The-Age-Of-The-Guillotine/release/3254201 (http://www.discogs.com/Khmer-Noir-Bring-Back-The-Age-Of-The-Guillotine/release/3254201)
Yes, well I know it actually exists, but there was a mysterious cloud over that Styggelse batch..
Quote from: Matthias on February 23, 2012, 09:45:12 AM
Yes, well I know it actually exists, but there was a mysterious cloud over that Styggelse batch..
just ask Kristian, i managed to get one, ......in the same line, i wonder if the Mark Of The Devil comp was ever released lol
-off topic- sorry
Quote from: P-Ki wonder if the Mark Of The Devil comp was ever released lol
I got my copies so I assume so, yes. The PHCE doesn't really work like "normal" distribution outlets either.
So people in Sweden have trouble getting Styggelse releases?!?
I think I have that "Mark of the Devil" tape...
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on February 23, 2012, 09:06:24 PM
So people in Sweden have trouble getting Styggelse releases?!?
Not really. If you go to a show where Kristian is playing you can usually pick up whatever's available at the moment. And if you're after something particular you can ask Kristian in advance and he'll try and fix a copy. But there's always a "mysterious cloud", like Matthias said, over everything concerning Styggelse.
Eleczema started. All the tracks with loud shouted vocals worked pretty well, but early part of set and transitions of simple multi-effect/flanger feedback moments etc between was not working really. Drastic volume changes through out the set etc. Most of all it was played very quiet. Not sure if soundman or just the type of sound, but it was very quiet compared to rest.
Forza Albino was like trademark power electronics. Two guys with synths and vocalist. Simple Korg and I guess... wasp buzzing noise and quite clean shouted vocals. Pussyboy track from debut tape opened set and followed with samples of transexual/sex change operations, HIV and such. Vocalist was crushing microphones on his blood dripping bruised face. I think sonically tape worked better for audio-ear-candy, but aggression and simplicity of rock set-up PE works well for me in live situation.
Jaakko Vanhala with his filterbank/pedal/shakebox/etc noise took stage next. He was first to fully use to power of PA system. From deepest subwoofer rumble to high pitched detailed crispy electronics. Always everything happening on all frequencies and everything moving very fast. His set was not aggressive like Forza Albino, but instead simply pure energy! Joyful noise bliss what seemed to appeal the crowd the most and what can I say? Simply great stuff.
Damien Dubrovnik was two member unit. Already known from LP's etc. If you combined Pleasureground era Prurient with little hints of euro PE and let Danish enthusiasm and energy mangle the mix, this is probably what comes? It's at the same time kind of structured synth industrial type of stuff as it is the simple two-microphone-feedback-creaming over bassy keyboard sounding tone. It has physical metal object abuse, it has samplers and such. Stage presence is filled with energy and movement. It is not the back towards audience noise making noise in corner, but wild and interesting to watch the wriggling soon-to-be-shirtless fagginess (in the positive meaning of word that is! hah!). Set was longest anyone did today, and it worked easily till the end.
Good night!
Except for Eleczema, I haven't heard of any of those acts! Maybe I have heard of these acts but because I can't pronounce their names, my peabrain doesn't keep the information... Forza Albino sounds particularly interesting. Are these all Danish acts?*
*Ok, listening to F.A. on youtube now & I see Posh Isolation is the label.
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on March 04, 2012, 08:29:38 PM
Except for Eleczema, I haven't heard of any of those acts! Maybe I have heard of these acts but because I can't pronounce their names, my peabrain doesn't keep the information... Forza Albino sounds particularly interesting. Are these all Danish acts?*
*Ok, listening to F.A. on youtube now & I see Posh Isolation is the label.
Vanhala is finnish, probably best known as Zoät-Aon.
RODGER STELLA / ALTAR OF FLIES / DAMIEN DUBROVNIK / KLAUS HANSEN, Singsang Malmö 8/3.
Couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the International Women's Day + the the most swollen full moon I've seen for years looming ominously over this rotten town. Met up with representatives from Amph and Release the Bats downtown for a beer, to my surprise mr. Stella was with them, being foddered before the performance. About 20 minute walk to the venue ("In USA we have cars"), which was actually shut down last year after some jackass fell through the exterior roof, but resuscitated for this event only (a shame since it's one of the few really good venues for this kind of music - a lot of great shows have been seen there).
Klaus Hansen of ASHLEY C/etc Posh Isolation fame opened. Heavy tapeloop sounds crumbling over frantic Wasp synth buzzing. The latter sound source felt like it didn't really go anywhere, but a nice set either way. Don't know why it wasn't an ASHLEY C performance, as that project is only mr Hansen, right?
DAMIEN DUBROVNIK followed, I've managed to not see them any time before, so I was looking forward to this. And I wasn't disappointed in any way! Controlled and focused power electronics, intelligently structured songs with attention to balance and development and most of all space to let the sounds breathe. LR's dual microphone attack in the second song, over a simple rhythm, was pure POWER. Very dedicated frontman. Undressing as well, though the shirt didn't come all off this time. Guys know their shit.
Was the first time for me seeing ALTAR OF FLIES as well - can't say that I've kept track of his career that continuously, but the tapes and vinyls I've heard have all sounded great. Mattias knows what he's doing as well, despite not having any light to see what tape loop should go next... If you've heard his more recent releases, like the LP on Release the bats, you should know what it's about.
RODGER STELLA then, the headliner. Haven't heard anything he's done post-Marconympha, to it was a blank page as I didn't expect anything in the Macro-vein. Which we didn't get, either. Sampler-based laser noise sounds modified with some kind of chaos-pad thing, that found it's way to some kind of heavy, pitched/slowed down dub. By now the audience was dropping off (Thursday evening, past midnight, people got to work & whatever), and discontented murmurs about how fucking bad it was began circulating the venue. Not that bad, though I would have preferred the noise sounds a bit dirtier, but on the other hand that's what he was doing all through the 90's, you gotta move on. But after Dubrovnik's & Altar's organic and visceral shows, it just felt like a tired, just play the sounds & go home-kind of performance. The uncomfortable question arises: what would you think if it wasn't the guy from Macronympha?
Either way you liked Stella's set or not, hands down to Damien Dubrovnik and Altar of Flies for delivering the goods. Listening to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania now and not giving a shit.
Quote from: ARKHE on March 10, 2012, 01:19:21 PM
Klaus Hansen of ASHLEY C/etc Posh Isolation fame opened. Heavy tapeloop sounds crumbling over frantic Wasp synth buzzing. The latter sound source felt like it didn't really go anywhere, but a nice set either way. Don't know why it wasn't an ASHLEY C performance, as that project is only mr Hansen, right?
Set was actually debut of
Novo Progresso my new solo project. Having taken a year off from doing live noise on my own(I do some musique concrete under my own name Klaus
H. Hansen) the return kinda left me with the same dull feeling as when performing with AC. I took the consequences and drastically reshaped my set for the two next shows Friday and Saturday. Higher volumes, more extreme frequencies and a added visual element. Felt really good the two next days, a couple of people at the Aarhus gig said it was the loudest concert they ever attended. shame I didn't took that approach in Malmo. There's a tape out real soon
just saw Carlos Giffoni in Antwerp...small venue, small crowd, not loud but good sound...no laptop set, he brought the 2 Soundlabs...focussing more & more on sequences instead of the pure synthnoise, this was structured, extatic, hypnotic, acid without beat. strong set imho.
opening act (Fyoelk) was börft-style proto-acid, live on analog machines (tr-707, cs-5, ...)....not amazing, but headnodding-good :-)
5euro, good evening.
Quote from: ARKHE on March 10, 2012, 01:19:21 PMListening to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania now and not giving a shit.
This is my review of every Bay Area noise show I have been to for the past 2 years.
Except when like Prurient, Damion Romero & Daniel Menche and people like that come through of course... but they are not "bay area" people.
A splenetic and hilarious spot-on rant about Incubate Festival has been posted at http://philipbest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/ballroom-blitz.html - so many similarities I remember from playing Kraak in Belgium - I guess the only good thing about this shit is getting a free trip away - in the case of a band I knew who played Thurston Moore's ATP a few years ago they didn't even get that, they ended up paying their own travel expenses for the dubious 'honour' of performing there.
I don't really listen to as much PE/noise as most here but one great thing about it is that the scene is almost entirely immune from that kind of music biz bullshit. Unfortunately my main creative work is a kind of rock band and I have witnessed so many fucking horrible and witless people over the years in the mainstream that I'm very glad to be sharing bills with Filthy Turd in pub upstairs rooms.
That was great friday night in Warsaw:
KERÄNEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VH_l6MQtYY&hd=1
MAAAA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykkz1WYnvAY&hd=1
SLEEP SESSIONS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Bs5I9BVEs&hd=1
Nice place as usual, Eufemia cafe have its own soul. Not so big crowd, but not the empty venue also. Sound was ok, but could be better (more powerfull as usual), all performances were great.
Nattmaran, Gothenburg 26/9
Sewer Election
SE opened with a bareboned synthtone with restrained but nasty feedback buried underneath. A repeated vocal sample. Mode and atmosphere somewhat similar to the Vittra Sönder A-side. Slowly adding body sounds, but compared to other more recent SE shows they stayed in the bottom, well incorporated with the rest of the sounds. Struggling to reach the surface but never quite succeding. Towards the end a loud pulsating rhythm entered, sounding like a deranged heartbeat. My only grip with the set was a weird, almost robot-sounding vocal sample in the end which didn't make much sense to me, but besides that one of the very finest SE shows I've witnessed. Relaxed and calm set all over.
Orquere
Extensive live mixing of pre-recorded sounds, loops of raw sounds impossible to identify. Orquere feels pretty much like Blodvite uncut, where the actual sounds wouldn't be completely out of place integrated in the regular Blodvite sound. After recent repeated listenings on the Orquere album (yes, it is that good), I was maybe expecting a bit more. but still a highly enjoyable show.
Keränen
First few minutes of synth noise stop and go's didn't do that much for me, but it didn't take long before I was in heaven! Still some heavy synth assaults in the mix, but evolving into furious harsh noise perfection. Some seriously sick frequencies for a while and a few low-end segments where the innards basically moved around. Moments of everything being extremly close to fall apart, with cymbal and small gadgets etc in a sweet mess. Very, very loud. After the technical problems on the previous Keränen show in Gothenburg last year this was a very nice comeback.
Hei,
anyone here who went to the Keränen, Lettera 22 and Kristian Olsson gig in Stockholm September the 28th? Was considering to float my boat eastwards, but couldn't find the time. Video/sound links would be interesting to check.
I was there (obviously)... can give a short report on the evening.
Fylkingen is probably the best venue in Sweden for electronic music. All involved organizers did a great job - one could tell they have developed good routines and skills in this field.
Had the pleasure to browse through the stock of the recently opened Fylkingen record shop - found tons of good records and didn't even have to leave the venue. Of course also Millstone, Ljud & Bild Produktion and Järtecknet was there to sell records and tapes.
Evening started with a soundwork by a girl I can't remember the name of (I don't know when or where this was played). After that a 15 minute version of Dom kallar oss klyktattare was screened.
First live act was Orquere - it was first time I heard Viktor performing under this name. It was not much happening on stage - instead Ottosson focused on hammering out cold clinical industrial loops.... like mentioned elsewhere, it was somehow reminiscent of Vivenza & S*Core, but with own unique style. I am eager to see more shows from him in the future.
Second act was Sewer Election. Performance here was also very slim with equipment and no backing visuals, but the music was probably the best I've heard him perform live under this name. Almost industrial feeling to some of the material.... extremely good.
Now for the third of the storms: Keränen. I didn't know what to expect since I've only heard him on record before. Whole table full of different pedals and gadgets, and he sure knew how to use it. Great variation and skilled approach towards the noise. He managed to keep it intense and physical throughout the whole set. I rarely complain about my ears hurting after a show, but this time I was nearly deaf afterwards. In many ways I think his work differ from other contemporary noise acts - it had vitality and unique style that I can find in many early 90s japanese noise albums.
All artists knew what they were doing. No newcomers but routined craftsmen.... The GBG acts worked as worthy replacement for Lettera 22 (I hope they come to Sweden another time).
My own show went ok despite problems with disconnected gear.... no problems, but it turned out better at the Segerhuva event in April.
I have some video footage from the shows I'll upload later this week if someone's interested.
Now I'm counting days until next Dissonans event in December!
I don't have a full report but I just wanted to say that, maybe somewhat hypocritically considering some of my disagreements, mockery and trolling on troniks over the years, the Bizarre Uproar set at Confession V in London on Saturday was totally astonishing, highlight of a pretty great night all round. The Slimelight security guard didn't seem to be a fan tho, a load of us nearly got thrown out for moshing; he seemed genuinely upset and confused by the whole scenario. :)
I saw Swans on Saturday in Philly. For those who missed their last tour, GO TO THIS. Granted, I was not around when the Swans were touring before their break up, so I cannot compare my experience to that period. That being said, I was impressed when I saw them on tour for their last album, but Saturday's show was fucking insane. They played for 2 and half hours, with a mix of tracks from The Seer and older material. The Seer tracks sounded much, much better live than on record. And they were loud as hell, my ears are still ringing.
I was there as mentioned above. Got there just in time for Content Nullity, left at 8am :-S. Leeds show the night before was pretty special too. There's a review of that here if anyone's interested: http://idwalfisher.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mk9-con-dom-wharf-chambers-12th-october.html
MK9 in Leeds, start of a European tour for him: it's bemusing in a way why this guy is even connected with power electronics, most of his sound sources are pretty much untreated eg. police scanner tapes played over footage of burning household. ("Hey it's entertaining, I hope you fucking enjoy it!")
I guess no other scene can deal with his ultra-bleak performance/poetry/film. The nearest thing I can compare this to is Lydia Lunch - she has a rather higher profile but the two artists are very similar in terms of 'without a net' semi-improvised ultra-anti-authoritarian stance which lurches queasily between humour and horror. I was handed a 3" CD-R by Michael during the show. Contained final statements of US death penalty victims. Hey, I didn't expect anything cheerful.
First saw him in the 90s as Death Squad. It's a testament to his seriousness as an artist that people were swapping stories beforehand about previous performances and that no-one had a clue what to expect (except that it most likely wouldn't be happy or uplifting).
Con-Dom was also great that night. As were the other four artists, a hugely successful evening.
Michael is considered PE because he'll only wear black clothing. Or he use to.
"US death penalty victims"? You mean innocent people who were executed or the rare person who was just walking down the street minding their own business only to be kidnapped and strapped down in the electric chair by The State?
2012.10.29 - Hungary, Budapest, Szabad az Á.. - Con-Dom, MK9, Creation Through Destruction, Halalnihil, Drogded, Voidcorona
- - - - - - - - - -
Halalnihil
Harsh Noise/Power Electronics, with variety of vocal styles (talking, black metalish shouts, low deathgrunts, etc. ), and song structures. A little mixer, distortion pedals, screeching flanger effects, and a laptop. At the beginning of the show, second member gives pictures to the audience. Those pictures are not supposed to be offensive, or anything, just what most of the lyrics contains. Tracks was mostly from the newer materials. Sound was not that loud as it was supposed to be, but it's the sound technician's deed. Some people said "fuck you" "stop that fucking shit" like things during the talking-only part of the track 'Still Extremely Worthless'. Maybe they was too political correct, because it's about selling your own mother/girlfriend to gypsies for an interracial gangbang, to have some cash. Halalnihil played the first/second longest set, 35 minutes.
Drogded
Something went wrong even at before he started to play. The source sound pedal did not worked at all, because the show organizer accidently dropped to the floor before he started it. Also, there was a problem with the FX chain, and the mixer output was too much (??). It was worked for like 1 minute, than it's stopped. So, it was cancelled. He was planned to do pure pedal Harsh Noise. Maybe next time!
Creation Through Destruction
Dr.Alex's new project from Dead Body Collection. Pure Harsh Noise, nothing more, nothing less. He brought a lot of pedals, mostly distortion ones, and a metal plate with a contact mic. During the whole set, he was smashing the plate with his hand, and head, and changing the overral spectrum of the sound via pedals. During the set, the visuals were distorted images, video materials. Alex finished the set in a very Prurient-ish way - he pushed up he's table with all of his effects. The sound was enough loud, to get the overral effect. Than, after one minute, he came back, and pull out the adapters and stuff. I think it was good, very energetic sounding, but also very short. It was just 6 minutes only
MK9
I was need to go out from the venue at the half of the set, so I can't give a totally correct information about the whole perfomance. Visuals from burning houses, to more different videos, where the vocalist said he's visions about the failures of the life, and everything what it contains - if I get it correctly, because before the perfomance started, a member gives a little paper to everybody that contains a list of "failures" of the world. MK9 perfomance was in the audience, not on the stage like previous performers. I think it was a more dialogue, spoken word stuff than Power Electronics, but the vocals, and the atmosphere somehow was make a connection with it. Played like 20 minutes maybe?
Con-Dom
After made the right settings of the microphones, and the visuals, Mike started to play his set. Rumbling noises, with screeching sounds, and heavily delayed/reverbed vocals. Some of the source sounds was really good sounding, essential P.E. sounds. Mike continuously made contact with the members of the audience, who was near to him like grabbing their heads, and arms. In one moment, he throwed up a chair. Vocals was great, I hear some kind of sarcasm in his accent about the use of words. The videos, If I see, or understand correctly, was about the mass of humans, and experiments of mental manipulation. Con-Dom played like 30-35 minutes minutes, or more, I did not seen what time was it.
Voidcorona
It was supposed to be his first perfomance, but he did not appear at all. He should be the last perfomer of that night. Organizer can't make a call with him. So, it was cancelled by his absurd way.
- - - - - - - - - -
So, it was a good night, with noise, and Power Electronics related artists only, which is quite rare here. Need more event like this one!!
Tesco Festival Mannheim last weekend :
venue, big enough, soldout, still room to move around, no need to make it bigger.
day I :
Anenzephalia : great way to open, trademark COLD style, stage presence = apathy, old & new tracks, throbbing layers, Dalek-vocals. Some found it boring, i liked it. Great new album.
THO-SO-AA : 'good' dark ambient....but not really what i need to see on a festival like this, at home yes, in my couch....for me it soon became distant muzak.
Operation Cleansweep....classic german pe, maybe i expected just tooo much...it was good, seemed really short and lot loud enough. Lesson One is one fat track. nice.
Grey Wolves...being Klaus & David....short intro, started Beyond Hypocrisy but very weak sound, thin, song broke down...after some fumbling Mike took over with a great Con-Dom set....great save imho ! loved it, short. powerfull.
fun afterparty, drank waaay to much.
day II :
Galerie Schallschutz : loved their set in Antwerp wich was all about performance (elaborate acht wih human puppets&strings)....they changed, sound took over, performance limited to knobs/vocals/projection.....and imho it was great. cold layers, bounding bass, commanding flanger-vocals, screening clips on HAARP, waterboarding etc lol . Sounded way more structured than the first cds.
Propergol : almost 100% same set as Darmstadt, but song didn't merge....wich was rather anoying, building up but no climax. Clear hard sound and visuals perfectly synchronised....it almost felt like zapping from tv clip to tv clip. good, but no content. He's technically gifted, but lacks in content.
Contrastate : my first time, really looked forward o it....set broke into 2 pieces imho....first part was 100% Contrastate with driving synth/loops, typical vocal work....but then it got weird, random sound thrown in, and after 10minutes of rambling in tongues thy really lost me. just too strange. Then they turned back to the clssic sound.....good, but weird lol
Genocide Organ : classic line up, less theatrical than the last time in Mannheim (also less mosh), no rituals, just WHAM....Dog Day mixed with Industrial Strife, Hate, John Birch Society, We care for you (huuuge bass sound wtf), We Are Here To Have A Good Time, Klan Kountry (was great to hear this one!), It's Over etc etc......short break, David joined to do Not Your Country and a final slamming version of Beyond Hipocricy. and then it was over.......top class.
Concerning Mannheim "not your country" fits very well I guess when wandering through the kebab infested streets...
ST. PETE NOISE FEST 5 REVIEW
Nearly 60 noise artists, over 2 days in the Sunshine State.
http://deadtones.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/deadtones-special-st-pete-noise-fest-5-review-by-hal-harmon/ (http://deadtones.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/deadtones-special-st-pete-noise-fest-5-review-by-hal-harmon/)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/tofuslayer/IMG_2965-1.jpg)
last night "Test Dept. redux" played Antwerp.....consisting of 2 original members (Graham Cunnington en Paul Jamrozy) bringing material from the first few albums .....2 laptops and some e-drumpads.....chaotic & mostly pointless almost unrecognisable versions of old work. endless noodling with way too digital electronics........Test Dept stripped of it's essential element : metal percussion.
BORING
Yesterday Xenophobic Ejaculation warmed up for Goatmoon and Der Sturmer. It sounded kind of Bizarre Uproar performing XE tracks with assistance of SS offizer. It was somehow less fierce, less minimalistic, more well put together and songy performance with pretty good salutation approval from audience for lyrics like "white power - white victory!!". Very nice gig.
GM and DS played long sets consisting 15 songs each, delivering pretty much exactly what expected. In my opinion one of the best GM gigs and for DS, despite very barbaric drumming techniques (compared to previous drummer), I think this was better than their previous Finnish gigs. Energy from vocalists presence got into much better element in small venue.
My live action report for Day 1 of the Tesco Festival is now up on Heathen Harvest:
http://heathenharvest.org/2013/01/06/tesco-25th-anniversary-festival-live-action-report-day-i/
NoiseFest 4 Kortrijk belgium 16/2/2013 :
venue nice, new, clean, good sound, not small, not huge. nice
Crucifix Eye : i don't have the hots for 'HNW', never had, ...and i felt ashamed to hear it pouring out of a laptop. next!
n0pr0b : didn't notice, to busy chatting, drinking, laughing.
Tourette : solid harsh noise, good dynamics, fun to watch. good live-act imho.
Svartvit cancelled because of the flue, dude, i work 10-hour-shifts under flue & fever.
Jaakko Vanhala : genious harsh noise with great dynamics, great to watch him bang pedals, scrape metal and twist knobs with great focus. in perfect control of his gear. GREAT.
Wild Classical Music Ensemble : i don't get this, 5 people with 'limitations' doing loose free-rock? Way too high on the bill too.
Aqua Dentata : basic generic drone. boring. next !
Tommi Keränen doing what he does best, high-paced laserwar electronics. pew pew! very good.
Helm : only have his 'To An End' wich ws very good but creeped the hell out of me, this was completely different, massive low-end heartbeat/pulse, drones ranging van soft & warm to loud and buzzing, very hypnotic, VERY psychedelic. at the end it reached Coil/Cyclobe-territory .....very very strong.
Grunt : more stuctured than on Broken Flag, great use of metal, springs (that vocal-drone+slinky device was great!), etc nice build-up to climax. very GOOD but could have been louder :-) ....i like his work for years but that Mikko+Jaakko live combo is really gold.....btw : heard many compliments about the pissing in the video, sometimes more is better :-)
Sudden Infant : never really got ino it. unique poem-noise based on vocal loops & samples....did nothing for me.....
11euro, great night.
My favorite set: Grunt, really nice old school PE feeling and a more confident stage performance compared to the BF-fest. I also liked Keranen, Tourette & Helm. I was talking in the back when Aqua Dendata played but it sounded nice to me. Missed the first 2 acts, didn't care too much for the Vanhale set and liked some of the Sudden Infant parts but hated the poetry stuff he did....! GREAT festival!!
Crucifix Eye: missed this due to arriving a bit later than expected, according to my friend who had seen him before we didn't miss much anyway.
n0pr0b: Entered and just saw the last couple minutes of this. Sounded ok, but not really great either.
Tourette: I really liked this a lot!
Jaakko Vanhala: Also really good. Didn't know his stuff before this gig, but might have to check out some of his releases.
Wild Classical Music Ensemble: We didn't know what to expect so decided to go eat, only pizza in Kortrijk, apparently, and fuck Pizza Hut, I mean, normally their pizza's are ok, though not more than that, but Hot 'n Spicy?! My ass! More like plain and boring! Anyway, we entered the hall again during the last track of WCME, I liked the drums and some of the sounds of this track. Then the encore track just sucked, so I guess we didn't miss too much.
Aqua Dentata: Sounded good to me, nice sounds, but not very interesting to see live.
Tommi Keränen: Though there were some moments which I didn't like (I'm afraid this lasernoise stuff isn't really up my alley), it was good.
Helm: Some nice parts, impressive deep bass beats, but too long for me.
Grunt: For me (and my friend) definately the gig of the night, really good! Also that video was at the same time perverted, denigrating and funny! Funny that both me and my friend felt like the spitting part was the most denigrating, don't ask me why, but it seemed more denigrating than the pissing part.
Sudden Infant: good noise parts, interesting performance in a way (that whispered 'she's dead now' part made us laugh, hehe), but not really up my alley after all.
Good hall, indeed and for €11 it definately was worth it!
Huge thanks to the organizers, fellow performers, the audience and everyone else involved!
A very nice set of pics viewable here: http://gals.fber.be/#/album/f5f23q/slideshow
Big thanks from me as well. Unfortunately schedule was so hectic, and also eating/drinking/soundchecking etc happening during fest, so had much less time to chat with people than hoped for! Good to see enthusiast traveling to gig.. Antihumanism, mr. Leatherface etc..
Crucifix Eye was ok, but as said, nothing very exciting. With white mask and hoodie and good lights - looks good, but noise was quite standard and ending of set somehow little confusing - thinking was this intentional or things just got slightly fucked up? For opening band, not bad.
I think n0pr0b was actually less interesting. Thinking of electric drills piercing into guitar amp would be automatically somehow interesting, but overall sounds was pretty weak and style of electronics not my taste.
Tourette was very nice. First it started with grainy distortions carved out of contact mic'ed small metal objects and it was very crisp and distorted, but not really loud or "brutal". In middle of set he experienced few technical flaws of sound disappearing and I thought this is it, he'll stop set now. But no. He fixed the problem in few seconds and returned to full of noise blast for rest of the set, which made it really good noise show. If he would have stopped before total noise blast, it would have not been this good. I like the use of visible noise elements, such as guitar strings with contact mics or the metal objects. You can connect what comes from PA to some source or direct action.
Jaakko Vanhala started very well and due some small technical issue, the most high pitched metal junk sound turned low in mix after few minutes, but it still sounded perhaps loudest of the gigs on the fest? Fast solid harsh noise, with heavy bass frequencies and dense and busy layers of sound. More forceful noises than Tourette, more brutalizing aspects, yet still very much "composed" and intentional structures.
During Wild Classical Music Ensemble I was eating back stage, so could only hear it. Handicapped people making free-rock/chaos music of some sort. Heard both compliments and also some wondering why the band was on the bill.
Aqua Dentata was something I had never heard before. Not even name. Glacial minimalist ambient. Cold minimal tones, often thin and "fragile" quality. Despite sources was of course analogue synths etc. He would sit entire set in front of big handmade synth and other gadgets and slowly modulate the tones and oscillations. Light-show was only element what brought something to look at, but gig was very good for sitting next to wall, just experiencing the sound itself.
Keränen was only noise act that abused most of all guitar/bass amps than PA. While approach has advantages, it also has some flaws. His lazer noise benefit of the ruggedness of amps being blasted on maximum volume, but it also creates lack of deep bass frequency. Highs & mids were most definitely the most painful noise of the fest, but in level of gut-punching bass heaviness, it couldn't beat Vanhala's sounds. I personally liked more of Keränen's set in Kontti couple weeks ago, but this was nevertheless another proof of his skill to deliver sold harsh noise sets one after another. For personal tastes - me too would like to hear him use more of the metals/junks/etc besides lazer synths and filters.
Helm! God damn! I have been rather big fan of the LP that came out on PAN. Set included bits and elements known from the album, but basically re-constructed into new set? Lightshow was blinding inferno of red & green burning your eyes, music was perfectly executed. I hope to get my damn package from PAN sometime soon to have this gem in my mailorder too...
Grunt. With no possibility to sound check, it was little gamble what exactly set will sound like. It was quite similar to what was played in 2 shows before, but now squeezed into shorter length with some different transitions etc. Now listening the recording live, I have no regrets. Louder? Could always be! But instead of loudness I think focus on style of sound or detail of layering or combinations of sounds remains more important.
Everything worked great in organization. Thanks for the organizers etc!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bTjhaRoOy4s/USGB90XsH5I/AAAAAAAAPi0/GicvrScvMAU/s688/20130217-SAM_1815-2.jpg)
Another photo cavalcade of the festival:
https://plus.google.com/photos/107588635976319287211/albums/5846035006821752385?sqi&sqsi
Seems to be great event!
I posted my show report about Speigas fest (GRUNT/POGROM/VANHALA/OORCHACH/MAAAA) here http://blog.harshnoise.org/?p=1979
BLACK LEATHER JESUS
PHX AZ 21/2/13
It's not often noise legends roll through town, so this was an event I made sure to attend. Six person line up delivered a well executed performance. This first stop on the "Go West" Tour offered searing high end with an abundance of low end rumble and metal clatter. Three men off stage handled various metals and spring contraptions while the foundation screamed feedback, contact shaking and grinding abuse from the stage. Overall great performance and rare experience to see BLJ live left me wanting more.
Nr.3 Experimental Music from Poland into the crypt.
BISCLAVERET
AB INTRA
Der 2te Freund
3rd. Concert in this Place. Its the Inside of a Big Elephant Statue and maybe Room for 30~40 People. So the Location fits 100% to the Music, mostly Dark Ambient with sometimes Rythm Structures.The whole thing was really Familiar and Small, First two Musicians where just Mixer/Laptop + Movie Screen Ambient Soundscapes, while the Third where with a Singer.
All Sets where not Boring, so it was a nice Evening.
Sux By Sux West 3; Austin, TX, March 17th, 2013
Sux By Suxwest 3 Review via Musique Machine:
http://www.musiquemachine.com/articles/articles_template.php?id=296 (http://www.musiquemachine.com/articles/articles_template.php?id=296)
Sux by Suxwest 3 Compilation is now available for download. Exclusive tracks by: Richard Ramirez, the Rita, Eugenics Council, Dromez, Stress Orphan, Break Dancing Ronald Reagan, Justin Marc Lloyd, Faggot Front, Plack Blague, and many many more insanely great artists. Compiled by Jonathan Cash and made available by Inferior Meat Records. This could only be purchased in physcial form at the fest. Limited to a mere 50.
Download here (and please donate some bills if you can):
http://breakdancingronaldreagan.bandcamp.com/album/sux-by-suxwest-3-compilation (http://breakdancingronaldreagan.bandcamp.com/album/sux-by-suxwest-3-compilation)
Some of the sets, if anyone is interested:
The Rita
http://youtu.be/8aW8FsPhLu8 (http://youtu.be/8aW8FsPhLu8)
Black Leather Jesus
http://youtu.be/DTCi-MwNY4E (http://youtu.be/DTCi-MwNY4E)
Vice Wears Black Hose
http://youtu.be/8QYadM1nKpk (http://youtu.be/8QYadM1nKpk)
Justin Marc Lloyd
http://youtu.be/dR-lMBxYbQ8 (http://youtu.be/dR-lMBxYbQ8)
Machismo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFqg88vzLUw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFqg88vzLUw)
Pusdrainer
http://youtu.be/VJsG46wPBCQ (http://youtu.be/VJsG46wPBCQ)
James Quall
http://youtu.be/fcftNuoVzVU (http://youtu.be/fcftNuoVzVU)
Eugenics Council
http://youtu.be/gb9PFowjQRU (http://youtu.be/gb9PFowjQRU)
13042013 - AX; Anenome Tube; Trepaneringsritualen; Iron Fist Of The Sun; Dry Greed; To The Lovers, Farewell
The Wagon & Horses (Digbeth, Birmingham)
A six act bill can often bring complications over timing and sadly last night was unable to avoid this. For starters, doors were 30mins or so late in opening, so an 8pm door time became 8:30pm I think? Not a major set-back of course, but this was just the first delay of the evening.
The venue itself is nicely tucked away in the side streets and is like a cross between a couple of venues I've visited in Nottingham. Unfortunately, the same venue was hosting a rave (or so it seemed) in the beer garden which created a strange and often frustrating juxtaposition of moods and sounds, exacerbated further by the stereo in the bar playing something different altogether! Having said that, credit where credit's due it's apparently one of the few remaining venues in the Midlands that has absolutely no issue with noise / P.E. and for that I am grateful.
To The Lovers, Farewell were on first. I'd read a hilarious diatribe from the Red Venice Records "owner" on Facebook the other day (who is one of the three members of this group) and having never heard them was keen to see what kind of balls he/they would have on stage. The answer: none. Terrible, nothing redeemable about it at all. Looking uncomfortably out-of-place, they seemed bored and/or self conscious, maybe because their sounds were very weak and uninspired. No disrespect to Peripheral for putting them on, but they added nothing to the evening. TTL, F did give out promo discs to everyone after their set (biz-card cdr...argh) so maybe when I listen to them this way there will be something more?
Dry Greed was second, who was an improvement over the first lot but for a synth-driven performance there seemed to be a lack of congruence between the sounds. The ending seemed a little unplanned like a tech-failure brought it to a halt, not helped by the bleeding sound of the disco downstairs as soon as the noise stopped.
IFOTS took to the stage and delivered a great set - a marked shift in quality for the rest of the evening started here, though the first two acts and the start of Lee's set were not helped by a lack of volume. Would've quite happily watched another 30mins of this, not only is he bang-on on record but his live experience is plain for all to see too.
A bit of a wait now, before TxRxP came on. Face covered in corpsepaint and blood, setup was minimal, opting to use pre-recorded backgrounds and providing live vocals over the top. Fine by me. Really enjoyed this, infectiously head-nodding rhythms, great atmosphere. Felt almost like a blackened and ritualistic Killing Joke at times.
And then... a long delay. Anenome Tube were due on next but probably didn't actually hit the stage for another 45mins or so after TxRxP? They wanted a projector setup which the sound guy seemed to take ages building a stand for.... could this not have been done pre-show? Maybe not, looking at the space in the venue, but a bit of urgency wouldn't've gone amiss either. When it was setup, the projection was upside-down. Ten minutes, he told AT, he would need to wait for the bulb to cool down before turning the projector the other way up. Fuck that, they thought evidently and played regardless. I think there was some moving image on the screen but without wanting to crane my neck I didn't pay much attention. AT delivered a very enjoyable set, great layers of big sound, second half of the set better than the first. Some chains and metal objects used to good effect for the most part, looked like the rest of it was performed through Macbook? It did seem to go on for some time however and by the time they finished, everybody around the room looked visibly tired and it was at this point the evening felt like it was dragging on long enough.
12:30am and AX hadn't even got started yet (not DiFranco's fault). Unfortunately, I'd hit a wall at this point and knowing I'd got to drive up the motorway decided to call it a night. So had a number of people it seemed and the room was looking rather empty. A damn shame because I earlier in the day I was really looking forward to seeing him and a shame for him that due to timings he probably only played to 15 or so people? I may be wrong, maybe there were more people lurking around to the end than I thought. Would like to hear thoughts on his set. I did pick up a copy of Metal Forest at last earlier in the evening so at least I can put that on and try to imagine it live haha.
An excellent "review" Mr. Godmask..it was a gig that I thought about going myself and now glad that I didn't but organised a little gig in Exeter for Anemone Tube & Trepaneringsritualen (with added Human Larvae). Monday 15 at Exeter Cavern if you fancy the drive down the motorway?
Quote from: Steve on April 14, 2013, 03:06:44 PM
An excellent "review" Mr. Godmask..it was a gig that I thought about going myself and now glad that I didn't but organised a little gig in Exeter for Anemone Tube & Trepaneringsritualen (with added Human Larvae). Monday 15 at Exeter Cavern if you fancy the drive down the motorway?
Whilst added Larvae sounds great, a 408 mile round trip would require more advanced planning!
07/06/2013 CinePalace Kortrijk, Belgium
Stryknin : new/unknown to me...sounded very World Serpent-isch, electronics, guitar, synth, a bit like Contrastate maybe but didn't really hold my attention.
Diskrepant : colliding drones/waves & detailed electronics, nice composition to climax, rather good stuff!
Trepaneringsritualen : candles, incense, minimal light, corpsepaint/blood...pre-recorded sound with bestial live & processed vocals, DARK sounds, headnodding beats, recognisable 'songs' (Judas Goat, All Hail The Black Flame,...)........i heard several people after the gig complaining about the pre-recorded aspect but i couldn't care less : the vibe & presance were clearly there and it was awesome! Simply great stuff, i think the set-up was great, txrxp surrounded by the crowd, added to the 'ritual' imho....
Saw Boyd Rice tonight in SF and it was one of the best things ive seen in a long time.
Con-Dom a couple of nights ago in Leeds played very early material to celebrate his thirtieth year - things I remember from the long out-of-print earliest live cassettes. Vicious noise rush, great vocals and projections as ever. I left the room before the end as it was too hot (surprisingly big turnout, Skullflower also played) just after he wiped his fingers on the face of some young man during "I Shit On You" - apparently this guy thought in the paranoid claustrophobia of the show that real shit had been smeared on him and there was some kind of confrontation afterwards.
Three piece Skullflower (two guitars, violin) were slightly mellower and more flowing than I have seen them for a while.
Mutant Ape made some brutal tones, how could anyone not enjoy listening to that.
Still bewildered at how many people came to this show on a Wednesday night.
12.09.Helsinki:Bizarre Uproar, Will Over Matter, Umpio, KSNK
Article here (in Finnish) - http://mesikammen.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/auraalinen-para-ilta-helsingissa/
Videos of Bizarre Uproar set -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u9xSgyr8qg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PssyWJgm1D0&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVwMJxHPSss&feature=youtu.be
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on September 13, 2013, 06:17:12 PM
Con-Dom a couple of nights ago in Leeds played very early material to celebrate his thirtieth year - things I remember from the long out-of-print earliest live cassettes. Vicious noise rush, great vocals and projections as ever. I left the room before the end as it was too hot (surprisingly big turnout, Skullflower also played) just after he wiped his fingers on the face of some young man during "I Shit On You" - apparently this guy thought in the paranoid claustrophobia of the show that real shit had been smeared on him and there was some kind of confrontation afterwards.
Three piece Skullflower (two guitars, violin) were slightly mellower and more flowing than I have seen them for a while.
Mutant Ape made some brutal tones, how could anyone not enjoy listening to that.
Still bewildered at how many people came to this show on a Wednesday night.
i was hoping to try and get down to that - gutted didn't now - would've loved to have seen mike doing all that old con-dom stuff. hopefully see him again live soon enough and he's still doing it.
DENMARK 14.9.2013
Gig in Copenhagen. Great venue, huge size concrete basement with insane PA system. I guess this is first time for me, when PA has been so loud, that it's decided (by artists!) to turn it down significantly so it's not so unbearable volume!
It was loud, but not too loud. It was massively echoing, yet still distinctive enough for all bands to sound like themselves and not sink into blurry mass of noise.
Jaakko Vanhala played possible best set of his what I have seen? While show in Sweden last year suffered from lack of subwoofer power (accidentally switched off..) and show in belgium had some minor technical error with equipment preventing the final punch, this time just utter punch in the face harsh noise, with complexity and density, but also intense raw power!
Forza Albino was great surprise! While shows in Finland were the "trad" power electronics set up of two vintage synths and vocals, this time synthesizer, tape loops, prepared-noise-bass controlled synth and vocals created massive and creepy industrial feel. Slow throbbing pulsations, eerie repeating spoken word samples, barbaric vocal performance. Relatively stillness in stage presence contributed to the atmosphere. Brilliant!
Damien Dubrovnik was also possibly best set I have heard from them? Some people were critical of performance art vibe of one segment of set, but that was fine with me. I do acknowledge that swallowing contact mics and gagging & drooling is part of the ABC of noise performances (Sudden Infant, R&G, Dave Phillips, Randy Yau, etc.. just to name few), but most things are always to be re-re-re-discovered by others. Sonically crystallic tones and piercing feedbacks, huge percussive sounds, great vocals ranging from more quiet to ultimate screaming. Everything top-notch from compositional perspective. It's great to see fully thought-out sets.
For Grunt, I'm obviously hardly objective to say much. Not the best gig of recent times, but neither worst. Few technical changes done AFTER soundcheck proved to be wrong choices, but judging from recording and live pictures, it was mostly reflecting atmosphere on stage, not so much off stage...
Despite huge size of venue, it didn't look empty at all. Good amount of crowd!
Thanks for Nikolaj for professional organization, Klaus for the slice on the floor and Posh crew, Forza barbarians etc. Thanks to last minute sleaze hunt in sunday morning, returned home with almost 40 super-8 loops and pile of mags! Copenhagen proves to be cultural city indeed.
I might throw few photos later on. Slide-show of several dozens of Grunt pictures combined with one live track can be found at:
http://grunt-finland.tumblr.com/
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on September 16, 2013, 06:03:55 PM
Despite huge size of venue, it didn't look empty at all. Good amount of crowd!
Thanks for Nikolaj for professional organization, Klaus for the slice on the floor and Posh crew, Forza barbarians etc. Thanks to last minute sleaze hunt in sunday morning, returned home with almost 40 super-8 loops and pile of mags! Copenhagen proves to be cultural city indeed.
I might throw few photos later on. Slide-show of several dozens of Grunt pictures combined with one live track can be found at:
http://grunt-finland.tumblr.com/
Off-topic but I wish some pics of your tasty purchases, heh...
few photos of gigs:
(http://imageshack.us/a/img842/1076/no0a.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img202/2841/1kw6.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img600/6078/iv1u.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img822/6679/ehp9.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img818/9802/nawl.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img580/3016/43bv.jpg)
Great pictures !
Went to the Incubate Festival last weekend. Missed Wolf Eyes but enjoyed pretty much everything i saw (Cut Hands, Clock DVA, Biosphere, Tim Hecker, T.A.G.C., Barn Owl, Rome, Pete Swanson, White Hills, Jesu, Immortal, A place To Bury Strangers). Was just a bit disappointed about the Prurient set. Started out with feedback, atmospheric sounds, than some all out noise + Dom screaming.. i was really into it. Then the 2nd part of the set was some Vatican Shadows type of dance stuff. This kinda ruined it for me..
Control in Belgium, 27/09/2013
Venue: youth club in old War Fort, which was nice.
All Shadows and Deliverance: some nice sounds, but nothing all too convincing.
Praying For Oblivion + Flutwacht: solid harsh set, with some nice metal junk.
Manifesto: good Death Industrial, but at first I was thinking that it would be nicer to listen to at home, later in the set there was a throbbing track which was really good. So, I heard someone say to another guy on which album that track was and decided to get it too, still have to listen though.
Control: had some problems with his micro, but apart from that really good, the sounds are actually quite clean compared to a lot of other PE (had been a while since I listened to Control, so the contrast was clear), but they're just really good and well constructed and the vocal delivery was intense.
Nice evening!
TOWER TRANSMISSIONS III
A one day event of Power Electronics/Dark Ambient/Avant-Garde
Sept 28. 2013, Dresden.
Line-up:
GRUNT (FIN)
FOLKSTORM (SWE)
ATTRITION (UK)
ANTIchildLEAGUE (UK)
IRON FIST OF THE SUN (UK)
JAAKKO VANHALA (FIN)
SEX COMMUNION (ger)
Sex Communion: Below masks was hidden at least mr. Human Larvae. Knowing his talent in both recorded and live noise, I was sure it was going to be good. First started with pretty much acoustic noises carved from metal objects. 3 members doing very tasty and crispy sounds. Easy to connect every move to specific sound. It progressed into brutal harsh noise and while it was indeed enjoyable, I think the connection of physical action & sound had more impact in less distorted noises. Some people seemed to consider video unnecessary. I don't think so. Good film. What was it? Would like to have it !
(http://imageshack.us/a/img856/9002/l1ie.jpg)
Iron Fist of the Sun: Started with already classic IFOTS track, going through little hit & miss moments. I think little technical issue was blurring the sound at some point, but overall very good show. His sounds and vocal style is very unique.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img62/4289/8igp.jpg)
Jaakko Vanhala: It's kind of hard to praise too much guys you're friends with and artists who's albums you've released... but there is a reason why I released those albums. And that's because he is so good! Among the absolute best harsh noise gigs I have seen what comes to utmost accuracy, ability to control, compose and react on what is going on. More dynamic than almost anyone these days, but not losing into maze of gimmicks. Sheer harsh energe!
(http://imageshack.us/a/img94/2866/08bv.jpg)
ACL: Seen her play several times, and this was about 100x better than anything before. Set was well planned, well composed, no technical flaws. Noisy, yet atmospheric mix of industrial-noise and power electronics. Synth drones, bounding rhythms, blasphemous vocals, little stage performance and video art. Very nice!
(http://imageshack.us/a/img29/912/mhqv.jpg)
Attrition: I'm very much outsider what comes to gothic & electro music scene. Had not heard of this project before, and only learned on venue they'll do special set of some soundtrack music this time. Well, that it was. Two keyboards, factory standard digital piano sounds, ghastly cinematic effects, dance moves in gothic ghost-dress. I'm quite sure there is audience in goth circles, but in this gig, seemed kind of out-of-place.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img196/6382/zrj7.jpg)
Grunt: There was two songs of "World Draped..." album (Fucked By Steel and Dance For The Genocide), but also from other releases. Caught (from split with Taint), Seer of Decay (from Seer of Decay), Saws Are Waiting (unreleased, only played in handful of live gigs). Video included similar collages as World Draped... but vast majority of them do not appear on album cover nor Anti-Social Realism book, but was first seen on this video. Few minutes of the video was already shown in Deadly Actions (Lille, France) in 2003! Now 10 years later finally the complete footage.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img822/4082/cqey.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img11/777/6iw6.jpg)
Folkstorm: First time seeing any of Nordvargrs project live! I did enjoy quite a lot early stages of Folkstorm. Also MZ's "nordik battle sign" of roughly same era. Like many artists in end of 90's, there started intense creation of releases. If bands like Aube or Merzbow was kings of the mass production, Nordvargr hit similar path. His solo works as Hydra Head 9, Muskel, Nexus Kenosis, Toroidh, Vampiir Kremator, Vargr etc.. and in groups like Econocon, Goatvargr, Incinerator International, Körperwelten, L/A/B, Lorv, Marvargr, Mz.412, Pouppée Fabrikk..... And for a while it seemed like just about every month there is bunch of new stuff. It was probably something what wasn't true, but just impression. Now when looking Folkstorm discography, he really didn't more than roughly 10 albums during decade. Hardly an overkill of any kind... One could say I'm more guilty of flooding stuff out.. hah!
And about the gig? It was much better than I could have expected! Electronic beats, modular synth noise electronics, aggressive vocals shouted by giant who was bouncing on stage like maniac. Gig was long and linear in style of songs, but worked well. I think early Folkstorm had little more dirt in its sound. Now with beats and electronics, this could probably satisfy audience in more "dance" oriented events, although it has also enough aggressive edge to qualify for power electronics crowd.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img856/8162/zmts.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img545/6869/mj9o.jpg)
Thanks for organizer & crew, artists and audience for very good festival!
Control over Europe, Vilnius
I guess because of the promo campaign and even new label or something like that, that was started right before the gig, you had to go there by default. Impressions are quite dual.
Velemara - the new industrial star of Autarkeia under all these huge promotional texts and pompastics happened to be the non-moving guy, standing behind his laptop and playing truly boring sounds. It's not that bad that I've got there a little late so I didn't need to listen to all of his set. If you've heard the debut album - it sounded like that just without any guitars so it was plain boredom for most of the time.
Girnų Giesmės - Despite my high hopes for the project (as it is always), this was not one of the stronger performances of his. Someone said that he had some technical difficulties with cables or something like that in the middle of the set and then just couldn't return back on track. though I haven't noticed that, it started as a good drone, but never reached any peak and just kept wandering somewhere around, then pause, starting over and quick end. But apart from what I've written here, it was perhaps the second best that evening. The sound and you could smell a little mood of that great Girnų Giesmės atmosphere
Bad Sector - I remember seeing him here years ago when he presented the material from Kosmodrom. This time the stuff was more varied, but at the same time it lacked that atmosphere. Of course you cannot play Kosmodrom ten years, but I guess the bar was set so high that at least for me it's been difficult to listen even to those few Kosmodrom tracks. They seemed dry and I was glad that Bad Sector didn't play the promised hour or so, but finished earlier. Anyways, they fitted good with Girnų Giesmės and for both of them - silver medal
Control - The supposed highlight of the evening. I remember when I saw him with a bunch of other projects in Berlin (Consumer Electronics I think) his stuff was far more interesting and noisier. Now we were chatting by the bar with a couple of friends when some passer-by said "control plays so weird" and that muzak in the background was in fact him. Soon after the more traditional power electronics/industrial sounds started - pulsations, vocals under decent effects, etc. But it was one of the many projects and that's it. Though you could call his music and sound as good or ok, his behavior on the stage made that impression far worse. The word "plastic" came into mind while talking about the gig afterwards. Perhaps that's the problem with my evaluation of music etc. - I want to see that a person is not lying, not pretending, but doing it from all his heart. Control was gesticulating, shouting ME ME ME I I I MY MY MY pointing everywhere around with his fingers and overall showing how angry he is with something. No.
Body Cargo - was the best that evening and it's a pity that most of the people left the concert hall after the stars. Simple, lo-fi set, going into wall and returning back from it, slowly developing through those 22 minutes. And quite a lot of people were talking afterwards that comparing him and Control, Body Cargo was far better so it's not only my opinion. Good atmosphere, pleasant sounds and no nonsense.
Quote from: Ashmonger on September 29, 2013, 10:05:48 PM
Manifesto: good Death Industrial, but at first I was thinking that it would be nicer to listen to at home, later in the set there was a throbbing track which was really good. So, I heard someone say to another guy on which album that track was and decided to get it too, still have to listen though.
that track should be "Barren"....awesome night. nothing to ad :-)
Just saw Goblin live, it was excellent. Great selection of songs and they had video projections from the films for each song.
The classic dawn of the dead track was spot on perfect, and they closed with il profondo rosso, which was also perfect.
It was worth going.
Dutch newcomer Nawa Shibari last saturday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF1GNDh_N_A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF1GNDh_N_A)
Show was fun!
It's been a busy weekend here. Friday - XXth birthday of Dangus (one of the oldest labels in Lithuania that deals a little with electronics etc., though mostly folk stuff now and also organizing MJR gig). I came late so that I wouldn't have to listen to all that folk music etc. So most of the stuff was Lithuanian industrial/rock/folk bands and artists that had released something via Dangus years ago or so.
Nulis - side project of Laurynas from Girnu Giesmes. I think he was playing most of the stuff from his legendary album S:S:S:S. Well, I don't know if many of you heard of it, but if someone would ask me about Lithuanian industrial classics, this would definitely be the album I'd mention first. Lash from Autarkeia was on vocals in the record, during this live gig, there was another guy, but anyways, the sound was great and the atmosphere - right.
McKaras - very short set. 15 minutes perhaps. Interesting development and quite minimalistic set in sounds and visuals (the guy behind the window, Lithuanian context. Few seconds loop). It was good.
When he finished playing, I still managed to get to another stage where gothrock oldschoolers Siela was playing. Well, they have something nice in their sound - rather unique voice of the vocalist, usually a little bit out of tune and quite catchy melodies. Good.
Vilkduja - the trio playing somewhat industrial/neo-cabareth or whatever. I don't know where they fit in. The show was good though there were some sound problems, but it was truly enjoyable. Good old hits and some newer stuff.
Allerseelen - someone said that Gerhard's default trio on stage is him with two girls now. Well, they looked really good on stage and though the stage was quite big, the work with lights and so on filled it right. It was a mix of older and newer stuff and I had to listen to some 6 songs while I finally got on track with their sounds, but solid and good performance with that famous dance of Gerhard. I also bought that book from Ajna. Will have to check it.
Next evening - Vilkų Žiema. It's like an intro to another big summer festival in Lithuania Kilkim Žaibu. Different material and far from industrial, but anyways. I came on time on
God's Tower - pagan metal band from Byellorussia. Never liked them so just peeked what's happening on the stage and went on to have some beers and talk with people.
Saturnus - never saw them live before, but damn they are good. You can call them emo or whatever, but the sound, performance and support was somewhat fantastic. Of course there were people whining that "I'm going to sleep now", but whatever. I was going to sleep when
Church of Pungent Stench started playing. Damn it's some boring stuff. Macho death metal or whatever you should call that, but neither sound nor anything else was good about that. Even people who were into Pungent Stench were quite disappointed.
And though it was already quite late, it was a must to wait for a band, winning the golden medal for the most ridiculous title Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. True black metal from Germany with the woman vocalist from Poland who is lesbian and bodybuilder. Everyone was WOW after that rumour and it was a must to stay. Anyways, the music was good and the sound and her voice etc.
All in all nice gigs and nice weekend. Today the article appeared in local newspaper that one Italian gay activist who came to the concert was beaten up by somebody after the concert. He was with some Finnish guy and they were asked are you gays. Finn guy was clever and said NO, Italian said yes and now some sort of fart bubble is forming here. heh. I remember these times when you could get beaten up because you had long hairs or somebody didn't like how you look like so it's funny how people manage to get into newspapers because of this.
Saw Puce Mary, Pharmakon and The Haxan Cloak about three weeks ago.
Puce Mary was masterful: one vast, immense, seamless sonic tapestry woven from many layers and threads yet each single one stood out on its own. The set started off with some half-processed field recordings and a weird mellow accordion-like droning in the background, and until it shifted to a heavier, noisier direction, the overall vibe was very close to certain Second Sleep releases. Then it naturally ventured into more familiar industrial realms with sonic images of derelict, abandoned factories gradually falling into disrepair and ruin, finally mutated into the title track from the recent LP and continued more or less in that way (the closing sequence sounded like a bit warmer Iron Fist of the Sun, though). The addition of ghastly, shimmering purple/violet light and smoke enhanced the atmosphere immensely, and when the time had come to deliver the vocals, Ms. Hoffmeier looked like a vengeful banshee intent on visiting death and destruction upon every soul in the audience (and it would've been rather fitting for the hipster half of the said audience since they were pretty clueless to what was going on). All in all, a great performance and an unforgettable experience. I only wish her future LPs will have more in common with this than the somewhat tame and mechanical debut.
Pharmakon didn't impress me at all, let alone this much. At first it sounded like a Frankenstein assembled from Deutsch Nepal pseudo-tribal rhythms, The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud brass sections and Brighter Death Now high frequencies which was decent for a while, but quickly turned into a trainwreck as soon as the vocals kicked in. Those belonged in some bedroom tribute to Burzum and Abruptum rather than a PE set, I think: hopelessly distorted, abrasive shrieks that ultimately lacked both conviction and power and failed to leave an impression other than that of slight bewilderment, although I guess this was more due to the very simplistic and one-dimensional music: just some distorted, noisy beat/rhythm repeated for about five minutes only to make way for another similar one. In the end, it was merely disappointing (as opposed to annoying) to watch.
The Haxan Cloak I hadn't heard of before so I hardly had any idea of what to expect other than some very general press blurb by the event organisers. Turned out to be some inoffensive hipsterish quasi-ambient vaguely akin to bvdub (but significantly bass-heavier) with occasional forays into techno-like territories. Seeing him dance and prance behind the equipment was not unlike watching Gerhard dance, in a way, except it gave off a (mercifully misleading) impression that a full-blown discotheque was going to erupt in the very next second. Given the venue, it was a quite likely course of events. Strangely enough, the crowd had noticeably thinned prior to the beginning of his performance, and it was only about 22:00. Anyway, a decent enough performance, I suppose, just not my cup of tea at all.
The venue was a regular night club with a surprisingly decent PA system which provided a good, detailed sound even in the back of the room (or, rather, hall, as it was circa what, 20 meters in length, perhaps even more), and even the bar right in the middle didn't provide a distraction. Apparently the event was plagued by technical issues as the gaps between the acts as well as before the beginning were each about half an hour long with the entire audio crew on stage fixing something, but luckily it had no noticeable effect on the sound. And what was one of my personal highlights of the evening, there were no laptops to be found anywhere in the equipment.
Quote from: 64 on December 20, 2013, 10:22:33 PM
I only wish her future LPs will have more in common with this than the somewhat tame and mechanical debut.
get the new tape from freak animal, not to be missed!
Quote from: STREETMEAT on December 20, 2013, 11:18:06 PM
Quote from: 64 on December 20, 2013, 10:22:33 PM
I only wish her future LPs will have more in common with this than the somewhat tame and mechanical debut.
get the new tape from freak animal, not to be missed!
I bought it from her at the concert, actually, just haven't had the chance to play it yet as I worked nearly every single day during these three weeks. I hope it lives up to the high expectations!
Quote from: 64 on December 20, 2013, 10:22:33 PM
The Haxan Cloak I hadn't heard of before so I hardly had any idea of what to expect other than some very general press blurb by the event organisers. Turned out to be some inoffensive hipsterish quasi-ambient vaguely akin to bvdub (but significantly bass-heavier) with occasional forays into techno-like territories.
Ha, I had pretty much the same impression after seeing this artist live at an event sponsored by Red Bull a couple of months ago. I also hadn't heard the music beforehand but had read good things in e.g. the Muhmur blog. Initially quite decent faux-Coil soundscapes rapidly morphed into bland ambient dance grooves. I suspected that he kind of succumbed to the pressure of being put in this totally commercial context with club kids making up 95% of the audience, but seems this is his normal performance mode then. Incidentally Pharmakon were supposed to play on the same bill, but she never showed up. Noone seemed to know why. The organisers hired by Red Bull were totally clueless. I suppose the Haxan guy at least got payed well, and Red Bull earned some hipster cred in the process.
Re:Haxan Cloak. I still think that the first 12" is excellent, however this year Haxan Cloak seem to have turned a very strange corner moving in to bland new-age dub style areas. http://muhmur.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-haxan-cloak-3.html I apologise Mr. Mortem - I'll buy you a drink next time we meet to cover expenses eh?
Did anyone see The Sodality perform this past weekend?
http://colloidalsemantika.blogspot.it/
I was hoping Andrea Cernotto would be involved (he could well be as I didn't watch all the video).
According to a Bloodlust newsletter I received this morning, he was. There were some photos of them setting up where he is shown, for instance.
There was a photo of Mark with all 3 (Andrea, Eraldo, & Paolo)of them taken in a train station (or airport) posted on fb but none of the live photos posted, so far, feature anyone other than Mark on vocals. During part of the video, it sounds like another vocalist in one song but it could be samples or, maybe, Andrea stayed hidden...?
UPDATE: I shot a msg to a young lady who attended the festival & she wrote "Andrea Cernotto was there but didn't reach the Bandera-Solotroff-Bernocchi unit on stage..." Other than that, she enjoyed the performance.
Idwal's review of the excellent Multiple Tap festival last weekend:
http://idwalfisher.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/multipletap-cafe-oto.html
My photos: :D
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/1920589_10152261303648659_64964535_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1925319_10152261044473659_1304673553_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1920580_10152647684269251_1031348848_n.jpg)
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on January 07, 2014, 09:37:35 PM
Did anyone see The Sodality perform this past weekend?
http://colloidalsemantika.blogspot.it/
I was hoping Andrea Cernotto would be involved (he could well be as I didn't watch all the video).
He somehow directed it "off-stage", not sure if at the mixer or what. Anyway people who were there were very happy -also for other projects involved.
Noisefest 15/3/2014 Kortrijk Belgium
only saw the second bit due to public transport :
Urpf Lanze : freestyle guitar noodling, boring as hell ! next !
Puce Mary & LR : imho great set, synth, pedals, loops, contact mics, dual vocals, saliva, choking...'not unlike' something DDV would do. good, as expected!
Lettera22 : delivered the goods, highly detailed dynamic noise with a solid composition. a lot of live aktion & manipulation...sounded like a skyscraper, collapsing in slow-motion. beautifull.
Gordon Ashworth : who? seemed to be involved in Oscillating Innards, (who i like) but this was BORING noise. source-loop had a silent cut that really broke the set. next!
Dave Phillips : higly agressive 'vocal' noise (screaming, breating,...), harsh & dynamic ...but with rather preachy animal-abuse video...explicit but since nobody left the room vomiting it lost the point imho. people are desensitized...but, good set!
Consumer Electronics : CE is not Bennett-Sotos-Best...compared to the Broken Flag-set this was weak...rather safe. drinking water, no interaction with crowd, pointless synthnoodling with Best's venom on top...more distorted beats : i feel a 12" on Blackest Ever Black comming up....
awesome venue for this, good pa.
Article about the Belgium Noisefest: http://skylinereviews.com/?p=15046
I had a good time.. favorite sets; Dave Phillips, Lettera 22, Puce Mary/LR & Svartvit..
Bruital Orgasm: Just like last year we arrived in time to miss the first act, as expected. Well, I don't know anything by this project, so I don't know whether I missed something or not.
Flunitrazepam Haloperidol: Hmm, the moment it started, I had "bowel movement", so I only saw half of their set. Harsh Noise, not bad, but didn't really catch my attention either.
Svartvit: Good! First time I saw him perform. Better than I expected honestly.
Händer Som Vardar: Harsh Noise, but again this didn't do much for me. I also had expected something else, since some of the samples I had heard before are more like musique concrete or something like that and there was nothing like this in this set.
MX LX: Nice, with calmer more atmospheric parts going a bit in the Ambient direction and others with aggressive vocals and noise parts.
Urpf Lanze: Eh?! I really didn't know what this was doing in here. Only thing I could think of is that last year there was a band with retards and now this. There was some humour in it, but not good enough for me. Funny music only works for me if it's really good music and very funny lyrics and jokes or if it's totally over the top in all ways. (So, also fuck those grindcore bands who just dress "funny" and make lame grindcore.)
Puce Mary + LR: GREAT!!! Good music from start to finish and interesting (and partly sexy) performance! Too bad there was only one copy of the Puce Mary + LR LP available, should have grabbed it right away.
Lettera 22: Also very good too! Started calm (which made a friend of mine go away), then got into Harsh Noise (which made said friend come back, wondering whether it still was the same gig, hehe). Anyway, I really liked both parts, good textures, very dynamic. Got the Physical Point 12" which is really good too.
Gordon Ashworth: Despite hearing some people describe his set as boring, I quite liked what I heard. Good Harsh Noise parts with more atmospheric parts/sounds as well, nice.
Dave Phillips: Wasn't too fond of the noise itself and the video, well, I can't say I don't agree with the overall idea of the video, but some of the slogans were too cliché.
Consumer Electronics: I liked the first track, then my interested started to fade. Didn't like his vocals either. Then when the first track with beats (and fucking annoying drumcomputer cymbal sound) started I really had enough. So, I just wandered around and saw some more parts, but meh, didn't like it.
I really liked the fest again, it's cheap and saw some really nice stuff again. Less people than last year, but well, so be it, I hope to see another interesting edition next year.
Saw Hvide Nætter yesterday. It was blissful. Up there with Puce Mary, I'd say. What made it so great? The two absolutely fantastic build-ups: one in "Transparens" which was turned up to 11 in all regards in comparison with the "studio" recording. and the other from the first sounds of "Ordets Etaper" (which "Transparens" smoothly flowed into) all the way to the entire performance's climax. I need to go into a little bit of detail here: the first half (i.e. two aforementioned tracks) reminded me of Dagda Mor's calmer moments, e.g. "This Sun for Europe!" from "The Border of the Light", thus the build-up was exponential, and when the climax came, it was devastating. The only apt comparison I can think of is an earthquake: first some weak, barely noticeable tremors, then the foreshock, then more tremors, first weak but gradually increasing in strength, and, finally, the mainshock. Like a building gently trembling initially, but when the impact comes, walls shattering, floors collapsing, everything unhinging into chaos. Musically, despite it coming very close to PE/HN, I can't really think of anything similar because while it undoubtedly was chaos, it was a deliberate, intentional, masterfully crafted one. Anyway, I enjoyed the performance greatly, and even some minor technical problems in the middle of the set only made it more charming. Despite (or thanks to?) the venue being half-way in the process of undergoing total reconstruction, the sound was perfect and, most importantly, it wasn't too loud - I could hear every tiny detail with ease. Long story short, every second was worth it, the band are very nice guys, so if you have a chance to see them live, I'd strongly suggest doing so.
With all this said, I'm now looking forward to seeing Croatian Amor next Sunday, will probably share my experience here.
caught Nyodene D / Column of Heaven / Full of Hell show in New Brunswick, NJ on Monday. I figure it's noisy enough to qualify here...
so this was a basement house show with a ceiling so low i kept hitting my head on shit. cramped and personal.
first up, NJ hardcore band Old Wounds. pretty decent hardcore. more clean vocals than i could really get into though. the sound was pretty muddy but that might have been because of where i was standing or the amp set up. great energy from the band though. interested to hear their recorded material
next fucking Column of Heaven - yes! i was really excited for this but my enjoyment was a bit hampered when i slammed the top of my head into a metal beam a minute into their set. their set was all in the powerviolence/death metal vein, none of the noise stuff. really filthy bass playing and some very fine death metal riffs in some of the new material they played. Andrew Nolan got right in everyone's face, which wasn't hard since the space was so small. good shit!
next Nyodene D. It was great to see Aaron perform live again without being wildly intoxicated, so i actually i remembered what everything sounded like. first track with its rhythmic bell chiming was ace. once the vocals came in that awful/wonderful smell of burning electronics started emanating from one of the speakers. as the set went on things got crunchier and heavier, while still maintaining clarity. it's always a pleasure to hear structured p.e. done right. really enjoyed the sounds and the forceful crowd interaction.
finally Full of Hell. i guess they're known for combining noise shit with powerviolence/hardcore. i was instantly taken by how young all these guys looked. and then even more impressed when they stole the show. insane energy and violence. super heavy, super fast, super aggressive. i was flailing around so hard my neck still hurts (probably because im like an old man in a 26 year olds body). never a stop or dull moment in the set, any tuning was done while suitcase analogue electronics pummeled the crowd. the vocalist was a fucking madman too.
all in all this was one of the most exciting and positive shows i've been to in a long while. good crowd, good venue and great performances. Full of Hell is a band to watch and i really hope to hear more rawer material from Nyodene D soon too.
Shards Of Ordinance: The Fallout
27/09/14, The Wagon & Horses, Digbeth Birmingham
The night took a disappointing turn almost as soon as it had begun for me - IFOTS confirmed that Shift, Hal and Am Not hadn't made it due to travel problems beyond their control. Fuck. That was a chunk of why I went. Still, plenty of other stuff on so...
Colossloth - First act on? First act I saw anyway. Didn't do anything for me, uninspired and by-the-numbers.
Ouroborus Collective (Quartet?) - jazz-kraut-frenzy, found it annoying more than anything. The drumming was good, could've perhaps just listened to that for 20mins instead and enjoyed it.
Smell & Quim - the joke was lost on me I think. Maybe it's deeper than it seemed; a mess of "shock-tactics" and try-hardness. Just shit, for me.
Transitional - I'm sure I've seen these guys before, can't remember where but I do remember feeling exactly the same as this time. Boring guitar-driven "post-metal" sound with no great depth to the riffs, drones or programmed drums.
So, nearly called it a night at this point. Wasn't in the best of headspace as it was and the above four acts/groups/whatever had compounded my mood. I'd paid my entry and driven down for it however, and STAB was up next so decided to stick around.
STAB Electronics - fortunately I had stayed and was thorougholy engrossed in STAB's set. Vicious stuttering vocal assault, vile video backdrop etc. Nothing too out of the ordinary in this scene now I guess, but very high quality. Keith casts an ominous presence stalking in front of the stage. Sadly the guy who does Now Wash Your Hands (Nathan?) decided to throw a ping pong lottery ball at Keith's head and some woman felt the need to try and tickle him too. Maybe I'm being a little uptight about it, but why do some people insist on being stupid cunts? At least Keith had someone to direct his closing attack too.
Con-Dom - different set to last time I saw him, just as good this time. Packed into the upstairs room at the wagon, it was loud as fuck and very close quarters. Commanding performance albeit too brief. Very glad I stuck around.
Control - missed the start as again was inside and no apparent stage times pinned up anywhere. Intense and brutal and possibly louder than Con-Dom even. As with Con-Dom just before him and STAB earlier, Control oozed presence. Mantraic lyrics, wave upon wave of layered electronics.
JK Flesh - aah, Justin Broadrick was here! Hadn't seen him to this point, maybe I just missed him around the place earlier but I don't think I'm that blind.... anyway, I'll be quite honest I didn't quite know what to expect or at least it wasn't exactly as I had expected - I think I had confused this and some of his other stuff in my head - packed room and enjoyable set, as it happens. Very beat and bass driven, almost danceable or certainly head-noddable stuff. Mostly laptop with live vocals and feedback, bit of guitar at the end too. Very different to anything else on the lineup but a good enough close to the evening.
So aside from the Unrest guys, there was other stuff listed that I either missed or it didn't happen at all? Dunno. Either way, a bit of a mixed experience for me.
Quote from: martialgodmask on September 28, 2014, 03:28:35 PM
Sadly the guy who does Now Wash Your Hands (Nathan?) decided to throw a ping pong lottery ball at Keith's head and some woman felt the need to try and tickle him too.
Dumb cunts!
Quote from: martialgodmask on September 28, 2014, 03:28:35 PMwhy do some people insist on being stupid cunts?
I find myself asking this very question almost ten times a day.
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on September 28, 2014, 05:35:04 PM
Quote from: martialgodmask on September 28, 2014, 03:28:35 PMwhy do some people insist on being stupid cunts?
I find myself asking this very question almost ten times a day.
Because the fact that someone has spent time and effort into putting together a set and then travelled to a venue in a far away city to set up and eventually play isn't enough for some people. They just HAVE to turn someone elses sweat and tears into a "LOOK AT ME, WHOOHOO HERE I AM, WOW HOW COOL AM I? LOOK, LOOOOOK!!!" to qualify for that coveted slot at the 4 yearly Cerebral Palsy Olympics.
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on September 28, 2014, 05:35:04 PM
Quote from: martialgodmask on September 28, 2014, 03:28:35 PMwhy do some people insist on being stupid cunts?
I find myself asking this very question almost ten times a day.
Agreed, but it would be nice to think that at an event supposedly for like-minded people you could briefly step away from the cuntishness of the outside world. What misguided ideals I have, ha!
Quote from: GEWALTMONOPOL on September 28, 2014, 05:48:10 PMBecause the fact that someone has spent time and effort into putting together a set and then travelled to a venue in a far away city to set up and eventually play isn't enough for some people.
True.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's fun parade, but if you must be a twat, fuck off and do it somewhere else.
Nathan is a well know court jester at gigs and people are long tired of his shit. He's not an arsehole so a stern word or a clip round the ears normally sorts him out. What the cunts problem is I don't know.
I'm glad to hear that STAB defended the Unrest colours well. No surprise that Con-Dom would be good. All in all your report reflect what I expected.
TOWER TRANSMISSIONS IV 26.-27.09.2014
TOWER TRANSMISSIONS is surely one of the best industrial festivals in Middle Europe. The organizers Eric and Ina have always carefully selected the bands, but this year they excelled themselves with a line-up beyond good and evil. Besides well known bands reliably pleasing the masses (Thorofon, Pain Nail, TNB, IRM), they also invited different projects that are somehow overlooked due to their rareness (Dog Pop, Jarl), respectively new constellations of musicians teaming up only for this event (Nikolas Schreck & John Murphy, Institution D.O.L feat. Magdalena Kiselá, School for Cadavers).
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DAY 1:
SCHOOL FOR CADAVERS being Jon Ewans and Julian Percy (Last Dominion Lost) inaugurated the first day with a mix of old school synthesizer chaos (from laptop) and violent non-stop guitar noise shredding (reminding a bit of old Sutcliffe Jugend). A good start!
JARL started out with his typical long dark brooding drones becoming quite brutal and noisy in the second half, unusual for Jarl, but surprisingly good.
With PAIN NAIL being more rhythmic and loud the festival atmosphere was suddenly vividly present. Repetitive loops and live noise scratching with highly beautiful moments in the second track, Mikko creating subtle melodies by softly caressing an iron ring with his contact microphone. Some feedback action as a peak ended the 30/35 minutes set, which was the perfect length for it. Overall solid. Somehow I expected more creativity from a band being around for such a long time - with a composition simply based on one loop, each song ended as it began, and the whole thing seemed too easy and predictable for me. Nevertheless good.
NORDVAGR was just drone, which I personally cannot handle. So I spent my time outside chatting, which wasn`t a bad thing since the schedule was anyway so tight with simply too many bands performing both evenings.
To my surprise KE/HIL performed 90% of new material that night (new album to come soon). Their show last year at EPICUREAN ESCAPISM FESTIVAL in Berlin was already amazingly powerful and perfectly composed, and the new material is as demanding. Their set successively built up nicely with subtle throbbing drones and spoken word vocals as we know and love it (Klaus and Brigant always switching positions). The last track, which reminded me somehow of old VROMB, was a subtle, dark and psychogenic intrusion in our minds and the most gripping moment of their set. Highly excited for the forthcoming album!
THOROFON totally rocked the house, brutally energetic and entertaining, but with 1 hour playtime it was far too long. After 2/3rd for me the show was finished, so I left the hall before getting bored, in order to keep an overwhelmingly positive memory in my heart.
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DAY 2:
DOP POP started the night with excellent Brigant Moloch posing in the role of a TV show moderator (or rather circus entertainer?) entertaining the willing masses craving for media dispersion, which was probably the most wicked & surprising performance of the whole weekend. Musically more harsh and monotonous than I remembered from their records (which I don`t really know that well actually). In the middle of the set Brigant Moloch and Daniel Hoffmann (THOROFON) sang as a duo and started to distribute tiny Jägermeister bottles among the crowd. The idea of a fake "German Biedermann TV show" supposed to be understood as "a criticism of the ultimate consumption and perfection" with a constantly grinning moderator was perfectly staged. Same as the THOROFON set, it was a bit too long, which nevertheless didn`t weaken my impression. Bliss.
VILGOC, who was actually supposed to be the opener of the evening, but who had technical diffculties in the beginning, finally presented his plain HNW without any modulations – as far as I could guess the sound was exactly the same half an hour later when I came back from outside shortly before the end of his set.
TUNNELS OF AH, who looks a bit like Philip Best, was screaming the same phrases in his microphone over and over with a simple drone as background music. Something to relax inbetween the other strong sets. His backdrop video was only 10 minutes short, so it had to be replayed all the time, which was really annoying. And after pressing the play button for the 4rth time, Ulrich (who took care of the techical things during the event) decided to finally switch off the beamer, which I found very amusing.
I was really looking forward to NIKOLAS SCHRECK & JOHN MURPHY with excitement. With his red buddhist (?) dress NIKOLAS SCHRECK emanated an aura of spiritually and captivated the audience with new interpretations of songs originally sung by women (as I was told). My personal favorite moment obviously was an old RADIO WEREWOLF track conjuring "The journey of death has come to its end (...) Now we are all going west". Beautiful. JOHN MURPHY did a great job managing drums, all background electronics and even vocals at once. Simply great!
IRM presented mostly new material from their latest "Closure..." album, combining the more experimental direction with their typical high pitched synth soundscapes, finally culminating into a wall of noise. Once again IRM manifested themselves as one of the most interesting and creative projects of industrial music.
I am not sure if INSTITUTION D.O.L. is supposed to be some kind of comedy project or some serious matter. However surely something very particular with a sense of "Wiener Schmäh", which we all (non-Austrians) are not able to grasp. Though using the standard power rhythm`n`noise receipies, reminding me of Sektion B, "Barbie B." added involuntary humor with his staccato vocals.
For the THE NEW BLOCKADERS lots of garbage was brought up to the stage, and they did a good job destroying it and eventually throwing it all in the cement mixer, which was standing in the middle of the stage. The backing track gave the realm of chaos a bit of a structure, and after a while it became more and more brutal. Nothing new, but solid, great entertainment.
LUMBAR PUNCTURE ended the festival with solid dark ambient industrial, known from labels like Malignant or Cyclic Law.
Photos of day #1 here: http://special-interests-magazine.tumblr.com/
SCHOOL FOR CADAVERS didn't do so much for me. Maybe hectic arrival from delayed travel.. Lap-top processing of vocals, too quiet guitar noise in mix. Toy of the day was monotron kind of synth. Almost everybody used it, heh..
I associate most of JARL too loops. This had much more free flowing feel to it and noisier. Good!
PAIN NAIL. Some problems with ground-hum of cables and whatever was solved quick. Quiet sound on stage wasn't too good for personal mood of playing, but it was mainly about not taking care of monitors early enough. Will have to listen recording, but went as planned.
NORDVARGR set I wouldn't say was "just drone". Although I couldn't catch entire set due just finishing the gig etc. But moments I heard, had surprisingly many industrial elements. Some subtle rhythm elements and quite suffocating and cruel sounds. Also he appeared to generate sounds on stage too. Electronics etc. Which made it more "real", more concrete live gig and not just playback.
New stuff of KE/HIL kills! Better than previous? Well, have to judge it without massive bass-loaded sound of the venue. Very very promising. Good vocals, good sounds. Show ended a little weird. One member apparently wanting to play a bit more, other not. And people waiting whether it was finished or not?
THOROFON was good. Very long set, but good. In end also more dancier stuff came with melodic female vocals. I doubt that was very "old school set" part, but certainly vast majority of their set was Maximum Punishment Solutions kind of sharp and energy filled heavy electronics. Good effects on vocals. Nice trio formation with old analogue synths involved in making sound - although I guess most stuff came from laptop anyways? I watched entire set without problems.
Will upload photos of day #2 and more comments later on...
saw the debut show of Soft Amour from denmark yesterday. Really atmospheric and dynamic performance with a great ear for details and texture. If anyone is into slightly distorted ambient techno, this new project is highly recommended. first tape availbale now
TOWER TRANSMISSIONS IV 26.-27.09.2014
Startet with Pain Nail. Very Intense and loud. Wished for more Vocals but did well all in all.
Nordvargr was one of the Highlights of the Fest for me, since t was not Ambient/Drones that i thought in the Beginning. It was on some Parts already really Noise and Harsh. And it was the First Time i see a Theremin in use.
Ke/Hill was Solid good Concert, will look forward for the New Album for sure.
THOROFON used a very Rythmic Set, so the Question pops Up "Whats the Difference between Old School Gabba and Power Elerctronics". It was absolute Great and Fun, specially for the People who have too much Energy for the Stage. I think One Song was direct from Geneviere Pasquier?
Nickolas Schreck and john Murphy on Stage was a Pleasure. Such a weird and Deplaced Concert. In some Programm with Neofolk Bands like Death in June it would Fit for sure (or too good maybe?). Just Great. Nickolas Schreck is a Impressive Person on Stage (and Outside). Very Polite and Cool. John Murphy looked little bit boored from time to Time when he "only" used to Play Drums, Smashed part of it, used to start and end the Samples and sing a bit. Funny was the Screen, since someone was too Nervous? to use the Player correct, but this was also before. Think Ke/Hill had the same Problem, but not as Bad as Nickolas Schreck & John Murphy.
Irm was a Solid Noise Concert. Quiet nice, but without surprises.
A Fucking long Surprise was Institution D.O.L . Was Thorofn on the Day before Rythmic and Entertaining, this was for Saturday. But instead of using only Hard/Shocking Themes, they have had a Lot of Fun on Stage and brought a Lot of Fun to the Audience. It was confusing and weird, since they used to have these Typically Sadistic Images and War Themes and on the Other Hand these Party and Love Stuff, like throwing Flowers, giving Sekt to the People and Give People some Roses.
The New Blockaders. Noise, Noise, Noise. Actualy i believe the Sound was really Reduced on Saturday and here i was absolute Sure about it. It was a really good and Solid Work, but the Audience was mostly already overpowered. So no real Reactions, besides some drunken Guys.
Day #2 photos now online too: http://special-interests-magazine.tumblr.com/
Less photos from some. More photos of others. Without flash on camera, lighting situation wasn't ideal in most of cases... Especially last band playing without any lights whatsoever..
DOP POP was odd. I recognized some album stuff, but also lots of stuff wasn't sure whether I had heard or not. More goofy & weird than I expected to be. I guess not knowing german language, can't really tell what the band is about?
VILGOC did harsh noise wall. No more no less. I thought to lay down on side of stage, and woke up when set ended. How long I slept, don't know, but good static sound for that purpose..
TUNNELS OF AH was among worst of the fest. I can't think more annoying or plain horrible vocal effects than the ones this project was using. Combined with calm ambient like soundscapes... dull...
NIKOLAS SCHRECK & JOHN MURPHY was something a lot of people seemed to be into. Long set of ritual music. Radio Werewolf and long career in occult/satanic/esoteric matters make Schreck infamous. His presence was ghoulish and credible. Murphy obviously isn't new to anyone into industrial. But just chanting like vocals, clumsy keyboard melodies here and there. Percussion and various electronics by Murphy.. if you reduce this to be musical experience, and ignore the other aspects, then nothing too special here. I kept thinking, if this all was recorded on walkman and the lo-fi sound echoing in some sort of chamber, then yes. But now.. I rather went out for discussion with some people.
IRM was best or 2nd best of the day. Solid industrial rock music, hah. Bass, electronics, vocals. Kind of Scott Walker-esque high pitch howl / shout with bass riffs and slowly drifting electronics and some acoustic sounds. All tracks had their distinctive elements, but the tempo and delivery after all started to repeat itself quite a lot. Solid set, but a lot of similarities in the end. I liked fact that it wasn't so much rumbling this day as Friday. IRM's strength was clearly composition and stage presence. Overtly loud bass rumble wasn't necessary.
INSTITUTION D.O.L. was amusing. I don't know whether it is meant to be funny, but damn.. The guy had silly speeches in middle of tracks and the way he gestured on stage, seemed more like parody show. Female vocals was strong. Music was generic at best. Male vocals and stage presence was between annoying and funny. I'd hope to see female member go for solo project. Even typical throbbing heavy electronics worked well with her.
THE NEW BLOCKADERS delivered maybe best show I have seen. Lots of junk. Not all-out-harsh noise, but scratching, clanging, screeching, banging, bursts of noises. Lots of physical action. Intense for entire live set = good length! If this is about time for TNB to really be finished, then certainly much better moment for final show than for example BF event desaster.
LUMBAR PUNCTURE played without lights. Doing ambient/industrial stuff, with cinematic feel to it. I would assume many thought it was just DJ music as you could see nothing and most people left... Not big fan of cinematic stuff on live situation, so didn't listen entire set.
Big thanks for Eric & entire Tower Transmissions crew for good organization! Great venue, good organization. I hope long future for this fest.
HYSTERESIS - new duo project featuring Jase (formerly of DK720 and Mothers of the Third Reich) and artist Charlotte Chw, playing at an odd afternoon matinee show at a cinema in Leeds celebrating 20 years of Phil Todd's Ashtray Navigations project. Film backdrop of moody coiled springs shot in b/w. Female strange body movements/dance accompany a blurted sax solo. I'm thinking of 60s Fluxus reference points, then she starts to sing. She is slapped round the face while singing childlike tentative words - I could make out Sa-Ku-Ra. Trash and broken glass is thrown into a vibrating contact mic'd tumble dryer as the mood gets darker. Jase plays discordant anti-chords on a detuned guitar, then the male ties the female's wrists to her knees with rope and she plays the same sounds with the nails on her bare feet, the guitar having been laid there. More and more mysterious sound input from contact mikes around the stage reach a crescendo of noise and a huge pile of cymbals is thrown down to cut off all sounds aside from the spin dryer still vibrating and slowly winding down.
It was silly, it was more than a little kinky, it was genuinely strange and uncategorisable and uncomfortable and I loved it.
Apologies to anyone who watched all of Smell & Quim at Shards of Ordnance awaiting the spark that never came - by its improvisational nature S&Q is hit and miss, the Manchester thing with BLJ in May was unforgettable and transformative, this one was made of fail! Con-Dom's set was excellent I thought.
I've been informed that the woman interfering with STAB's set in Brum was the cunt who is in Smell and Quim. That explains a lot.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on September 29, 2014, 06:55:44 PM
I'd hope to see female member go for solo project. Even typical throbbing heavy electronics worked well with her.
Yeah, she has her solo project called Magadan. New releases are being prepared for this year. We go for a compilation and full tape under Zaetraom label and hopefully an EP under L'White records. Anyway thanks everybody for making great athmosphere in Dresden, it was a pleasure.
While nipping out for food I managed to miss the whole of STAB Electronics and this traumatic ping pong ball and tickling incident, With luck everyone involved can get counseling and therapy - maybe a handholding support circle can be formed for anyone affected. Stay strong!
Dry your eyes lads. A couple of basically friendly drunks saw an absurd side to a confrontational performance and reacted to it, it spurred the guy on to what was apparently a quite cathartic and impressive finale which I really wish I'd seen - win all round and no-one even fell out.
The streets outside were full of intoxicated young ravers going to the nearby clubs. Some of them would probably have thrown glasses, and some of them might have found the sounds and ideas at Shards of Ordnance life-changing and inspiring. We'll never know.
Good to know gigs are open season. I'll bear that in mind. If you should happen to be around when Shift plays please feel free to interfere. It would be a pleasure.
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on September 30, 2014, 07:09:31 PM
While nipping out for food I managed to miss the whole of STAB Electronics and this traumatic ping pong ball and tickling incident, With luck everyone involved can get counseling and therapy - maybe a handholding support circle can be formed for anyone affected. Stay strong!
Dry your eyes lads. A couple of basically friendly drunks saw an absurd side to a confrontational performance and reacted to it, it spurred the guy on to what was apparently a quite cathartic and impressive finale which I really wish I'd seen - win all round and no-one even fell out.
The streets outside were full of intoxicated young ravers going to the nearby clubs. Some of them would probably have thrown glasses, and some of them might have found the sounds and ideas at Shards of Ordnance life-changing and inspiring. We'll never know.
Thank you ever so much for your contribution.
Vapaan taiteen tila / Helsinki on October 23 2014
Keränen
Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die (Norse)
Tuukka Haapakorpi & Hermanni Yli-Tepsa
Antoine Chessex (Suisse)
Early evening show, from 18:15 to 20:30 perhaps. Keränen started, doing his now-usual slowly moving massive noise style. In the middle of the show there was quite long period with almost white noise with barely hear-able things happening on background. Best part was definitely at the end when Keränen went through various sounds of his setup, could have been more focused though. Yet very enjoyable solid noise.
Today We et cetera was one man playing snare drum and cymbals on the floor, looping it, playing some (prerecorded?) electronics and such. Nice dynamics from very quiet into loud acoustic banging. There was a moment of louder electronics, shortly turned down in favor of acoustic drumming. Hardly much more than 10 minutes, at least didn't get boring at any point.
Tuukka Haapakorpi & Hermanni Yli-Tepsa played some quiet sounds amplified. Nice minimal set-up and minimal sounds but no focus. It seemed that the other guy was about to end the show at least twice but other just kept going scraping his amplified snare drum. Could be nice for a tape if edited, though.
Antoine Chessex, second time in Finland this year. Previous gig at Sture 21 was loud full blast noise. This time Chessex was using his saxophone ina more colourful way. First some great, loud eerie drone, then really nice in-your-face noise. Don't know how much of that was improvisation but definitely most focused show of the evening. The sound didn't become dull for a single moment. Chessex also took advance of the venue (an actual concrete bunker) and its acoustics.
Chessex will play at Turku - Pori - Tampere / Friday - Saturnday - Sunday, recommended shows for anyone into noise.
Nuclear War Now Festival 7th/8th November 2014
I have never been a fan of the Nuclear War Now label programme, which is in my opinion for the most part an accumulation of untalented musicians ... however, live it is very enjoyable : )
Day 1:
Demonomancy being the opener of the festival started with an amazing intro which was the best thing of their set. It`s a good band with elements of Ondskapt and Portal, but after a while rather boring due to lack of talent ...
Katechon sounded much better and more powerful with their 2 guitars, however rather standard, uncreative BM. To my surprise the singer was wearing a Le Scrawl (german left wing grindcore) t-shirt.
I skipped Mefitic, since the samples I listened to on youtube didn`t sound really promising ... so I spent my time in the merch area, which is always total bliss ... Iron Bonehead, WTC, and others were present ...
Before Bestial Raids entered the stage, people were already going nuts and screaming, so I was curious, what to expect. And indeed they were a total blast. Dressed wth black hoodies and gas masks, they fulfilled all cliche`s of a high speed war metal band. Nice.
I was very curious to see Black Witchery again, who were my personal highlight at the same festival 2 years ago. In 2012 the drummer with his heavy boned body was standing up from his chair after each song (!), screaming at the guitar player while playing air guitar in order to advise him, how to play correctly. Everybody could see it, very unprofessional but very amusing. I am sure he was beating him up after the show. The guitar player was playing a bit out of tune, ok, but no one would have really noticed this actually ... This time they performed with a new guitar player. Their set was just great, high speed blasts with a satanic feel. Awesome!
Grave Upheaval played a solid show of ultra heavy slow-motion doom metal. Really good.
When Impurity set up their merch table, people were very busy buying their stuff, getting flags and t-shirts signed, etc. so I was wondering what`s all about this hype. I think, their stage set up and costums were hilarious. To me they all looked like total idiots. The singer dressed in a black drape had a black ski cap on his head (for warming up the ears in the cold) and the guitar player was dressed in an executioner costum ... the music was utterly primitive black metal. Odd. People loved it though.
Before my personal highlight of the festival showed up, I was impatiently standing in front of the stage permeated by total excitement. And yes, Nocturnus were simply great! Though Mike Browning is the only orginal member of the band (some might consider the line up as a Nocturnus cover band) the whole team did a great job. Nocturnus actually completely don´t fit to the label programme, but since Nuclear War Now re-released their Demo tapes on Vynil (festival edition 12" limited 100 copies) they were part of this festival. After performing almost the complete "The Key" album, they switched to Incubus (with Mike Browing being the original member) performing their complete EP, which is the only material the band every released. Though the EP itself is a badly sounding rehearsal recording, the live interpretations were rather clean ... awesome! After playing another 3 Nocturnus songs, with their ultimate masterpiece "Undead Journey", they switched to Morbid Angel with 3 more tunes as encore: "Demon Seed", "Chapel Of Ghouls" and "Angel Of Disease". Most of the people knew the songs by heart and were singing along. I have never been playing air drums and air guitar with so much passion. Without doubt Nocturnus were the absolute highlight of the festival ... total bliss!!!
Day 2:
Due to my late arrival I missed Death Curier and Witchcraft, but saw the last 15 minutes of Hellvetron with a horrible drummer really spoiling everything. Though the composition of the songs was quite ok this was just another band without any new ideas and talent.
I was very excited about the only Heavy Metal Band of the festival Root, which I knew from their great "Hell Symphony" album. They behaved a bit like rockstars, which however wasn`t that bad at all, but which positively added to the humorously nature of the set. Especially their singer (with an age of surely 60+), dressed with a black drape and with a wicked root-like face paint, was great entertainment.
The Swedish Irkallian Oracle, whom I already saw live together with Portal, 2 years ago, fulfilled all expectations with their unique ritual black doom. Overall good live presentation, all members dressed in black coats, candles, gongs and obscure banners with sexual organs of both sexes implemented into the design.
The Greek Varathron played some kind of black thrash heavy metal. With partly Slayer like melodies they were one of the more interesting bands of the festival, though I couldn`t stand to watch their rather long set, which was becoming a bit boring after a while ...
The headliner of day 2, Revenge, seem to be a big hype within the black metal scene, at least almost 50% of the audience was wearing Revenge patches and t-shirts. Their kind of pro NS black metal image seems to attract all the thugs in the audience, thus a safe distance away from the center of the crowd in front of the stage was surely no mistake. After an amazing intro (I love sirens!) 3 tough guys with heavy boned bodies entered the stage. As a friend told me the drummer was obviously having a Reichsadler and Hakenkreuz tatooed on his right arm, and I must admit it was a beast of a drummer, ultra brutal high speed blasts overall the 30 minutes set. The alternating deep growls and high pitched screams of both singers were a bit irritating, cos it sounded more like Hellnation, which means more like a power-violence than a black metal band, also their plain appearance with black t-shirts without any print on it, didn`t give any hint of something "anti-christian" or similar. Lights out. New flags in the background set up, new intro, kind of noise sounds (could be Bizarre Uproar), then a 4th guy with a second guitar entered the stage and the cult band (?) Conqueror attacked with another 25 minutes of high speed BM madness. Even more brutal than Revenge without the deep/high pitched vocals, but now in my opinion better in line with the sound. I liked it a lot though Black Witchery and Bestial Raids worked out better for me.
Overall a great festival. The only thing which really annoyed me (besides the large number of NSBM idiots) was the constant smell of farts, where ever I was standing or wherever I was walking ... black metal fans are simply the worst louts ever.
Quote from: fin de siècle on November 09, 2014, 04:55:12 PM
... This time they performed with a new guitar player.
Heh!
Cold Spring promoted night, 23/7/15, Manchester. A very nice and unusual vintage venue but really, fuck £4 for a can of average beer at the bar.
TUNNELS OF AH - I'd just walked in and this guy was performing and I felt claustrophobic and disoriented. Was surprised on googling to realise this performer was in Head Of David whose music I enjoyed a lot live back in the 80s. Some OK sounds but not especially distinguished vocals.
KHOST - On the same bill as HOD back in those days were often Godflesh, and you know I never liked them that much to be honest, they were alright but I can't understand the lionisation. I do like the song on the great new Sun Kil Moon album about going to see Godflesh! Well, Khost are a kind of tribute act to Godflesh with some added laptop samples. The first chord of the ultra doomy songs always felt good but it struck me as an odd form of music to be making in 2015.
IRON FIST OF THE SUN - I had somehow managed to avoid hearing this well regarded musician's work for many years - hey I'm old and out of touch - his sounds and bleak visual backdrop and especially the fucking perfect vocals were very powerful, and very well received by the audience too. I loved it, it made me realise PE is still a living genre albeit within more strict formulas.
SKULLFLOWER - backdrop film of snarling wolves, not long after some extreme environmentalists in the news had recommended reintroducing wild wolves to mainland UK. First track Samantha on guitar, MB howling, second she switched to violin and Matthew picked up a guitar, walls of shrieking and towering feedback and howls and mysterious frequencies that almost made you levitate...signal of cutting throat to sound man, sound all cut off, entire set total of fifteen minutes. I loved it but some felt ripped off by the shortness. I am told - specialinterests world exclusive! - that this may be the very last Skullflower live show ever - we'll see.
I forget if there was an official name for what happened here during the weekend, rainbow quest 2015 ??! birthday celeabortion.
here are my thoughts of bands Ive seen.
INTOLITARIAN: evil tactical gear and ROUGH sounding noisecore. tinkered drum sound, bass and singer. I hardy saw anything but the supercharged sound caught my ear and any kind of stage presence and look is always welcomed.
Vapaudenristi: there was commie propaganda discussing the band which used the word löysä / loose to describe the band and now I cant stop thinking about the old timey thing of shouting faster at shows but löysemmin!! has replaced faster. music was delightful street rock
DEATHKEY: two guys making noise and the main fellow shouting and contributing noise. I feel I need to hear the recording to give final judgement( wink nudge, send me files) but the overall feeling was good. maybe 5-10 minutes longer, they started to sound more coherent midway of set so a little more would have been dandy.
Goatmoon: seemingly quite upbeat and celebratory show, taking in karaokebar/pizzeria surroundings with the band playing, a gay time was had.
I was dissapointed when there werent any media present. being that the bar was in the middle of a suburb everything went fine and it should be documented how well boys and girls behaved.
Wild weekend behind indeed. Lots of excitment, expecting feeling in the air but in the end everything turned out victorious.
Vapaudenristi was best of the whole weekend. Once the set started to play, I felt an kathartic feeling at the gig place. All the bullshit, nonsense and whining was swept away and forgotten. Great set list, good delivery as usual and very "empowering" gig! Intolitarian was a surprise, never listened much of the project until last week listend to the latest album. Live gig was very well executed, tight blasts of merciless noisecore type'ish massacre. Savage performance. Short but so sweet. XE deserves also an honor medal, duo vocal assault with speech samples and rumbling noise. Hails! Deathkey consisted to junk metal noise, some drums and contact mic rubble plus vocals and feedback. Brutal delivery and ear piercing frequencies. Crushing set, very diffrent of what I expected because of lost gear during air travel but still, very good!
Did anyone see either of the Harry Partch Delusion of the Fury performances at Lincoln Center in NYC? If so, care to comment?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/arts/music/review-delusion-of-the-fury-with-new-partch-instruments.html?_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/arts/music/review-delusion-of-the-fury-with-new-partch-instruments.html?_r=0)
Forgot to mention HERSKA. Debut gig, absolute noisecore madness, drinken violence and injuries. Hard to put in words what I witnessed. But if either of the members don't even remember playing, having glasses smashed, other one broke nose. It says something, hard to say what.
If something standed out on Herska set, it was the guest drummer. Quite sure nobody expected that to happen!!
Quote from: kettu on July 26, 2015, 03:20:52 AM
DEATHKEY: two guys making noise and the main fellow shouting and contributing noise. I feel I need to hear the recording to give final judgement( wink nudge, send me files) but the overall feeling was good. maybe 5-10 minutes longer, they started to sound more coherent midway of set so a little more would have been dandy.
The set was actually supposed to be longer, with two separate parts but because of various reasons it ended up being what it was.
Second day of TOR IST DAS! 2015 experimental music festival.
Todmorden is a Northern English town at the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire which was a true violent scumbag underclass shithole for many years until the 'Northern powerhouse' of young Manchester and Leeds based media workers realised how cheap property prices were here a few years ago. Now it's full of vegan cafes and art spaces and they have regular shows in a Unitarian Church at the top of a hill there.
Some fairly lame underground lazy garbage and some OK stuff throughout the day, but standouts were:
GUTTERSNIPE - touted by more than a few people as the best band in Leeds, a very odd guitar and drums duo played hugely aggressive three-minute long ultra-trebly compositions which tested the boundaries between noise and rock music beautifully, and the girl singer ended every piece with an amusingly polite 'thank you'. I was determined not to be automatically impressed after the buzz these have caused, but I was impressed - truly uncategorisable and incendiary.
CHICALOYOH - a French performer did hugely theatrical semi-spoken vocals and moves over tweaked synth backing tracks - again, peculiar and unique performance and the nearest thing I could think to compare this to would be Nico. Hugely enjoyable.
We were cleared out of the building and forced to wait a while for the headliners:
ANDREW LILES, MANIAC and CARL STOKES - a kind of all-star avant garde/extreme metal one-off trio. Maniac didn't have corpse paint or do anything too crazy but was in great voice and dripped candlewax in his mouth stood at the altar in very memorable style. Knowing Andrew Liles only from his prankster-style experimental music output and involvement with NWW I was surprised what an excellent black metal lead guitarist he made. A short set with a classic BM opening then an unexpected and dramatic Current 93 cover (Good Morning Great Moloch) then a downbeat ending of spoken word. Dry ice pumping throughout, felt like an incredible event and worth every penny of admittance to hear these musicians.
So Tod has been gentrified then?
Quote from: cantle on August 20, 2015, 01:10:44 AM
So Tod has been gentrified then?
Felt more likely to be invited to a drum circle or t'ai chi class than to be randomly attacked by a local. Burnley down the road on the other hand remains unreconstructed to say the least.
Not sure whether that is a good thing or bad thing...?
Well apparently it's good if you want to see Maniac and Andrew Liles there.
Saw Beam Splitter last night who despite their incredibly duff name are a very interesting duo of Audrey Chen (voice/cello) and Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø (trombone).
Expected something a bit more sporadic and typically 'free improv' given all the people and components involved but this was a far more textural, slow affair. Maybe it was just the usually horrid PA at the venue, but the grain of voices and cello scrapes matched really beautifully with each other, sounding course and often making it hard to tell where sound was actually coming from. The trombones were largely gurgling and tonal which also paired up well. Pretty much a focused exercise in a small handful of ideas which I was far more impressed by than the plinky plonky yelping I'd expected. Amazingly intimate location too, upstairs at a metal pub with Jane's Addiction blasting through the window outside in the quieter parts.
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on August 20, 2015, 01:29:07 AM
Quote from: cantle on August 20, 2015, 01:10:44 AM
So Tod has been gentrified then?
Felt more likely to be invited to a drum circle or t'ai chi class than to be randomly attacked by a local. Burnley down the road on the other hand remains unreconstructed to say the least.
Burnley will always be a shithole, even the 'alternative' crowd there are fucking psychos and long may it live!
Quote from: AXNAAR on August 22, 2015, 02:39:06 AM
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on August 20, 2015, 01:29:07 AM
Quote from: cantle on August 20, 2015, 01:10:44 AM
So Tod has been gentrified then?
Felt more likely to be invited to a drum circle or t'ai chi class than to be randomly attacked by a local. Burnley down the road on the other hand remains unreconstructed to say the least.
Burnley will always be a shithole, even the 'alternative' crowd there are fucking psychos and long may it live!
Good to hear... though I thought League of Gentleman was a documentry when it was first broadcast....
Always loved how every UK town or village says the next town over is full of inbreds etc!
I'm on holiday in Otura, Spain they have some good sayings about the next village over "the one that isn't a whore, has a limp" and "you can find all the women there up trees showing off their cunts" haha!
Saw Merzbow last night at the incubate festival. No laptop, just pedals & a homemade guitar.. Nice surprise!
Quote from: impulsemanslaughter on September 15, 2015, 09:57:32 PM
Saw Merzbow last night at the incubate festival. No laptop, just pedals & a homemade guitar.. Nice surprise!
wow :) and I bet he blew everyone away with just those too
^
googled it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs-C6SNWyYM
wow!!!!
WILL TO POWER ELECTRONICS (21.11.2015) - S.T.A.B. Electronics, Kristoffer Oustad, Am Not, Singular Cleansweep Operations, SHIFT
This took place in the same venue as the great "HEAVY ELECTRONICS" festival, in a run-down suburb of Mannheim (which is already pretty run-down as it is). Due to a very low-profile announcement strategy, there were pretty few people there (maybe 40 or 50, at best?), but line-up was marvellous!
S.T.A.B. Electronics was up first. Very good set with the heavy sounds known from the latest album "Day of the Male". Strong, emotional vocal performance and constructed layers. A video of pretty painful BDSM, fisting and ballbusting was shown in the background. Although it wasn't extraordinarily "brutal" for fetish pornography standards, pretty much everyone was appaled and many left the room. Heard some people complaining ferociously, heh.
Only got some impressions of Kristoffer Oustad, as that type of Ambient Noise (?) isn't really my bag, but response was pretty positive - much to my astonishment. Am Not was to follow and totally killed. I was expecting nothing but greatness due to the sheer brilliance that is "Unpunished" and was not let down at all. Great synthwork and a constant level of highest possible skill and vocals that ranged from spoken word to dominating screams. Just imagine the last album presented live in the best possible fashion and you know what this was like. Knocked everyone out cold!
I needed my time to get into Singular Cleansweep Operations. At the beginning, the sound seemed too soft and going nowhere (I had the same feeling when listening to their album), but it ended up growing on me to an extent that I actually liked it! Enjoyable Industrial, not very noisy, but pleasant! Not bad, but not very memorable, either.
SHIFT was the final act and entered the stage pretty late (2 am or so, if I remember correctly?). Set with two musicians, front-man doing synth and main vocals and his "assistant" using a second synth and doing some back-up vocals. Strong, brutal and punishing. Atmosphere of total hatred and violence anddedicated execution. As with Am Not, the quality level of the last album was perfectly captured and enriched by the loud live situation.
All in all, this was a really great event. The Unrest crew, especially Am Not and Shift, demonstrated why they are such prominent characters in the contemporary Heavy Industrial / PE scene. Shame that so many people missed out on this!
Looks like a great gig. Very happy to read Am Not were good live, as that album really does raise expectations and, I would expect, put a bit of pressure to perform.
And ten points to STAB Electronics for revolting people. But I've got to ask, who goes to a fucking Power Electronics gig and ends up being offended by the visuals?! "Oh, look Martha, this concert called Will To Power Electronics featuring acts called STAB Electronics and Singular Cleansweep Operations looks like fun, let's take the kids".
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on December 15, 2015, 08:05:48 AM
who goes to a fucking Power Electronics gig and ends up being offended by the visuals?!
The same people who were most interested in Kristoffer Oustad? I reckon Germany still has a lot of dark Berndt ambient-fans.
This is actually kind of a valid and interesting question. Of course, the field of "extreme" Industrial is home to many individuals who take different approaches, so it's kind of hard to speak of nationality-based tastes and understanding, but my observation is that most German Industrial fans are keen on aesthetics close to Tesco and Galakthorrö related projects. A lot of military and political symbolism, basic personal themes etc. The whole sexually perverse thing doesn't seem to be that big with most Germans, at least not, if it's presented in a direct and "un-artsy" way. As said, the S.T.A.B. visuals were quite brutal by a normal porn standard, but certainly not extraordinarily grim by the standards of international Industrial / PE.
Isn't that the video with the exclusively gay fisting? Who could blame people of normal sexual orientation for leaving the room, heh? I mean it's not such a far-fetched reaction for healthy males (I presume most of them were males) to just react with gut instinct: this is shit / uninteresting. Are "power electronics fans" supposed to leave their personal preferences at home in the name of industrial and just gulp down whatever sleaze there is for offer? I can understand viewing 'disturbing material' from the point of view of 'observer', for realizations of different kinds, but honestly: if blatant gay porn isn't one's thing, and if it doesn't really stimulate the neurons in any creative way, why should one keep watching it or pretend that it's all all right? That time could be used for a nice chat with friends while waiting for a better gig. Not saying that STAB is not good (I at least liked his gigs), but ..c'mon!
I would have understood the reaction to gay porn, but it was all heterosexual material. Tit torture, Ballbusting etc, but I didn't notice any homosexuality. Of course, it is understandable that people don't want to see that kind of material, I was just surprised how many were so openly appalled.
Noisefest V, 19/12/2015, Kortrijk, Belgium
Gods Wil: Short Harsh Noise gig with nice sound, though dragging some chains and other metal stuff through a shopping cart connected to a contact mic and going through some effect pedals isn't exactly rocket science. But it sounded good and was a nice opener.
Clamor: Power Electronics project with the guy from Svartvit. Pretty good, especially near the end it got more and more oppressive.
Isaac: Drone (I guess), nice sounds, but also some sounds (like signals) which just didn't seem to fit in with the rest, so ok, but not great.
Zyrtax: Power Electronics, not bad, but not really great either... Not too fond of the sound of the cymbals being thrown around. Also funny to see him lift up an electric guitar which had apparently been lying on the table, still don't know whether it was used to make sounds or not, to then see him use it to bash on the cymbals, haha.
Am Not: Very good, was everything that I expected from it and most probably the best gig of the night.
Edge of Decay: Really wanted to see them and there was a 30 min break between them and Am Not, so we went for food, but we had to wait for a while, because it was rather crowded, so by the time we came back (about 40min later), Edge of Decay was already playing. 5 mins later it was over. Bummer, since what we heard did sound pretty good.
Sisto Rossi: Layered Harsh Noise Wall (if I'm not mistaken, some acts are a bit blurred in my memory). Not bad, but not very interesting either.
Arv & Miljö: Nice fieldrecordings etc., sounded interesting, though it's more music to listen at home than live. And just cutting the sound of at the end of the gig really doesn't fit with this kind of music...
Neutral: Crazy guitar, bass guitar, loops kind of Industrial/Noise music. Pretty good, especially that last track was damn good. Didn't like the parts with the trumpet though. Fucking trumpets...
Damien Dubrovnik: Only know the latest LP but they certainly played some stuff from that LP and it was really good!
I was also at Noisefest.
Gods Wil: This was OK, bit boring. It sounded allright, but overall it had no energy and dynamics. I expected the shopping cart to be heavily damaged in the end, but nope.
Clamor: Great set!
Isaac: laptop drone, good for 5 minutes. Not my kinda thing so i walked out.
Zyrtax: Like Ashmonger said, the cymbals being thrown around was silly, almost comical.
Am Not: Due to the short break after this, we decided to skip this and go for food.
Edge of Decay: Hah, saw most of this set and it was really good! HNW with good depth and texture, awesome set.
Sisto Rossi: Was OK, but not too exciting.
Arv & Miljö: I was into it. Lots of field recordings blending etc.. The ending was indeed weirdly abrupt.
Neutral: Well, one of the highlights for me. I think this would be even better if they were not on a big stage though. Next time i want to see them in some dingy cellar. Imo the trumpets sounded great ;)
Damien Dubrovnik: They delivered as a headliner. A real 'show' and sounded great.
Bottom line: Scandinavia ruled all and Clamor was a nice surprise.
Quote from: urall on December 22, 2015, 12:22:22 PM
Edge of Decay: Hah, saw most of this set and it was really good! HNW with good depth and texture, awesome set.
Fuck fuck fuck! Hah. Then again, Am Not was great too, hehe.
Btw, just listened to the Clamor tape and it's good though sounds more subdued, more like the beginning of the set, I believe. Fine tape, but it was better live.
And considering Neutral: it seems I just don't like trumpets. On the Manifesto - Core album I don't really like them either...
Ars Nova Workshop presents Hiroshi Hasegawa, Desiccant and Embarker - Philadelphia 11/2/16
first off, it was nice to see pretty decent attendance for a Thursday night noise show with only one "big" name. The same group is also organizing the Hijokaidan show in Philly next month (!!!). Hope to see more noise action in Philly.
Embarker - a mixture of glitchy, minimal video and sharp, un-distorted analog sounds. so I don't know gear for shit but I guess Embarker had some combo of modulars and whatever else. the first "song" was a bit too much directionless bleeps and bloops for my taste, but after that things started to get more loopy and pseudo rhythmic. it reminded me of early '00s Autechre mixed with Nautical Almanac, like some sort of abrasive, beatless DSP nightmare. thanks to the volume it was surprisingly harsh and grating, just not in the normal gutter noise way I'm used to. good to see something different, though I don't know how well I'd enjoy it for home listening.
Desiccant - scum noise duo from Philly(?). first track was all looping goodness with increasing sub-bass frequencies. not quite harsh, but multi-layered and interesting. second track picked up a fried psychedelic vibe with gurgling korg sounds and rough backwards cymbal sounds. as things progressed the performance got a very '07 American noise vibe, reminding me a lot of golden era Wolf Eyes. then homemade wind instruments came out and I feared the worst but things actually got quite brutally harsh. there seemed to be some layer of animal sounds too. some real feral shit. sadly they had nothing for sale but definitely a pleasantly surprising performance.
Hiroshi Hasegawa - I've only seen Hasegawa play once before as ASTRO at No Fun Fest in '08 and that's a very nostalgia tinted memory for me so I was worried this would not live up to the memory. how very wrong I was...
literally one of the best harsh noise sets I've ever seen. 50 minutes long without almost a single dull moment. the set seemed much shorter than that. it was a pleasure to watch someone who knows exactly what they're doing. the flow was relatively quickly paced, most "sections" only lasting a few minutes at most. there was a perfect balance of hi and low end frequencies. shrieking feedback, extremely crunch synth bits, field recordings. it was all there.
but the surprise, at least to me, was the absolutely brutally shrill vocal attacks that happened a few times. not something I was expecting at all. what I remember of the ASTRO set was long sweeping psychedelic noise. this was skullcrushing, nonstop assault and loud as hell too.
a great evening at good venue with consistent performances. for $10 can't ask for more than that!
Quoteliterally one of the best harsh noise sets I've ever seen.
My exact feelings regarding his performance at End Tymes 2014, although I believe it certainly was the best harsh noise set I've witnessed. A true master of control, dynamics, and somehow creating continuous momentum throughout a pummeling harsh noise set. A Hiroshi Hasegawa c60 will be released on Skeleton Dust Recordings soon featuring his set at End Tymes, as well as some studio recordings that are similar in style.
I missed him by a few hours here in Philly! Fuck!
Quote from: whiteheatnoise on February 12, 2016, 09:28:53 PM
Quoteliterally one of the best harsh noise sets I've ever seen.
My exact feelings regarding his performance at End Tymes 2014, although I believe it certainly was the best harsh noise set I've witnessed. A true master of control, dynamics, and somehow creating continuous momentum throughout a pummeling harsh noise set. A Hiroshi Hasegawa c60 will be released on Skeleton Dust Recordings soon featuring his set at End Tymes, as well as some studio recordings that are similar in style.
that's excellent news, I look forward to hearing it!
Quote from: ConcreteMascara on February 12, 2016, 06:41:09 PM
Hiroshi Hasegawa - I've only seen Hasegawa play once before as ASTRO at No Fun Fest in '08 and that's a very nostalgia tinted memory for me so I was worried this would not live up to the memory. how very wrong I was...
literally one of the best harsh noise sets I've ever seen. 50 minutes long without almost a single dull moment. the set seemed much shorter than that. it was a pleasure to watch someone who knows exactly what they're doing. the flow was relatively quickly paced, most "sections" only lasting a few minutes at most. there was a perfect balance of hi and low end frequencies. shrieking feedback, extremely crunch synth bits, field recordings. it was all there.
but the surprise, at least to me, was the absolutely brutally shrill vocal attacks that happened a few times. not something I was expecting at all.
On more than a few occasions Hasegawa has supplemented his more full-on sets, which perhaps unsurprisingly have played out at more noise-oriented events, with a good dose of lung action. I often wonder if it is entirely planned or a matter of getting caught up in the harshmoment. When he's got a partner with him vocal duties tend to be duly delegated. I love Hasegawa in all incarnations, solo, duo, harsh, otherwise. Once caught Astro at a tiny art space that served wine in little plastic cups. Tiny pair of speakers, not a noisehead in sight. Whispery soft ambience all the way through, probably not even noticed by the neighbors downstairs. That was cool too, total mood music.
Quote from: ConcreteMascara on February 12, 2016, 06:41:09 PM
Ars Nova Workshop presents Hiroshi Hasegawa, Desiccant and Embarker - Philadelphia 11/2/16
This show was recorded by someone and is now being shared at the Dime tracker: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=553667
WILL TO POWER ELECTRONICS II
So, good people in Mannheim put together another two day festival. Venue and people were great as always, shows were interesting, too.
Friday:
AM NOT: Very good, as expected. The set in November knocked me out cold, so that "wow" effect wasn't there this time, as the project had already proven its supremacy. This set was a bit calmer than the one in November and maybe a tad less exciting. Still great, though!
NORDVARGR: Project that doesn't interest me, really. Did some kind of slow Ambient thing with some rhythms. Possibly good for people who are more into the whole Cold Spring material, but I left after 10 minutes.
GRIM (Noise Rock): Grim did two sets on two days. This one worked absolutely great. Heavy, aggressive, tense. A lot of energy and build-up.
RAMLEH: May be a bit akward to talk down to such a legendary project, but I thought it was terrible. Totally uninspired sounds reminiscent of the worse moments of Putrefier and probably the weakest vocal performance I have yet seen. Just forceless moaning, zero punch. Very disappointing.
Saturday:
KE/HIL: Damn good! With an act like Ke/Hil, you just instantly know what to expect. Very rhythmic and clean compositions like they are rarely done nowadays. Much better than last year's gig.
LINEKRAFT: Hot DAMN! This was absolute insanity. Darkest and most aggressive synth mixed with relentless oil-barrell maltreatment and a dedicated, full-frontal vocal performance. Truly jaw-dropping and close to absolute perfection. Left the entire crowd with open mouthes and clapping hands. There is no doubt that this guy beat every other act hands down.
PUCE MARY: Don't like the project, really. Stuff on FA was okayish, the rest doesn't work for me at all, even the "hit" works. Gig in Dresden was very good, though! This one probably showed the project from the side that I can't get into. Slow oscillation, clean soundscapes etc. As usual, good vocals, but still not my bag.
CONTROL: Good, clean standard PE. Thomas did very good vocals and the underlying rhythms he used were refreshing. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it doesn't have to be for me. Enjoyable!
GRIM (Noise show): Some nice ideas like giving rattles to the entire crowd, but too experimental for me personally. Not bad, just something that utilises techniques that don't appeal to me that much. Still, very good reaction from virtually everyone else, heh.
Keränen @ Lepakkomies, Helsinki 5.10.2016
Somewhat odd crossover night with Keränen warming up for two local punk bands. Not too many people in when Keränen started his mayhem. Two amps on stage, bass also thru PA-system equals very loud and strong sound. Set started with "slow" bass roaring noise, then evolving into more hectic, incapacitian noise as contact mics entered. Smoothly running and evolving set of c. 10 minutes, no dull moments. Perhaps best show I've seen from Keränen and also one of the best noise gigs I've seen this year, though what a great year noisewise this has been.
Went to Antwerp last friday to see Youth Code & Trepaneringsritualen. Lots of people showed up + great atmosphere. I really enjoyed the solid YC-performance. Clean and accessible but very energetic old school industrial. Saw Trepaneringsritualen one time before; watched 10 minutes and couldn't get into it.. Now i sat through the whole set but still wasn't impressed. Muffled sound and nothing going on except pre-recorded tracks and live vocals.
Hinoeuma the Malediction London 3rd February 2017
A funded and co-opted incarnation of COUM Transmissions played in Hull the same night. Here though was real industrial culture from legends keeping it real in a sleazy hired nightclub in Archway.
ACL/Antichildleague - slow build-up with samples and electronics, then furious contact mike and cymbal abuse, then vocals about 'fake female tears' declaimed with great passion - became a wonderful full-on PE temper tantrum with vicious strobe/laser lighting behind the stage and into our eyes - brilliant performance and very well-received by the audience.
Dead Normal - clearly with inspiration from both Sleaford Mods and modern Consumer Electronics, a male and female vocalist each spout sarcastic sounding words over surprisingly commercial sounding rhythms and almost-melodies - not all of this worked but when it did it was highly entertaining.
THE BLACK SCORPIO UNDERGROUND - after some theatrical and intense acts this guy had a tough place in the running order and his ritualistic drone with candles all over the desk didn't entirely hold my attention but others did enjoy it and I would check out again.
Sutcliffe Jügend - began with a piece I actually recognised, from With Extreme Prejudice. I haven't kept up with the seemingly endless albums released in recent times but this show seemed to revolve round similar sounding pieces which were song-like yet not quite songs - based around electronic loops and a mix of drones and chords from the guitar, with Kevin Tomkins laying down a kind of beat poetry, half-spoken half-sung and anecdotal and abject, very troubling and heartfelt words. One sarcastic young man present said it was like watching your geography teacher have a meltdown in the classroom before taking a term off, which was a great description. There were certainly absurd elements but they kept an audience entirely enraptured for an hour or so. Brilliant and very real art, and I genuinely wasn't expecting anything that good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAtBpSKrc94 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAtBpSKrc94)
Can't really get the atmosphere from a video like this of course but it doesn't sound too bad.
I was hoping to see some reports and footage from this show. It certainly looks like they can still deliver.
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on February 06, 2017, 01:40:09 AM
One sarcastic young man present said it was like watching your geography teacher have a meltdown in the classroom before taking a term off, which was a great description.
What stronger praise could there be for an SJ show?
@HongKongGoolagong: No In Search Of Death comment ?
Quote from: anotherwaytogetold on February 06, 2017, 07:06:04 PM
@HongKongGoolagong: No In Search Of Death comment ?
Unfortunately I missed that, was down the road at some horrible Archway hipster/yuppie pub being charged twelve quid for two drinks served by a bloke with a big and oiled beard and red braces who evinced shock that I was paying in cash not card. I believe Bagman or whatever name he is using had to cancel and didn't appear. It really was a great and friendly night though, congrats Gaya.
From memory - Cold Spring Night at FAC251, Manchester last autumn - September or October?:
SHE SPREADS SORROW - morose vocals and electronics from a depressed looking young woman - took off a bit during the end of the set with heightened passion during the singing, not too bad, not too great either.
IRON FIST OF THE SUN - I loved this guy last time he played M'cr but this time - maybe because I was concentrating more and closer to the stage - I started noticing his programmed Depeche Mode or Nitzer Ebb sounding basslines behind the noise and looking at his haircut and wondering if he shouldn't have just formed a pop group, the dude didn't entirely want to let go during this performance. Still a great screamer and still top marks for the Lady Di obsession.
MERZBOW - I'd never seen this guy perform before and honestly have heard a lot of negative things about his apparent lack of onstage charisma and excitement from people I trust who told me he is a laptop bore. Was very pleasantly surprised by one of the most full-on aggressive and painful to the ears noise shows I have ever seen - Akita on some sort of contact mike'd homemade metal banjo accompanied by a fierce drummer trying to keep up with him - derangement of the senses, incredible performance, tried to hide at the back towards the end as it was too loud but the frequencies pierced the ears like a nurse's syringe - wild and I am not surprised it has become a live album.
Quote from: HongKongGoolagong on February 06, 2017, 01:40:09 AM
Hinoeuma the Malediction London 3rd February 2017
A funded and co-opted incarnation of COUM Transmissions played in Hull the same night. Here though was real industrial culture from legends keeping it real in a sleazy hired nightclub in Archway.
ACL/Antichildleague - slow build-up with samples and electronics, then furious contact mike and cymbal abuse, then vocals about 'fake female tears' declaimed with great passion - became a wonderful full-on PE temper tantrum with vicious strobe/laser lighting behind the stage and into our eyes - brilliant performance and very well-received by the audience.
Dead Normal - clearly with inspiration from both Sleaford Mods and modern Consumer Electronics, a male and female vocalist each spout sarcastic sounding words over surprisingly commercial sounding rhythms and almost-melodies - not all of this worked but when it did it was highly entertaining.
THE BLACK SCORPIO UNDERGROUND - after some theatrical and intense acts this guy had a tough place in the running order and his ritualistic drone with candles all over the desk didn't entirely hold my attention but others did enjoy it and I would check out again.
Sutcliffe Jügend - began with a piece I actually recognised, from With Extreme Prejudice. I haven't kept up with the seemingly endless albums released in recent times but this show seemed to revolve round similar sounding pieces which were song-like yet not quite songs - based around electronic loops and a mix of drones and chords from the guitar, with Kevin Tomkins laying down a kind of beat poetry, half-spoken half-sung and anecdotal and abject, very troubling and heartfelt words. One sarcastic young man present said it was like watching your geography teacher have a meltdown in the classroom before taking a term off, which was a great description. There were certainly absurd elements but they kept an audience entirely enraptured for an hour or so. Brilliant and very real art, and I genuinely wasn't expecting anything that good.
thanks for the reminder that there were other bands than ace and sj. their efforts passed me by at the time
re sj-anyone going and expecting anything sounding like 'classic' back catalogue would have been sorely disappointed.
the set was largely new release based, with sounds generated by modified guitar synch, providing a wash of sounds (though this was nothing related to shoegazing music) and vocals that were half sung half growled. seen this band 6times now since the err released red rose gig. different each time.
acl-whilst I'm sure I always listen with admiration at gaga's dedication to putting on these bands, as with sj, her performances are different each time, and always enjoyable.
Went to see Jeph Jerman and Tim Barnes last night. Not harsh at all but a really great set!
Nice one - I let Gaya know! ;)
Quote from: impulse manslaughter on February 18, 2017, 03:28:02 PM
Went to see Jeph Jerman and Tim Barnes last night. Not harsh at all but a really great set!
saw this duo in Boston a bit back, one of the best shows I've seen in the last few years. Incredible and dynamic work with minimal setup. Always shifting direction while maintaining a singular "vibe" for 40 minutes or so. Needed a breather after that set.
Missed this but i saw a Lawrence English solo live show last year that was way louder than expected.. Way better than his recorded material.
Went to the (hipster/art) Rewire Festival last night to check out a few acts. Fist was Wolf Eyes; just a long jamsession with Olson playing samba balls, flute and sax. Didn't really go anywhere although i found myself bopping my head a few times. Was thinking on how good they were on the first few tours when they mixed these jamsessions with high energy industrial outbursts. Next was Pharmakon. Not familiar with the records and somehow i was expecting some weak hipster shit noise. Well, i was proven wrong. Couldn't really get into the first track but the rest of the set was pretty much vintage power electronics. Nice thick, heavy, analog sound at high volume and aggressive vocals. She keep the set short which was a good decision. Failed at intimidating the crowd but to me the whole act felt sincere. Nice surprise. Last was Croation Amor, an act i had high expectations of based on some of the records i have. Sadly, his live-set was a letdown. Samples of female vocals and ambient synths and background videos trying to get a point across i guess (images of manga movies, fashion shows, chat sessions, video games). I couldn't really care and left before the set was done.
Puce Mary this past Thursday in Montreal. Totally engaging set. It was great. Nothing else to say really.
Quote from: impulse manslaughter on April 02, 2017, 10:37:41 AM
Wolf Eyes; just a long jamsession with Olson
I had thought he declared Noise was "dead", but looking at the Bandcamp page I see Wolf Eyes play something called "Trip Metal" now.
It's all just some big inside joke (granted not particularly funny, unless I suppose your laughing at people holding on to terms of a genre/subgenre)...I think it's also a throw back to the trips festival of the 60's since at the recent trip metal festival in Detroit they had Morton Subotnik perform, despite the words chosen the festival itself was very good. Great sets by Panicsville, Rubber O' Cement, Subotnik, Joseph Hammer and many others. It was also free.
Wolf Eyes hasn't interested me much in a long while (I could probably see them several times a year if I ventured out, it's really all about who's playing with them), I was given a copy of Lower Forms and found it to be a good album the only time I listened. However that said I think it's important there sound has kept evolving over time since at this point they have existed for almost 20 years, so it really isn't a surprise they can just get up and play rather than focus on "songs"
http://special-interests.net/main/2017/04/16/melun-kiukaat-ii/
Few photos, text (also about Finland in general) and explicit video not suitable for everybody, heh...
https://special-interests.net/main/2017/05/17/military-position-armour-group-halthan-jumalainen-kullervo-live-in-finland/
Report with some pics!
5-19 Seattle
Interracial Sex destroyed. Full respect.
All sets at 5.19 The In show were wild (though I def can't comment on my own)
Rusalka and Kakerlak at Vancouver Noise Fest VII were fucking perfect. A lot of strong sets but those were the stand outs for me.
Last night went out to see Hades Archer, no previous experience with the band but hell if you come from Chile to Detroit I'm gonna try to catch it. My buddy and I met up there late to avoid what he calls the syndrome of "to many notes" (5 bands on this bill), we caught the last two. First up was Abysmal Lord from Louisiana. Kinda funny to see dudes put on some corpse paint and a cloak (think cheap raincoat) with bullet belts and put them in a setting where there is framed molson hockey jerseys and red wings memoribils on the walls. Now add in a fat old sound guy that uses the PA as platform to introduce bands as if they were sports teams "the prefect soundtrack to murder and rape Abbssymall Lorrd" and you got an idea of what kind of fine establishment this happened in.
Despite this the sound was good, loud, Abysmal Lord did a good job...maybe lasted a bit longer than I personally cared for but had the crowd really charged and were really into it. Good mix of blackened thrash...
Hades Archer is apperantly just a two man operation, no gimmicks, no corpse paint...put on a hell of a show, the guitarist set up mics at both ends of the stage so he could move between them, vocals were high in the mix and cut deep into my ears...shit was loud, short songs and slightly sloppy...pretty much everything I like, lyrics were a mix of English and Spanish, simple and often times understood. They played about an hour and it was one of those sets where time flew...a real racket, if you in Chicago they open for Profanatica and are playing in LA this weekend as well. Highly recommend checking it out if you can.
Went to the final edition of the Noisefest in Belgium and had a great time. Record stall outside with 50% discount made sure i went home with some goodies. About the acts:
Arrived when Mariela Rossi started playing. Layers of static noise worked well with the visuals in the background. Nice introduction to this unfamiliar name. Blodvite's mix of field-recordings and loops was nice but couldn't hold my attention. It seems to fade away into the background towards the end of his set. Kakerlak was probably my favorite set of this edition. Various layers of harsh noise structured into a powerful composition. Sofie Herner + Kakerlak; satisfying collaboration that only took too much time to build up. Sfär (Blodvite + Altar Of Flies); i liked this better than the solo Blodvite set, a little bit more variation in the sounds. Altar Of Flies; seems unfocussed in the first part of the set, second part was solid. Bizarre Uproar; sounds were good, vocals drowning in the mix at first, later tuned louder for a more satisfying PE-experience. Nothing really happening on stage was a bit of a let down. Overall a pretty good set that could have been more intense. Seemed too much of a standard routine for the performers.
The recent TUSK Festival this weekend gave me a good chance to see some stuff I'd wanted to catch for a while or never heard of before. I'll summarise the stuff most relevant here.
VALERIO TRICCOLLI - Impressive and engaging acousmatic tape music. Definitely a bit more lofi than his recorded work but didn't especially suffer as a result. Certainly moved around plenty through frenetic, rough manipulations by hand into subtle rhythms, pre recorded voices, shimmering high tones and white noise.
KINK GONG - Ethnomusicological recordings from what sounds like a big archive of the artist's field work. Shoved through a concrete music blender. Simple, cross legged on the floor laptop playback/improv that worked well due to the quality of the sound sources.
STARAYA DEREVNYA - Not typically something I'd be into but a pretty strong highlight. 3 (?) tables of electronics and synths, looping double bass/theremin and miked up objects accompanied by some kind of live tablet based animations. Really immersive and pleasant. Got into some pretty straight up melodic territory which is probably why it worked so well. More card carryingly musical? Very enjoyable but went on for longer than it needed to.
HANS GRUSEL'S KRANKENKABINET - I expected this to be pure novelty what with the whole aspect of this group's fancy dresses looking something like trees and birdhouses decorated in lederhosen (yes) but sonically they were excellent. Totally goof ball but LOUD and harsher than expected synth noises and wind instrument/voice. Bent and broken and not too serious at all. Culminated in a MIDI cover of Angel of Death which was amazing and got a lot of people very excited. Didn't seem like a piss take of metal lovers but rather a gleeful, childish tribute.
BRAINBOMBS - Did not do for me what I expected and hoped having enjoyed them for so long. The mix was actually pretty terrible with nearly inaudible vocals and some huge volume and tone differences between the guitars. Even so it ticked a box off and predictably enough got the crowd moving around. In an earlier time and place seeing this group would have meant more to me but less so now, sadly, because I'd been really excited to see them.
BRB>CULVER COLLAB - Just excellent. Uncomplicated, minimal but extremely loud distorted drone and noise. It seemed like Culver made use of two loud guitar amps while BRB>Voicecoil took the PA, though I could be wrong. It felt like an odd pairing to me what with the staunch analog lofi of Culver and the heavily digital BRB but worked so, so well. A proper highlight that felt all the more magnificent being delivered by two of the North East UK underground's proper stalwarts.
KARA-LIS COVERDALE - I only caught a third or so of this but it was a lot better than I thought it would be from the descriptions and I'll definitely be investigating some recorded work. Sampler based sound collage? A heavy use of melodies and sampled singing voices/instruments but would just stop and move sharply into new territory whenever she felt like it. No fear at all of fumbling and exploring for awkward sounds and navigating the sampler and it worked so well.
NURSE WITH WOUND - If it hadn't been the final act of the festival of Sunday evening I'd have approached this differently and also I've really yet to properly connect with NWW, truth be told. I've enjoyed some of the earlier cut up sounding work but as I always say, for every one of them there are another 3 zither and delay pedal bore fests. I walked in to some very clean and generic sounding electronics, a bit of percussion and a man I recognised as an English poet doing 'nonsense verse' with all of the Oxbridge, Tolkien fanclub looking gestures (and robes) to go along with it and bailed after about 40 seconds. Not enough to form a decent opinion of anything other than that 40 secs but I can confidently say it was total cobblers. Sorry.
All in all a very fun weekend.
Quote from: impulse manslaughter on October 18, 2017, 03:03:07 PM
Went to the final edition of the Noisefest in Belgium and had a great time. Record stall outside with 50% discount made sure i went home with some goodies. About the acts:
Arrived when Mariela Rossi started playing. Layers of static noise worked well with the visuals in the background. Nice introduction to this unfamiliar name. Blodvite's mix of field-recordings and loops was nice but couldn't hold my attention. It seems to fade away into the background towards the end of his set. Kakerlak was probably my favorite set of this edition. Various layers of harsh noise structured into a powerful composition. Sofie Herner + Kakerlak; satisfying collaboration that only took too much time to build up. Sfär (Blodvite + Altar Of Flies); i liked this better than the solo Blodvite set, a little bit more variation in the sounds. Altar Of Flies; seems unfocussed in the first part of the set, second part was solid. Bizarre Uproar; sounds were good, vocals drowning in the mix at first, later tuned louder for a more satisfying PE-experience. Nothing really happening on stage was a bit of a let down. Overall a pretty good set that could have been more intense. Seemed too much of a standard routine for the performers.
Yeah was pretty disappointed by the BU stage act as well - soundwise i liked it.
Overall a high quality of performances, sad to see the fest go.
Quote from: urall on October 18, 2017, 07:51:21 PM
Yeah was pretty disappointed by the BU stage act as well - soundwise i liked it.
Overall a high quality of performances, sad to see the fest go.
I've got to disagree with the BU reports - the backing video was maybe not as memorable as usual but thought that overall the on stage 'entertainment' was great! Very camp and sleazy performance which then took a more traditional and aggressive turn with the dual vocals towards the end. Soundwise a little looser and more in your face than usual, worked well.
Mariela Rossi offered perhaps the biggest surprise of the night for me, hadn't head of her previously. Rough shortwave radio manipulations plus some other minimal electronics - almost soothing textures initially before some truly nasty and raw as fuck noise came in later on. Ended with what sounded like some kinda music box melody and more static -quality stuff!
Cremation Lily, Knifedoutofexistence, Kuebiko, The Mysterious Monopole. Thursday 7th March 2019, The Chameleon Arts Café, Nottingham. Rammel Club.
I was keen to attend this gig and see all the acts mentioned; I'd recently reviewed the Kuebiko cassette release on Outsider Art Records. I am also a keen fan of Knifedoutofexistence and Cremation Lily and have reviewed their stuff in the past.
Kuebiko played on the floor of the venue, he was surrounded by devices which included contact microphones, chains and effects pedals. This worked as you had to look down or be directly face to face with the artist depending on whether you stood or sat. Sounds started small and gradually grew into a larger, harsher, more frenzied assault of noise. As things intensified the chains got smacked around, contact mikes were put in the artists mouth, Sellotape mummified his head and things descended into a sonic tantrum. The improvised, performative aspects of Kuebiko made for an impressive set.
I knew nothing prior to this about The Mysterious Monopole. The artist looked very different, her eyes were covered with patches of black lace and she was dressed in Brown with an old tie on. This coupled with how the performance built up gave it an impressive 'wtf odd' factor. I don't mean this as a criticism, but she built tension before it even started, which is quite a feat. Samples of noises and keyboard lines were played as the show built up to some impressive demonstrations of unique noise making. The artist started sawing up packs of Ryvita type snacks with a Contact Mic enhanced saw and then she was playing homemade card records on a turntable. The noise was crumbly and parallels the project Evil Moisture with unique sources of sound, but more warped off in her own tangents. Like Kuebiko the set was fully improvised, with a stronger performance art bent. An audience member was brought in to do vocals in a repeated chant as the artist crunched up Ryvita and trampled on the saw. This seemed to be a commentary on food politics that dominate life. I was half expecting to be force fed Ryvita or something as the artist made full use of the stage made for a truly excellent performance. To see someone coming at noise from such a truly eccentric, unpredictable angle was very exciting.
This show was a collaboration between Cremation Lily and Knifedoutofexistence, which is another self-personified Power Electronics project whose slow burn growth over the years has been impressive. The collaboration started with Knife's more experimental PE set with both artists contributing noise, Cremation had a minimal set up that seemed to consist of an electronic device that threw out sampled sounds and beats and a tape player, where as Knifed had a larger, complex set up. The noise got harsher and louder yet contained good atmospherics and the Knifed vocals were cleverly put in the background as he shouted into the microphone, this added more performance to what he did as he faced to audience. Last time he did the whole back turned to audience type performance thing, the frontal approach was more direct and way more effective. Both artists seemed to fire off each other. The noise seemed to be able to say more without being overpowered by vocal rage. The performance was a mass of complex emotion and range. This mixed with the distanced vocals and rich textured sound made for the strongest Knifedoutofexistence show that I've seen yet, I was very impressed – the slow burn development continues unhindered.
Where Cremation Lily is concerned, I'm politely obsessive. I believe the project upped the ante with Power Electronics very early on by coming from such a deeply personal angle. Funeral Home has one of the most impressive modern vocal performances that I've ever heard, that and S.T.A.B.'s Day of the Male are the vocal benchmarks to me in how I judge modern Power Electronics. The project continually progresses and changes with each passing year; I'm excited to hear where it's at each time. This is my fourth time seeing Cremation Lily and I enjoy each performance.
The atmosphere stripped down as things moved to the Cremation Lily part of the set. What threw me was that I was expecting a more ambient set, yet there were beats, moody electronica with passages of noise thrown in, the shift between the two sets was smooth and effective. Cremation's vocals shifted between agonised shouting, distorted rage and some actual singing. Knifed effectively switched from complimenting to contrasting the work with a range of sounds. Previous Cremation Lily sets had been displays of noise that just exploded where as this was a longer musical set with continual shifts into different musical parameters. The depth of feeling, past sadness and sonic texture was impressive as it seemed to run through both sets. Like any good set I am left with questions, while I truly loved both sets and saw both artists conquer new heights, is this duo thing something that should be recorded and developed outside of their individual work? Both artists shifted into new areas, they complimented, supported and built on each other's strengths, not allowing for any weakness to hinder the sound. Had it not worked, this whole collaboration could easily have had its ass kicked because of the strength of both the support acts. But it did work, giving an epic finale to a great night.
S.T.A.B. Electronics, Iron Fist of the Sun, Antivalium, Active Denial. The Castle, London, Saturday 31st March.
I went to this gig alone, upon 10 minutes of my arrival I'd met Phil from W.I.P., Lee from Iron Fist of the Sun, Keith from S.T.A.B. both guys from Active Denial and Winston from Shift/Unrest. It was great to meet the faces behind the projects that I love. The occasion was S.T.A.B.s first live gig in 3 years to celebrate the release of Enemy of Pigs on Unrest Productions, I'm playing it now on my turntable.
I've reviewed both Active Denial tapes in the past and I was keen to see them in a live context. I believe they haven't played a lot of live gigs prior to this. The set up was simple vocals, keyboard and four Walkman portable players that all into a mixer. Adam Apple screamed and shouted into the mic, got right into people's faces throughout their set. Sometimes both Apple and Bucorvus Leadbeater did vocals together, the noises were primitive like those used on their recordings. For a moment I felt it waned briefly, but sudden a strobe pointed at the audience and a resurgence of rage pushed things up another few notches. I thought this was a great performance that set the bar high for the evening, the rage seemed endless: The Summer of Hate came back with a vengeance.
Antivalium came dressed in suits and masks, their stage presence and image were strong. Their brand of synth dominated industrial noise with beats was good and it shifted a lot in sound. At times it was hard not to dance when they became more animated as beats took prominence. There was an air of deep broodiness throughout an impressive set that really stood out - the excellent taste in vintage microphones certainly helped this. Their sound and intensity were different to the other acts and stood out most as the odd act out, still great and this seemed to allow the differences between all acts to shine through. When researching after, I found out they were both in KnifeLadder with the late John Murphy as well as Black Light Ascension which is impressive, but Antivalium stands as a strong project, this was demonstrated by their performance - I look forward to investigating their work more.
The gig did have an air of sadness as it was to be the last performance from Iron Fist of the Sun. I love this project as I reviewed a lot of his work over the years and have most of the releases. This is a top tier project of present day that I know can deliver live and on record. As he began it was crisp, concise and everything was delivered with precision. He shouted with his back to the audience at the rear wall of the venue or sideways to the audience and it was effective as he became angrier and the sounds intensified massively. The way the vocals weren't as in the faces of the audience as the other acts seemed to allow for it to really project outwards at the audience. The sound and set up he had was complex and wouldn't have worked so well in less competent hands, he then flicked a switch and the familiar, powerful death drones of Smile Like Sword kicked in to cheers and shouts. The vocals were great, he shouted and screamed and had some effect that doubled the vocals up when it was used – amazing wasn't enough to describe it. His set became choppy, chaotic and noisier at the after Smile Like Sword and made for an effective contrast that died out to an end to be greeted by huge applause and enthusiasm from the audience. I'd only ever seen IFotS live once this was even better than that. To end on such a high with a consistently solid, evolving body of work is noble. However, my personal view is the integrity of the project would have kept it great for a long time to come, but greatness is as greatness does.
The night seemed like a series of championship fights and S.T.A.B. Electronics continued to up the levels of intensity with a savage, manic performance. He was continually right in our faces shouting, the mic seemed to die out at one point, and I am not shitting you, it made no difference to the vocal levels at all, he continued to yell over the electronics until the mic worked again - vocally S.T.A.B. continues to be next level. His personal, nasty take on Death Industrial was complimented by videos of violent gang fights and sadomasochistic penis abuse. The images of a guy continually being ball punched by a Dominatrix made me hold my balls in protective fear whilst S.T.A.B. seemed to continually grab his balls hard to raise the pitch of his vocals. The set was mostly newer material as I am recognising a lot of it as I play my copy of the excellent Enemy of Pigs; there was a lot of really, muddy, murky noise that was dominated by the louder than loud vocals, the level of performance used to work the vocals from the background to the forefront repeatedly was something else. Height wise he was huge, which amplified his stage presence, he was all over the stage in the audience's faces, yelling and gesturing; the intensity and menace never let up for a minute. I've been listening to the S.T.A.B. cds I have a lot over the last 6 months since discovering the project, this live performance was even better than I imagined it would be and the new album ups the ante.
Four solid performances made for an excellent night.
Review with pictures here: https://1208fullerave.blogspot.com/2019/03/enemy-of-pigs-launch-night.html
AM NOT, Stress Orphan, Mollusk King, The Castle London, UK - 6.5.19
Was really nice to see many people i've not seen for waay too long, apologies we had to get going quickly after the gig finished and didn't get to talk to everyone all that much.
Show was great all round! Mollusk King was really high quality with a lot of interesting developments since I last heard. Some very high end sound design and interesting musical elements outside the usual PE sounds, cinematic at times and almost hiphop/grime at a couple of points. Nice surrealist visuals too with unexpected combinations of footage (Svankmajer X Berserk is fine by me!) made to gel with monochromatic colour effects. Stress Orphan was enjoyable and energetic PE of the laptop karaoke variety, decent but not really my cup of tea - to use a Frans de Waard clichè. AM NOT was excellent as ever, great sounds and vocals, quality political collage visuals, and I wasn't expecting three different suitably intense guest vocalists
Nice work everyone involved and Unrest for organising!
Rammel Club – 05/07/2019. Chameleon Arts Café, Occult and Light, Nacht Und Nebel and Vampyres. Chameleon, Nottingham. http://www.rammelclub.org/
https://www.facebook.com/TheChameleonArtsCafe/
For tonight's event there were some last-minute changes, Lucy Adlington was replaced by Occulting Light. This was what I'd call a Nocturnal Beats project, built from arching Keyboard drones, beats and noise that made a slowly building sound, the work intensified as the set progressed. The beats seemed to become more tightly repetitive, as the moody sound built up to a hypnotic climax. I liked this and got into the performance, things like Tetsuo, Abysse, Salford Electronics and Daphnellc have really been on my listening list lately. This really fit in with that for sure. I do believe this was the project's third outing - good show.
https://tetsuoelectronics.bandcamp.com/releases
https://abysse1.bandcamp.com/
https://salfordelectronics.bandcamp.com/
https://lcpmusic.bandcamp.com/music
For Nacht Und Nebel's performance there were no stage lights, just the glow of the small light included in the artists set up; it was all about the noise made and made for an effective sound delivery. When the sounds started they were stuttered and choppy, interrupted by silence. It morphed to a bigger sound that was distorted, pulsating, throbbing and very controlled to make one of the most sonically tense and abrasive sets that I have seen from the project. There seemed to be a lot of individual sonic aspects put together in different segments of the show, it was very varied in sound language as various cutups built and interlinked to make a whole.
https://nachtundnebel.bandcamp.com/
I was keen to hear Vampyres as I'd bought 'Voyeurs at the gates of hell' when Culver played here a few months back, it's the project of Lee Stokoe of Culver and Martyn Reid. This is a more aggressive project in sound, there are massive drones combined with an army of noises. Their performance moved from being suspenseful, guttural, infected and pulsating throughout their set. Like their recordings the drones that underlie the music combine with the chaotic noise that batters away at the foreground and sound huge. Each artist's sound grew tonight, but this went elsewhere. Vampyre's set was simultaneously controlled and chaotic, I feel both members bring different things to the project, as a result I was very impressed by what I saw and bought their 'Bloodstream' tape plus a bunch of other Culver stuff.
https://soundcloud.com/vampyresgroup
https://soundcloud.com/depletion-1
https://awwfn.bandcamp.com/album/astral-sacrifice
Satori / Tunnels of Ah / Colossloth – 08/08/19 Centrala, Digbeth, Birmingham
https://www.facebook.com/colossloth/
https://tunnelsofh.bandcamp.com/
https://satori-industrial.bandcamp.com/
Going back to Birmingham, particularly Digbeth is an intense thing, Digbeth is like a mythical, other worldly No-man's land within Birmingham. To see such huge, empty, abandoned buildings covered in spray artwork is something. The drive was long, but I was thrilled to finally be there. When I found Centrala Space, it was a small, gorgeous Arts Café that does events and exhibitions; I had some great coffees there and got talking to people. This was friendly, relaxed with people just there for the noise, it was the Birmingham I knew and loved.
The first act on was Colossloth which is the project of Wooly Woolaston, who has been active as Colossloth since 2006. His set started off with deep drones with what I'd call an electronica feel as harmonies were woven into the texture of the sound. Things would build with massive rumbling drones, harmonic distortion and then erupt for periods of time. This would happen in different ways that utilised drones, sharp noise, waves of distortion and harmony, his set really contrasted beauty and rawness with a very impressive, forward thinking attitude. The atmosphere in the work was so well manipulated that there couldn't have been a stronger opener, the bar was set high already.
I'll confess, I didn't know what to expect with Tunnels of Ah, I've reviewed and got into Stephen Burroughs work as Frag and Comicide, but I was holding off on Tunnels until I bought the albums. So, I was going in blind, I like to do this as you get a good gauge straight away. There were a bunch of technical difficulties at first as the PA had blown or gone during Colossloth's set; a new one had to be set up, so there was a new PA, loads of wires, new speakers and a big amp. The sound then kept cutting out until it was finally set up and working, the bits of noise made until it cut out were good, very different. I don't know if this changed what it would normally be like, but once all this was fixed, it was like an older type noise gig with wires and amps everywhere and a massive Cacophony took off. Massive horn like, distorted drones took blasted at a massive volume. The sound functioned like Wall noise, but had an esoteric, shifting movement that morphed and changed constantly. There was an ancient/old feel to the sound, as if connected to times long past. Tunnel's sound seemed to constantly grow and get louder as if in permanent cycle of growth until the set stopped. I can see how the sound grew from the early 80s roots of Comicide and I want those four albums for sure.
Satori I knew even less about, I believe there were line-up changes over the decades and the project stretches right back to the mid- 80s and was on the Broken Flag label. Satori's show had a backing film, compromised of striking images of war, genocide, torture, surgery, decay and explosions that was a powerful backdrop. Satori used vocals, they could have been louder, but there was PA issues and it was a great to see some shouting which made for an intense physical performance. The use of noise was loud, as Power Electronics it shifted regularly between subtle to extreme. The sound was distorted and at times cold and clinical. I didn't take notes during Satori's set, I was really pulled into it and found myself immersed. I also bought a CD and found it had a similar effect, played it in the car and it was good - Dispossesion. There is something 'other' about Satori, a depth or distance that gets very vast as you fall into it.
This was a great show, it was three very different artists combining to make a great night with strong performances.
Xenojothsz / Life Appreciation Renewal / Worth / Sects / Concrete Mascara / Yureka Cash & Blanche / Empathic Window @ The Berks
Part of the Xenojothsz / Life Appreciation Renewal tour that's since snowballed into something bigger with Worth and Sects. This was at the lovely Berks venue/living space which I have a sneaking suspicion I've been to before, but cannot place it in my damaged memory. Like any good noise show on a weeknight the weather was lousy, the audience was small and it started late. just as it should be. also one of the residents had a puppy who I got to pet for a minute so it's hard to beat that.
but on with the show!
Empathic Window - while Fay Scratch was certainly an enthusiastic and friendly guy, his live performance left a lot to be desired. first problem and I think common problem with noise sets, unless you're at the top of your craft, don't do a long set. just don't. set a timer for 15 minutes and stop when it beeps. as this was synth and taped based noise, it certainly could have gone on even longer but happily it did not. highlight was the beginning with the piercing, hard panned, hi-freq synth notes, but the problem was lack of continuity or sense of progress. it sounded like random notes with random filters at random times. some great sounds came out here and there but then some knob would get turned and it morph into something less good.
Yureka Cash & Blanche - I really enjoyed this! Similar to the last time I saw Yureka, she handled electronics and had a partner doing vocals. this time it was poet Blanche who read this partially autobiographical pose poem/essay about "Gone With the Wind" and a bunch of related stuff. Each segment had different electronics and each segment got a bit more tense and disorienting than the last. there was backing video as well that evolved with the piece. Blanche's look: her hair outfit and red shoes, the red wine in a coffee mug, the red head lamp in a pitch dark room, was perfect. absolutely "arty" but in the best way possible. highlight of the night for me, partially because it was so unexpected.
Concrete Mascara - same basic set as my show in Providence earlier in the month, executed a little more smoothly. slightly remixed versions of "Snake Skin Stilettos" and "Utopian Nightmare" along with a new track. my mixer and Tube Screamer pedal are failing and I need to replace them. I did get to play with "Rubber's Lover" as my backing video again so that was a win.
Life Appreciation Renewal - saw this project once before in Richmond but this set was definitely a big improvement. briskly placed but effectively executed, building from a warping sample into bass-y blast into screeching vocal hell. vocals were properly loud and overloaded just like I love. honestly this one could've been twice as long and just as good.
and now the projector was used for increasingly silly impromptu backing imagery
Xenojothsz - popper fueled, wig-wearing, harsh madness. backing video of some woman talking about overcoming dissociative identity disorder or something like that, not even full screened but with the Youtube play next sidebar visible. rather perfect. Xenojothsz sounds like his gear set up looks. messy and stringy. this is harsh noise made with gravel and wire hangers and accidental radio pick up. the individual sounds were very tasty but I would've liked a tad more build and progression towards the end. but still damn enjoyable!
Worth - really cool to see Worth live and see this feedback loop madness. Will gets some weird fucking sounds out of his gear and it comes across in this sort of burnt-cosmic-bad-trip way that's just really tasty. it was both what I expected and somehow different at the same time. the inclusion of some downright deranged and brutal vocals was a pleasant surprise too. I want to hear more of that! also special mention to the Janus Films logo that was projected. the man has good taste.
Sects - whoooooboy! what proper end to a Tuesday night noise-boy party. thick, meaty harsh noise. properly physical sounding with sheet metal, glass and contact mics. this was the most immediate and brutal set of the night and the best Sects set I've seen. it was surprisingly dynamic and had nice quiet bits to ramp it up. it got really damn heavy and crunchy towards the end too. Sects, you need to record this shit and release!! the cherry on top was seeing anime "Golden Boy" projected behind. perfect.
a fun night for sure, even if this morning was rough at work as a result. thanks to Syd for hosting!
November 3rd, 2019 - Mrakmur Dark Arts Festival at A-Mill Artist Lofts (http://www.mrakmur.com/darkartsfestival2019/)
This was kind of a boutique event with a lot of local artists selling various works and wares, which was interesting on its own. But I managed to catch a performance of Boy Dirt Car (https://www.discogs.com/artist/208523-Boy-Dirt-Car) who has been making industrial noise since the early 80's. I didn't realize it until now, but one half of the band, Darren Brown, has been in another band called Impact Test (https://www.discogs.com/artist/74957-Impact-Test) that I've been listening to for the last year or so since I picked up one of their records at RRR. His wife, Julie Unruly Brown, was the second part of the duo who played a lot of psychedelic instrumentation around Darren's stream-of-consciousness spoken word vocals. Some of their sounds included analog loops made with a case full of pedals, vocal recordings, and some spots of prominent gongs/cymbals that were used to create an atmosphere, like being a small creature in the midst of a large and tranquil wind chime. Overall, there was a lot of variety in the sounds that they created and it all blended together with a satisfyingly organic cohesion. Afterwards, Julie told me about her YouTube channel where they have footage of their performances (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRbys5Xb3Zk), crash site reports outside of iconic record stores (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIzf0qkLlo8), and more. I definitely need to catch these two again.
Dec 7, 2019 Hospital Fest - Market Hotel
Market Hotel was a favorite venue of mine back in the day. It ended up being a perfect fit for this year's scaled down Hospital Fest.
E-sagilla I wasnt very familiar with her prior; few tracks I heard fell into the 'noisy techno' world. Live, that is what we got; heavy techno slipping into noise and back. A nice start to things, though it lost me at points when it seemed unsure of which direction it wanted to go. Her material would have blended better with the late show, but enjoyable all the same.
Skin Crime Skin Crime are just masters of disorientation. You think you know where things are going but then you find yourself lost in the fog. Oppressive, horrific, claustrophobic. Slow building grinding metal and throbbing bass punctuated by screaming feedback. Their set ended with a horrific sample of a reporter breaking down as a woman described the condition of a raped and strangled child. Maybe it was the train rolling by every few minutes, but this felt like the perfect distillation of 'true crime electronics'. Made me wish Slogun was on the bill!
Richard Ramirez brief and brutal set of shredding scrap abuse. Strobe light going, Ramirez playing on the floor, not much in the way of surprises, just some goood ol fashioned American noise. 15 minutes tops? It certainly left everyone wanting more.
I missed Moonbeam Terror; thad to step out, this fest needed more breaks!
Akitsa solid set of black metal and punk, though a low energy audience didnt do them any favors. Set favored the more recent releases and vacillated between straight forward bm and the more Oi inflected hooligan material. Glad to have finally seen them.
Smell & Quim my wife found a tenderized chunk of meat in her hair after their set. Legitimately one of the greatest sets of insanity I have ever seen, and I am glad the audience was receptive. Simon seemed a bit deflated, hopefully someone comforted him after the fact.
Eternal Champion heavy as hell power metal from TX feat some members of the mighty Iron Age. Awesome set; Jason is an incredible front man. War horns were blown, broadswords brandished...took a few songs to get levels right, byt they were on fire by the end.
Painjerk anyone there will tell you this was the set of the fest by a mile. Incredible control over the room as a whirl of scrap samples were elevated into an utterly psychedelic wig flipper. I have never seen an audience lose their mind over a set like that. Personally, this did more for me than last year's Merzbow set.
Skipped Tomb Mold, then swung back for the RSE set. Dom was having a great time, though I feel the well was running dry with this material. Nice way to close out my night.
Overall a great time. Saw a lot of friends, some great sets, and never thought Id be back at market hotel. Hopefully these things keep happening.
The new Mania, Worth and Skin Crime tapes were available from Patrick. Not much new from Hospital sans some shirts. The Noisextra table was a bit awkward to access, wanted to say whats up but they had quite a few folk milling around.
Quote from: Eigen Bast on December 09, 2019, 02:28:57 AM
Painjerk anyone there will tell you this was the set of the fest by a mile. Incredible control over the room as a whirl of scrap samples were elevated into an utterly psychedelic wig flipper. I have never seen an audience lose their mind over a set like that.
Would like to see Painjerk someday again. I have seen him twice. First one he had full set up. Other time due broken arm, he only basically did lap-top show. That wasn't spectacular, but the full set up noise show among very best. It was hard to figure out how he managed to squeeze always
more. Just as the set stepped up into new climax and one could think damn, this must be the ending... but did not. Just more and more and more. To each step make loud seem louder, noisy seem always notch noisier, on level where it is as noisy and as loud as possible in start, is quite unusual skill. As most are able to maintain the level or drift without point.
Quote from: Eigen Bast on December 09, 2019, 02:28:57 AM
Skin Crime Their set ended with a horrific sample of a reporter breaking down as a woman described the condition of a raped and strangled child. Maybe it was the train rolling by every few minutes, but this felt like the perfect distillation of 'true crime electronics'. Made me wish Slogun was on the bill!
This was their version of a "moment of silence " for Keith. The samples are on Victimology and it was the perfect way to honor their decades long friendship without explicitly saying it.
Thanks for the info, that's brilliant.
Saw the death/doom band Spectral Voice last night and was pleased to see a noise support slot/intro (he played a full set and the band started seamlessly after him) by Flowering Blade. Very cool minimal industrial/noise with powerful percussive stabs punching through harsh and undulating synth drones with creepy spoken vocals distorted with reverb and delay. Nothing groundbreaking but an excellent atmospheric primer for some good swampy death metal.
Visited the merch stand after and saw that he runs a label called Bleak Environment, boasting current releases from Hander Som Vardar and Kali Malone. I picked up a Flowering Blade tape (along with a live Spectral Voice tape).
Spectral Voice themselves were awesome too, playing in near total darkness save for a LOT of candles, some of which jammed into Buckfast bottles (only in Glasgow!). Set lowlight was a drunk metalhead deciding to steal a lit candle and stage dive with it in her hand. The other death metal supports were great too, especially locals Coffin Mulch!
i thought pain jerk at hospital fest was really boring!! laptop set with a few minutes of 4/4 kick drum (!!!) at the beginning just fucked it all off for me. it seemed like other people liked it but most of it was weak digital sounding filter-swept noise.
December 6, 2019 - Fire-Toolz at Bar Fly (https://www.facebook.com/events/skyway-theatre/street-sects-w-fire-toolz-bar-fly/2386903404897752/)
If I remember correctly, this was Fire-Toolz / Angel Marcloid's first show in Minnesota. Really energetic set with a heavy emphasis on the psychedelic projected visuals. The images, sounds, and lyrics are like the result of a 90s introvert who grew up consuming mass media and tech, tried to upload their consciousness onto the net (ala Jobe in The Lawnmower Man (https://youtu.be/I33u7P-XokE?t=56) (and I'm just now noticing that the visuals for that movie were done by Angel Studios, huh)), but the upload failed and the user's brain is seizing as it melts into a rainbow-colored puddle of neurological ooze. Nobody I talked to before the show had heard about this project before, but the audience was very receptive, headbanging during the heavier parts and cheering when things would calm down a bit. The music itself is a really unusual blend of styles, characteristically vaporwave, techno, and black metal vocals, but it works unexpectedly well. Definitely a fun show. I am glad I finally got to see it after following this act for so long. Would go again.
It's been while since this topic was active! Meanwhile, been at noise gigs quite frequently. Current situation seems like noise gigs happen all the time. Now in Finland, we had Pain Appendix yesterday at Helsinki private gig. Today would be Metsäkirkko in Kouvola. Sunday would be Pain Appendix, Savage Gospel and more in Tampere. Next week thursday Worth and Pain Appendix and more in Oulu... fuck! Heard of multiple plans from various people, things happening just about every month, sometimes multiple times.
Yesterday, invite shows in Helsinki. Reason mostly the absolutely tiny "venue", being small garage. Bunch of good shows been in this place. Evening starts with Ruttokosmos, which was bleak and depressive Black Metal. Kind of oddity on the bill, but perhaps it also worked as kind of pre-rehearsal for soon-to-come Steelfest gig. I am about 100% sure it works better in claustrophobic darker basement, than huge metal festival stage. Metal gigs like this, would be certainly nice too!
Atrophist played next. Man has been improving swiftly with his tape releases and previous live I saw was pretty good. I was told man is doing first soundcheck. Judging from outside, sounds good! Then we wait and wait and start to ask... so.. is this the soundcheck or.. gig? And I've been mentioned he said he is checking sound... well turns out that was the gig. Well... I'll catch his set sometime soon anyways, I suppose! Sound very good outside, hah..
AUGMENTED ATROCITY was first kind of Kovana side project, and had a bit of the side project feel to it. Couple mini edition tapes exists. Soon we'll be hearing debut full length on Aussaat. Waiting for that! Short, loud, abruptly ending noise set with boomy bassy throbbing tone, buried vocals and smashing metal sheet - running into audience and small pit emerging and audience smashing metal junk. For its length, decent energetic gig.
Unclean mentioned that after such gig, he'll have more laid back, slower paced gig. That's it. Simple layer of oscillation, contact mic'ed pile of chains going through efx, very old school tricks of distortion/delay pedal wank, that I tend to like. Actually he was using delay pedal I advised to buy while ago, to get some better results. Good to see it in use. Vocals were quiet in mix, heavily effected and actually when getting louder and tone changed to screaming - it made better impact when clearly penetrating the heavy oscillation. I heard some youngsters say outside after gig that Unclean is among very best Finns active in Finnish live. It is true that no so much of more heavy electronics oriented gigs there! Harsh noise you'll find. Weirdo noise too, but amount of bleak monochrome heavy electronics... ain't much competition for Unclean at the moment!
Pain Appendix, displayed well why he was on tour. When you are good in doing noise, it stands out just that notch above. Experience with live situation maybe? He got more ripping sound from PA. He knew how to treat the acoustic metal source that we'll be no listening the acoustic sounds of smashing and crashing over PA, but he had metal object with spring on it, carving it with knife, making physically quiet sounds, that then was heard in form of loud ripping harsh noise from PA. That's the way to do it. When you know limitations of sound system, space, seen others perform, and most things that were challenge with former set, was sort of technically resolved now? That's what it felt. Rough loops, playing his metal object in sync with grinding loops, assaulting into free form harshness, fierce screaming getting buried under the noise, storming into audience and the Finn noise drunkards celebrating opportunity of bouncing into eachother in small crammed garage. Good fun.
And most of all inspiring. Each noise gig where been attending, feels like.. I got to resume noise live playing. But like this. No big fests. No travel abroad. No warming slots for big touring music artists.. just deepest noise underground.
EDIT: For the finns who hesitate, I recommend to go to gigs sunday (tampere), thursday (outlu). Check the gig announcement section for more details.
SÄHKÖINEN MATINEA 5
23.4.2023 - Tampere, Finland
Video report with 2 mins each artists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhJkQUZ-9I
Pain Appendix tour going on. After friday private show in helsinki, he went to Obscurex fest for saturday and then returned back to Finland for sunday late afternoon electronic matinee. For those who wanted to see some experimental stuff in Finland, had opportunity to check Metsäkirkko show in Saturday at Kouvola. Horns and loops and weird atmospheric soundscapes played in front of psychedelic video displayed on big screen (video here: https://youtu.be/OaG2bSN9BW4 ).
Sähköinen Matinea is organized at neat gallery space. Bright daylight, late afternoon, starting at 17:00. Obscure paintings and other art on the walls, little shop area selling mostly indie vinyl records and other things. I grabbed one pornographic art zine from there. Arrived at half past three, and there was opportunity enjoy the sunny afternoon, drinking some beer in front of venue chatting with friends, some that haven't seen in recent times. Bands setting up, soundchecks, merch table set with some stuff. There is fairly decent crowd for sunday show, yet of course venue doesn't get heavily crowded.
Absolute Key announces at the beginning of gig, that he has never done stuff like he is about to do. Yep. That doesn't mean there would be something absolutely new, though! Some Finnish master-class noise makers have often joked how the Finn noise starter pack is basically:
Bucket, filled with some metal junk and glass, and then guy smashing microphone into that bucket. That has been seen so many times. Variations includes glass, metal objects, chain, etc sometimes mask, sometimes not. This time, no mask. Glass was not lightbulbs like I recall one recent bucket gig having, but Absolute Key variation included drinking wine from classy wine glasses and then smashing them into bucket and hammering some harsh noise out of it. So, slightly spiced variation of old finn noise standard. Works ok, kind of one idea show as well as sound, but for what it is, it works. Absolute Key has huge variety in what he does, with 3 other harsh noise bands, perhaps his more experimental work could have been more striking? I'll be curious to hear if he decides to make a releases of pure harsh noise, what that will turn out to be.
Like mentioned on post above, I missed the Atrophist show in Helsinki. Now I made sure to watch it from beginning to end. 15 minute blast of noise had very good moments, and then some searching of sounds. Like from video documentation you can see, the shift from harsher electronic assault, he would sometimes leap into ultra-sonic high pitched electronics and the harsh stuff creeping quietly underneath it. Then get back to blasting. Video catches one of those transitions, but after that moment, it quickly got louder. Artist mentioned Helsinki show was better than this. He had weird candle performance incorporated with sound. Due playing in daylight, it wasn't that striking element, but the ending "pyro technics" was funny, almost as if set was timed for it? Atrophist has been developing nicely and his recent tapes are good to get.
I asked Savage Gospel what the show is going to be, and it was "one idea harsh noise" -type thing. Both guys blasting harshness from item/set up what they had, for 10 minutes, and that's that. Unlike the others, SG played mostly with amps. So, turning amps loud, and slightly psychedelic feedback howl accompanied the incapitantsy' harsh due blast. Lacking the spastic fast modulation that the Japanese masters have, replacing that with kind of Americanoise vibes but without the 90's crunch. Good stuff. I think they aimed for 15 mins, but it really was closer to 10, which felt perfectly enough, considering that what SG does, was certainly the "one idea noise set". There wasn't any beginning, no development and the end was just.. well, stopping to play. If one aims to do 20-30 mins set, it feels that there has to be a bit more. For 10-15, it works to do "one song". Their new split CD with Incapacitants is for me, easily the best thing what they have done.
Pain Appendix was obviously the last one. While his set was basically using similar ideas that he had in Helsinki, it became very clear how much sound system and atmosphere of venue changes it. Claustrophobic and dark feel of Helsinki, with tiny space filled with loud rumbling noise changed into light filled gallery feel, empty room space, crisp and clear PA sound. Not that much of physical action of kind of live frenzy he had in Helsinki. Not bad, though! This is not negative remark, as the counter balance really was both seeing his gear, seeing better what he was doing, hearing the clear from-mixer-to-soundboard -quality line sound from PA. It had the distortion, feedback, object carving with knife, rhythmic bounding of spring attached to his metal object... but sounding very different, due the atmosphere. Almost laid back, as opposed to violent or oppressive.
I liked the venue, I liked the early hours of playing. Although, must say that returning home almost midnight didn't feel like it was THAT early. I liked relatively short sets and meeting the old and new friends that haven't seen for long time. Like said on post above, now there are plenty of noise shows to happen in Finland. Keeping eye on SI gig announcements can be worth it! I also like that there are shows with currently active noise, and no need to even book some "cult headline artists". Like there was announced that save the date, huge noise gig about to come in tampere 26.8.2023. I instantly wondered.. pain jerk? masonna? Altar of flies? What would be the big noise gig?!?! And turns out it is actually 5 new finn noise acts: Amek-Maj, Corral Shut, Haudat, Tyhjä Pää, Residual. And further more, in small venue with capacity of less than 50 people.. so I guess people better get in touch with organizer for some details if they want to get in! At least for one artist, it will be the debut live.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on April 24, 2023, 09:42:29 AMFor those who wanted to see some experimental stuff in Finland, had opportunity to check Metsäkirkko show in Saturday at Kouvola. Horns and loops and weird atmospheric soundscapes played in front of psychedelic video displayed on big screen (video here: https://youtu.be/OaG2bSN9BW4 ).
To be precise, the backing image wasn't actually a video. It was live projection done by the VJ and he reacted on spot to the sound that was being played. There was a camera that was filming a turntable-type-of-thing and he dropped various objects onto it and projected it onto the canvas through a kaleidoscope effect. For example lichen, hawthorn spikes and pine needles were being used.
The spoken word in the beginning is a quote from a Finnish esoteric geography blog. The whole article can be read here: http://esoteerinenmaantiede.blogspot.com/2015/11/eramaa-ja-elamansuojelu.html (http://esoteerinenmaantiede.blogspot.com/2015/11/eramaa-ja-elamansuojelu.html)
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on April 24, 2023, 09:42:29 AM. Due playing in daylight, it wasn't that striking element, but the ending "pyro technics" was funny, almost as if set was timed for it?
Hah, I think about half a dozen people asked about this afterwards. It was just one of those perfect coincidences and synchronicities. Or perhaps influence from voodoo gods, who knows?
These Brazilian ritual candles are super unpredictable — it would be impossible to time a performance to them, because they are all different and typically every time at least one of the six charges doesn't blow up at all
27.4.2023: Worth, Pain Appendix, Tyhjä Pää & The New Boyfriends @ Tukikohta, Oulu FI
Such an dream team line-up! PA delivered the best noise release of 2022 and latest Worth CD has been praised by everyone with good taste. TP and TNB are among the very best of the current Finnish noise, Tyhjä Pää's latest Satatuhatta CD was an real gem and TNB's first two tapes have just been reissued in CD. So my hopes were high on this!
Maybe about 30 - 40 attendees at the show, which was much more than i expected due to shitty weather and thursday night in Oulu. Atmosphere was laid-back and couple of distros (shout out to Rupu Tapes and Cursed Tapes) were present. The main benefit of Tukikohta as an place for noise and industrial shows are two massive, high quality PA systems that really do make an difference. Shows are heard loud and clear with good levels of sound pressure.
Tyhjä Pää started the night with his original, super professional and precise take on cut-up noise. It is really enjoyable to watch Räkis commanding his gear with iron will and discipline, being in complete and utter command of his electronics. One of the sound sources seemed to be some kind of contact mic'd(?) small metal cage that was being hit with an bass drum pedal. Fast moving, ever evolving and hard hitting show! Live sound was super punchy and direct, i suspect that the reason for that was the two Yamaha solid-state amps that was used for main amplification of TP set. Next up was Pain Appendix. Just perfect kind of industrial-noise done with skill and dedication. The set was kind of this one large movement that had certain sense of slowly built dramatic arch. It grew slow and sneaky, layers were built upon layers until there was this enormous mass of suffocating sound that filled the whole space. Pete had some problems with vocal mic but it didn't effect the intensity of the show. Immersive experience.
Worth was the third act. Odd, broken noise with effects pedals, tapes, mics and one broken mixer. Heavy, heavy gig. Started with baffling broken hissing that left me wondering that was it intentional or was some device just broken. Either way it built the tension until the noise really kicked in and what a sound! Broken, moody noise with monochrome overall feeling to it. At times it wasn't far off from, let's say, HÖH or Capers but with more sinister and violent undercurrents. Super good. Last act was The New Boyfriends and damn... The world's best junk metal noise act at the moment, it is that good. Power tools, construction site stuff, concrete mixer, kitchen sink and fuckloads of positive energy emanating from sweaty bodies of Aprapat and Mogao dudes. Life affirming experience once again, this is something where words fail to describe the whole experience! I mean, it's just two guys and loads of metal, but it did really transcendent itself above the sum of it's parts. Check the Youtube for live videos.
Five out of five night, good conversations and lot's of noise.
Heat Signature, Pain Appendix, Kadaver + "local support" @ Pit's, Kortrijk, Belgium
Pretty epic ending for April, first an excellent noise fest in Leiden, Netherlands (Crude Transmissions II) with Heat Signature, Worth, Pain Appendix, Kadaver, Jugendwerkhof and many others, and then the next day even more of the same in Kortrijk. Pit's a legendary little venue with a living room sized space for the bar, stage and floor plus a "lobby" with a ticket counter, merch stand(s) and two urinals. Nothing better than standing there with your penis in your hand while greeting people entering the venue. Apparently Eyehategod played the venue in 1993 with Crowbar to over 100 people. I do not know how to fit even 50 in there so it must have been pretty damn intense. But Sunday night was no less intense! Less than 50 people but the noise was harsh, to the point and flowing free and wild.
Kindvriendelijk opened the night. They also played at Crude Transmissions the day before. This is a harsh noise duo consisting of Vincent Dallas and All Shadows And Deliverance. Sheet metal with contact mics scraped along walls and floors plus sweat-bursting physical harsh noise explosion a'la Vincent Dallas ending with the gear smashed to the floor.
After a short break it was time for Misère consisting of Sisto Rossi and Geseling who both played solo sets at the fest the previous day. Yet another burst of high energy harsh noise with cinder blocks pulverized and the audience being just centimeters away from bodily harm by an amplified sheet of metal.
Next it was my turn. Moozzhead sounded pretty much how I wanted except for the loud PA playing tricks on some things that worked a bit different with my 10W practice amp at home :) I had my phone on the table among my pedals to keep track of the time and as a nice bonus I got a phone call in the middle of the set. I swiped to accept and just continued playing. I wonder how it sounded like at the other end of the call.
After dinner (yes, the evening was very nicely organized and hosted) Kadaver from Israel unleashed his pedal armada for a harsh noise onslaught but this time with some breathing space with occasional harsh drones while still maintaining that harsh noise drive. Kadaver also had played the night before like the two American acts that were still to play. Worth was originally supposed to play as well (his set at Crude Transmissions was an incredible death struggle with defective electronics) but could not as he was already on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
Pain Appendix had the honor of being the first of the Americans currently on a European tour to play first. After harsh noise after harsh noise after harsh noise it was very welcome to have something slightly more structured that did not rely solely on a wall of distortion. Harsh noise for sure but there were lengthy parts with movie(?) samples, rhythmically plucked mic'd spring and an occasional whiff of power electronics with vocals shouted into the contact mic of the said spring. The spring was also scraped with a knife which sounded great when fed through some booming distortion.
No disrespect to any of the other artists but I think the best was saved for last. This is naturally just my own opinion, the evening was great no matter which 1, 10 or 100 minutes one would have attended. Heat Signature totally devastated in Leiden and they did exactly the same in Kortrijk. Being a duo opens up possibilities and I think Heat Signature took them all and executed it perfectly. A roaring mass of fast paced HARSH NOISE. Short set (I don't think it lasted 15 minutes) with several "11 out of 10" moments for me. Perfect sound drop-outs only to resume half a second later but with even more power. Ruptured crackling blasts. All mixed and messed up in a tornado of sheer power. Trouser-shittingly perfect sonic warfare!
Thanks for the report Moozz. I missed both shows because I was on a holiday. Hope to catch some of these acts another time.
Harsh Ways Fest
First of all, what a superb evening. Massive thanks to organizers, everything went smoothly. No hassle, just everything happening on it's own pace. Also, sound was very good, PA power was satisfactory.
Maskhead started off the evening, very simple setup and it worked very well. An miced up object with springs attached to it. Feedback manipulation by swinging the rod in air. Adding a bit of theatrics to the mix. Special mention for the eerie grin he has behind the mask, a simple yet effective way to create atmosphere and more depth. First gig for Maskhead I believe, hopefully more to come.
Transitions were smooth since no one was in a hurry really. Plenty of time to catch up with acquitances, do some noise shopping from surprisinglu wide selection of tapes and CDs provided by several artists/distros.
Amek-Maj was up next. Saw his set last year in Oulu, which was cut short due shoulder dislocating in middle of the set. And Amek-Maj delivered! The personality of the performer is something that is relevant with Amek-Maj. Laid back fellow who gets energized by the sheer power of noise and turns into a screaming harsh noise berserk! But not in a negative way, it definately has the feel of positive anger. Set started with rattle and clattering, slowly picking up pace and finally blasting a colourful and heavy harsh noise monolith. After ending the set he asked what the clock is, and started to play more, picking up right where he left off. Candid audience member crowned him with a plastic viking helmet and smiles were traded as set continued to its end. Superb live act!!
There was a nice pack of audience, very nice to see people putting some effort to finding their way to more obscure gig places as well.
Novitshok had some seriously heavy gear. Lots of rusted metal objects from a steel barrel to extremely heavy chains to a small field plow. Three members had assigned duties of electronics, vocals and metal work. Set had plenty of potential, feedback was pretty intense and vocals were lost in the mix. Electronics were pulsating and creating the backbone for the set. Also few members of the band were quite grim looking gentlemen, and the way they positioned themselves to separate working stations and barrel being on a platform, created nice symmetry and feeling of a industrial unit. One long song or so, with better mix this could be even better. But certainly was not bad either, very curious to catch their hopefully next gig.
Unclean set being my own, I was satisfied with it. Great sound system created clarity of what was happening, and this time my mix worked quite well.
Next was Young Hustlers, who unfortunately had most of their gear in Sweden due Mr Olsson being unable to arrive to Finland. Set was probably highly improvised. At the spot hired second vocalist did vicious screaming vocals and YH joining him. Smashing tapes and CDs to pieces, cutting himself in the process, YH set ended in a bloodspattered manner. Best they could do with given circumstances.
Grunt was what most of the audience came to see. And Grunt was simply amazing. The skill how songs are structured with sampler loops, live loops created at the spot and spiced up with live metal noises, is a pleasure to observe. And of course that ripping vocal sound just raises hairs on your arms. A masterclass of a power electronics gig. Lost track of time, because I thought the set could have been longer. Was great to see Grunt back in action!
Despite on artist missing from the lineup, the evening was fantastic, one of the best that I've been to. Once again massive thanks to organizers. Looking forward to the next Harsh Ways Fest!
pictures from Harsh Ways Fest here:
https://voragography.wordpress.com/
Quote from: V-A on August 13, 2023, 12:09:03 AMpictures from Harsh Ways Fest here:
https://vorago0.wordpress.com/
I see that The Young Hustlers (at least I think that's them) have brought back the classic Whitehouse power electronics-with collared shirts style.
Quote from: MT on August 12, 2023, 07:34:26 PMHarsh Ways Fest
First of all, what a superb evening. Massive thanks to organizers, everything went smoothly. No hassle, just everything happening on it's own pace. Also, sound was very good, PA power was satisfactory.
Maskhead started off the evening, very simple setup and it worked very well. An miced up object with springs attached to it. Feedback manipulation by swinging the rod in air. Adding a bit of theatrics to the mix. Special mention for the eerie grin he has behind the mask, a simple yet effective way to create atmosphere and more depth. First gig for Maskhead I believe, hopefully more to come.
Transitions were smooth since no one was in a hurry really. Plenty of time to catch up with acquitances, do some noise shopping from surprisinglu wide selection of tapes and CDs provided by several artists/distros.
Amek-Maj was up next. Saw his set last year in Oulu, which was cut short due shoulder dislocating in middle of the set. And Amek-Maj delivered! The personality of the performer is something that is relevant with Amek-Maj. Laid back fellow who gets energized by the sheer power of noise and turns into a screaming harsh noise berserk! But not in a negative way, it definately has the feel of positive anger. Set started with rattle and clattering, slowly picking up pace and finally blasting a colourful and heavy harsh noise monolith. After ending the set he asked what the clock is, and started to play more, picking up right where he left off. Candid audience member crowned him with a plastic viking helmet and smiles were traded as set continued to its end. Superb live act!!
There was a nice pack of audience, very nice to see people putting some effort to finding their way to more obscure gig places as well.
Novitshok had some seriously heavy gear. Lots of rusted metal objects from a steel barrel to extremely heavy chains to a small field plow. Three members had assigned duties of electronics, vocals and metal work. Set had plenty of potential, feedback was pretty intense and vocals were lost in the mix. Electronics were pulsating and creating the backbone for the set. Also few members of the band were quite grim looking gentlemen, and the way they positioned themselves to separate working stations and barrel being on a platform, created nice symmetry and feeling of a industrial unit. One long song or so, with better mix this could be even better. But certainly was not bad either, very curious to catch their hopefully next gig.
Unclean set being my own, I was satisfied with it. Great sound system created clarity of what was happening, and this time my mix worked quite well.
Next was Young Hustlers, who unfortunately had most of their gear in Sweden due Mr Olsson being unable to arrive to Finland. Set was probably highly improvised. At the spot hired second vocalist did vicious screaming vocals and YH joining him. Smashing tapes and CDs to pieces, cutting himself in the process, YH set ended in a bloodspattered manner. Best they could do with given circumstances.
Grunt was what most of the audience came to see. And Grunt was simply amazing. The skill how songs are structured with sampler loops, live loops created at the spot and spiced up with live metal noises, is a pleasure to observe. And of course that ripping vocal sound just raises hairs on your arms. A masterclass of a power electronics gig. Lost track of time, because I thought the set could have been longer. Was great to see Grunt back in action!
Despite on artist missing from the lineup, the evening was fantastic, one of the best that I've been to. Once again massive thanks to organizers. Looking forward to the next Harsh Ways Fest!
The pictures on the Maskhead Discogs page lead me to believe that he has played before?
HWF was indeed a a very welcome treat after a largely frustrating and disappointing spring, noise gig wise. Enormous, cavernous hall, with walls, ceiling and floor all bricks and concrete. No problem, sound is what it is and you make the most of it. Maskhead was an appropriate opener, possibly the simplest noise gear setup I recall seeing. Also I enjoyed the fact that he took his time to get the set going — not everybody likes that, but especially as the opener act it worked very well.
Had no idea what to expect from Novitshok. Great contrast to the previous performers, but sound was possibly not optimal. A dense and oppressive soundscape, that appeared to bury the vocals and possibly some other elements also completely underneath. But, as mentioned above, visually a dramatic performance and I also enjoyed the post-apocalyptic/ritualistic Mad Max drumming.
Young Hustlers ended up being my favorite set of the evening, with some authentic madness and unpredictability. Some distro items ended up being prepared into unique collector's pieces. Before the show there had been some talk of the dreaded Finnish balaclava noise. Well guess who ended up being the only performer of the night with a Commando mask?
Grunt was fantastic. Strong and clear, yet harsh sounds, not muddled or overblown. PE masterclass indeed. Let's have the next sooner than 8 years from now, aye?
All other performances were great too, good turnout, everything well organized. I'm used to venues where the shows have to end by 22.00, so the breaks in between have to be very short. I would have preferred that this time around too, but that's just my own opinion.
I was feeling a little tired and in pain, so I ended up not socializing as much as I would have liked. My problem, not anyone else's of course.
Thank you very much for this, and looking forward to the next one.
Quote from: MT on August 12, 2023, 07:34:26 PMSaw his set last year in Oulu, which was cut short due shoulder dislocating in middle of the set.
Whoah...
https://youtu.be/KCY03GGg86o
Harsh Ways fest live documentation
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on August 13, 2023, 05:40:17 AMQuote from: MT on August 12, 2023, 07:34:26 PMSaw his set last year in Oulu, which was cut short due shoulder dislocating in middle of the set.
Whoah...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDKZMi--U0&pp=ygUJQW1lay1NYWog
I felt at workplace few months before that gig. They did not x-rays then. When shoulder dropped of while sleeping they found broken bone and some more to operate
Few more words of praise for HWF, as this felt like one of those heavy electronics evenings there seemed to be in Finland every month heh. Lots of variety as every act had a different approach: from the crude setup of Maskhead to meticulous sound-craftmanship of Grunt. Great venue and even though being a bit more obscure location, it was very easy to get there with public transport. My favorite of the evening turned out to be Young Hustlers. The set was somewhat improvised but there was unique, disturbing madness in the performance. Starting from the weird rhythmic banging of the metal objects at the beginning. Requiem for Juha Valjakkala...Biggest surprise was Novitshok. Menacing stage presence and dark, ear-ripping sound. Now that Grunt has returned, hopefully Bizarre Uproar makes a comeback as well.
Quote from: piisti on August 13, 2023, 06:24:51 PMhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDKZMi--U0&pp=ygUJQW1lay1NYWog
I felt at workplace few months before that gig. They did not x-rays then. When shoulder dropped of while sleeping they found broken bone and some more to operate
WHOAH. Hope the shoulder is coming good.
Like the video.
Also about HNW evening: good buildup of madness during the course of the evening, as each set turned crazier than the previous. nice to see amek-maj full set, my personal favorite because of most varied sounds. also for me, as for many, novitshok was a stunning surprise, hope to see more soon.
next time apply some tunes during changeovers, the silence between performers is dumb
hoping for next event soon!
Appreciate the writeups and video for those of us who weren't there. Looked like a killer gig.
Novitshok has only one self released cd (according to discogs)? Hopefully new material is in the works. Any talks of this at the show?
MASKHEAD started the fest with very simple and crude harsh noise. He mentioned all gear being elsewhere and has to cope with just one distortion pedal and mixer and one little metal-noise-object with springs attached to it. Mainly problem was the low PA volume, when it wasn't yet adjusted loud enough. Maskheads sound would vary from quiet scratching of spring into feedback drenched shacking. According to video, it isn't bad. Simple, crude, but at location should have been way way louder.
AMEK-MAJ being already more experienced live noisician, firmly insisted that PA and AMP, everything louder, "we need PA to crackle under pressure!!" haha. Indeed. And that's what we got. Volume increased into loud and fat PA power which made his noise sound - in good way broken and brutal, often dirty and somewhat suffocated/restricted bassy rumble, but erupting into ripping harshness. Casual playing style, just having fun with blasting noise works well. Man would stop the "first track", ask audience what time it is, and realising there is no hurry, he'd blast another long harsh noise song with further screaming and body movements. Excellent gig what got the mood of fest instantly into top.
Like discussed in this topic, Novitshok has one CD out (Novitshok "Passage Into Acausal" cd, can be found at nhfastore), but it is vastly different. Basically CD is solo works of the guy with electronics. Sound of CD is more like that. Hitech, electronic soundscapes. Not ambient, not harsh noise, but busy and multilayered synth noises and sounds. I would say noisy enough. Live was different. Synth stuff was mostly buried under feedback from the metal percussion and effect fueled vocals. I would be highly positive that percussive guy was actually the mysterious man of Anapthergal. Finnish experimental electronic project mostly active in late 90's and early 00's. His Artfuck productions put out first Akitsa demo on CDR back in 2000! What you hear in the live, seemed less of what was done on CD, more in lines of slowly waving ritual drone and metal junk percussion with tortured effected screams.
Unclean did his best set so far - at least what I know. Man has played 20 times live, and now set was mostly tracks known before, but balance of vocals, synth oscillations of chains hitting table for harsh noises has best balance. Everything loud and clear.
Seeing them play few times and listening the Young Hustlers live material from fairly recent Styggelse double tape documenting their gigs around the world, this largely improvised set certainly belong among best. Short, to the point, being mostly just brooding synth noise tone and two guys yelling and being unpredictably mayhemic. Result is broken noise tapes, broken noise CD's being hammered with metal objects, screams and sound, focusing on pure energy, not being "composed" or "performing songs" really. It has that strong vibe of power electronics, opposed to "harsh noise with vocals". Less innovations with sound, more simplistic pure energy. Even if short, it is so far favorite YH gig I have seen!
I didn't do soundcheck for Grunt at venue. Stuff was played and rehearsed in Lahti well enough, leaving just moment of turning on gear and finding out "oh, it sounds like this with different PA/amplifier"... Then proceeding. Half of the gig was made on the spot anyways, meaning the sounds and atmosphere will rely on the situation and available tech. That was one of the ongoing changes Grunt had over the years. Moving away from fully composed, fully pre-prepared sets, into structurally more and more open - like it has been formerly. Some more song oriented pieces were made, with help of stored loops in sampler, but even those tracks are open to being varied and played like mood dictates. One of the songs exists as studio version submitted to compilation (yet to be released). All the rest were new and unheard material.
Great venue, I personally thought the PA system was perfectly good. You can always insist louder and heavier - except, I tend to be bored with subwoofer rumble. It feels that people are thrilled by mere sound pressure of loud volumes, but I personally as listener and playing something, am not highly impressed by constant bassy hum and rumble, what often has no actual sonic information so to say. The mid-high torment is preferred over comfortable subwoofer rumble! Apparently venue is getting proper stage for next time, so you can see artists better.
mr. Olsson, not present at the venue. Apparently car broke down on the way to airport.
I am also in favor of night mixing harsh noise and more power electronics leaning stuff. I don't say focusing strictly on one style would get dull. Probably not, but perhaps in spirit of "Special Interests", what a great thing when you got harsh noise, power electronics, ritual electronics, structured and free form, all there plus tables filled with weird books, tapes, CD's or all types of noise. Just like mr. Atrophist was talking elsewhere about his own intent when organizing things. Putting together new, old, unknown, known, the brutes and the nice guys, in his words kind of forcing different corners of noise together. I don't know if it even requires force. More like opportunity to be so. Instead actively working against noise and creating obstacles, just allowing noise to happen as is. That combined to enough space between sets, and possibility to talk to people. Actual gathering of noiseheads, not just bar with dull background music trying to force everybody "shut up and drink". I like!
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on August 17, 2023, 10:09:35 AMJust like mr. Atrophist was talking elsewhere about his own intent when organizing things. Putting together new, old, unknown, known, the brutes and the nice guys, in his words kind of forcing different corners of noise together. I don't know if it even requires force. More like opportunity to be so. Instead actively working against noise and creating obstacles, just allowing noise to happen as is. That combined to enough space between sets, and possibility to talk to people. Actual gathering of noiseheads, not just bar with dull background music trying to force everybody "shut up and drink". I like!
My thoughts exactly! And no one got traumatized, instead everyone had a great time, lots of new contacts and lots of noise chatter.
Quote from: HateSermon on August 17, 2023, 05:16:48 AMNovitshok has only one self released cd (according to discogs)? Hopefully new material is in the works. Any talks of this at the show?
I hear there is a new album coming out later this year.
Video report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtNGMB-4l-I
EPÄMUSIIKIN ILTA live show - Helsinki 1.9.2023
Atrophist announced that this will be his last gig this year and will return later on. Man has improved constantly and it was pleasure to listen material with decent sound system. Harsh and fierce noise electronics and voodoo action. Man moving slowly from task to another to keep sound going, but having this easygoing pace and keeping noise busy enough, yet pretty stable. I would wait that he gets good recording of stuff what he is able to do these days and it would probably make him more noticed also abroad?
Amek-Maj being pretty much clear headed on this gig, and not so wild physical action, but I dare to say noise-wise he probably topped even the Turku gig. Keeping set sorter and to the point, and most of all the physical noise object sound was far more sharp and fierce compared to bassy rumble of previous gig I was at. Man is master of his craft already. Of course even earliest material that became debut tape on Freak Animal was already on level I didn't hesitate single moment to offer release. From then on, he just gets better and better! There is level of brokenness, harshness, weirdness, the unpredictability as well as know-how and craftmanship that makes his live attacks really good to listen to - and also watch!
Augmented Atrocity is half of the Kovana, but by intent, it isn't just puoli kovana, but something new, attempt to find something of new identity for sound than doing the same with new name. There are still many Kovana elements there, but you got noise, shakers with efx, metal junk, heavy electronics soundscapes, oddly effected vocals and so on. The clip you see on video doesn't show entire spectrum of ideas and sounds he went though the set. Decent stuff and I personally feel that this type of gig in middle of harsh noise sets is perfect.
Not that I would reject good harsh noise set. Not at all. Rotat was harsh, and really great. Back in the day when artists did his early stuff, influences were name dropped with bands like Taint and Smell & Quim etc. So, in other words, you got the filth and fierce noise assault, but along with it, goes the total absurdity. Prankster costume choices that makes no sense, absolutely demented slideshow on the back. Absolute favorite being Danny and Helmi pic suddenly on the screen, haha... Total gutter humor and nonsensical bad taste combined with great sounding noise. Rotat is absolutely great project, both recordings and live.
Final gig was Vigilantism. His set consisted mostly the monochrome harsh electronic synth "tone". Rumbling mid-bass frequency noise continues long time and eventually higher synth swirls, rhythmic noise crashes and such started to take over. Best moments were somewhere middle of the set, when the monotony was broken with more piecing feedback type of material. Vocals with delay efx went about half of the set. Gig was decent, but I personally would have probably put Rotat as last, as while the grim and lifeless power electronics / noise drone and such are great, as ending climax of night, harsh noise fireworks tends to be best for the grande finale.
Size of venue was good. You can fit a bit more people than now, but not huge amount more. Even now, there was noise fans from Germany and even USA who traveled all the way into Finland to catch this weekend. Huh... Think about finns who may have complaints of too many gigs or spend time in less noble noise-hating activities, while there is enough vitality to pull people from other side of the world to take part. Excellent, and I would estimate another great noise year for 2024.
The singular Finnish noise organizing is back on full force now. Friday was good, but Saturday blew me away. Ironclad was good first act, as it relied on slow, menacing atmosphere. Double vocalist's screams hit hard when they suddenly blasted during the first track. The approach seemed more crude experimenting with sounds, even though these guys knew what they were doing. New tape is good, different from the first one with more murkier sound and buried vocals. Hopefully more new material emerges. Next Grunt delivered one of his best performances. Mix was perfect as you could hear everything clearly. Controlled industrial noise cacophony that was more intense than Turku gig. Was it a washboard hanging on the wall, that was used for metallic clanging sound. Anyway it sounded great. Xenophobic Ejaculation/Zyklon SS was total sound terrorism. Longer and steadily moving set with elements from both artists. When the more high pitched sound and vocals dropped and the stomach turning sound pressure kicked in, it sent a nauseating and ear damaging wave through the venue. Insane. Combination of intense bunker, powerful PA and performances from the masters of vile and hateful noise, my initial feeling was that this was one the best noise gigs I have witnessed.
Helsinki 2.9.2023
The private gig was about 30 people and there were even guys from the USA, Germany and France. The instructions were not to advertise and if even 10 more people had come there, I would have really been in trouble how to gather more people, heh! Iron Clad pulled rude power electronics sound, the songs on the surface and those in the background. The volume is still quite mild (I mean in context of what was about to come...), as those sounds only came from the one bass ampt and the vocals only from the PA, so not really quite blending in. I think they wanted that clarity, so it may have been just "artistic choise". If there is somewhat a bit lo-fi recording of this, it could very well be decent, even if live situation the elements were a bit detached depending where you stood.
The Grunt gig was more compact and noisier than the previous couple. It was known that there was going to be a long and fierce headliner set, so the choice was to make a set with a lot of events... maybe in just over 15 minutes? I'll have to check the tape. Junk metal came out damn well from the sound system. The volume was hard and it was really fun to play. This gig was also without a real soundcheck. Just quickly checking I had connected right cables to mixer before starting. So there was sometimes a bit of adjusting to devices or sounds that behaved differently. In addition, in the small claustrophobic space you really had to stand in the middle of the crowd and couldn't move anywhere, but it was even useful for the gig. One of the metal objects was not "washboard", but some sort of metal grid, perhaps to cover windows or bigger ventilation systems. It was supposed to be used at Turku show, but was forgotten in back room. Now made it first time to live gig.
The XE-ZZS collaboration gig was one of the most amazing I've ever heard. The amount of volume was so brutal. Bands own bass amps were used with "550W"-type powers, so we kind of got into such a Sunn o))) -mood that the earplugs are of course necessary, BUT, in the end, they don't help much when the sound pressure pierces all tissues. ZSS industrialnoise bass frequency rumble of pulse vibrated from testicles to eardrum, though your skull. The best parts were the XE vibes, where the bass was not non-stop, but when the high pitched upper tones were on the surface, the bassy noise crashes and rumbles came through sweetly, like abruptly breaking the sound, and not giving non-stop bodymassage. Undeniably, at times I already got the feeling that not all this volume is necessary, and it could be done with less volume... one life, one ears, you know, heh! But without a doubt, the roaring sound pressure being like a noise orgasm is great, and sometimes you just had to use your hands to protect your head and close your eyes and enjoy to utmost noise pressure!
Club Lupercalia gig
It was still early everning, so realistically could drive to center of town and be there 22:00 to reach most of noise bands of other noise gig! So it was a difficult situation to decide what to do, hang out with people or go for more noise? Well... more noise! Perhaps the choice turned out to be bad after all. Because the place was kind of terrible. Of course, there were good sides.
So, the Slogan Motto gig was a great, slightly eerie drone sound, and I felt that the set was perhaps based on the same idea that was used in previous gigs/tours? There were so many recognizable elements at the set that you got the feeling that the same sound source was playing as before? Juho Toivonen (Akti Records, Free Tala, etc) pulled a quiet and slowly developing sound that draws from the direction of "Swedish woolen socks noise", like some call it in Finland, haha... Elegant eerie piano sounds, noises and hisses and the man holding a couple of buttons intensely barely turning them, the sounds themselves being pre-recorded stuff. Good gig, but damn it sucks when you couldn't hear this under all the bar chatter! A bar full of people, of which maybe 5-10% at most who are interested in what's on stage and the rest are having shouting competition with each other and an endless stream past the stage to outside to have smoke or to the counter to get drinks.
When people laugh that gigs are organized in some dying bars in the side villages or private gigs in barns, rented rooms or whatever.., I say it is 10,000 times better. A bar corner gig is ok if there are a couple of people filling in sudoku and drinking tap-lager. Some trendy bar in the heart of Helsinki...pff... it could be that this was the last one I went to myself. I think people associate "invite show", "private show", "undisclosed location", "contact for details" -type of show with notion that there is something dubious going on. It would be better if people realize it is most often nothing dubious, but merely NOISE FOR NOISE FANS! Often with limited space, and merely logistics require you control how many could be taken in, how to be prepared that you don't need to say to long distance traveller than "sorry, we all don't fit in!". haha..
The noise crowd was there too, but everyone I talked to was more or less in the same mood that noise doesn't really get its rights here! The art exhibition was also good. Sami Hynninen and Irina Kaipio were really good, with clear and skillful pencil marks and strange subjects. There were other good ones.
At the end of the evening, Keränen made a noise. A couple of guitar cabinets to which the synthgear were connected and with his relaxed style the man pulled a rather statically rumbling harsh start to the set. For a while, loud chatter of the bar was a little bit in the background. Set was mostly aimlessly going on "a flock of chickens" -electronics and after which a quieter electronic drone started. Then the conditions hit me in the face like a wet rag. The audience roars and Keränen seems to have kind of lottery of what button does what, what sound he could get out of this, until the turns off gear and thanks. Taking into account how intense and hard the gigs were all over the weekend, we can easily estimate effect of venue / circumstances.
I personally have a strong guess that every artist on this last gig would have been significantly better under the conditions of, for example, the Friday gig. Toivonen would have been almost perfect if the seats at Friday's concert venue had been grabbed for the audience and you could have sat in complete silence - only with the sound created by the artist taking over the space.
That's what I said to Friday's organizer. It would be good to arrange such a "sitting gig". They don't have to be just auditorium events for men in suits, but for example a set in style of Toivonen would work 100% guaranteed when all the restless social life has been cleared from the situation. If clear advice is that we are here for the sound. Who wants to socialize with friends, goes outside and the rest can sit on the chairs, drink the picnic beers and listen elegant hissing and piano loops! For such evening, audio-visual combinations and slowly developing sets would be more suitable. Hopefully such gig would be done at some point! I would think that even acts like Commando 15, Haudat, Aprapat, YANA, Toivonen, and others would be in favor if the conditions. You can develop set little by little while the "noise moshpit" or the usual bar life etc. is not in front of the table. You can feel free to do it maybe in the style studio / reh place, when you don't need to immediately hit the noise climax, but can go little off route to experiment and build thing up.
Quote from: Manhog_84 on September 03, 2023, 10:07:07 AMWhen the more high pitched sound and vocals dropped and the stomach turning sound pressure kicked in, it sent a nauseating and ear damaging wave through the venue. Insane. Combination of intense bunker, powerful PA and performances from the masters of vile and hateful noise, my initial feeling was that this was one the best noise gigs I have witnessed.
Like I mentioned to a friend in a private convo, probably genuinely approaching Danger Music territory. If a certain Good Samaritan standing next to me had not slipped me a pair of earplugs about halfway through the gig, I doubt that I would still be alive. :D
Hope this means some sort of follow up to Glorious New Regime...
So ZSS is not retired then?
Quote from: HateSermon on September 03, 2023, 08:36:13 PMHope this means some sort of follow up to Glorious New Regime...
Or a video...
Like mentioned in recent posts, Finns have been really spoiled with abundance of noise live! I guess every weekend something for a while. And more is coming! This this month will be Puce Mary in espoo, Ahola & Silander, Augmented Atrocity and HC/AK collab in Helsinki, some sort of noise event in Turku I suppose (not sure what line-up was), and in turn of month probably gig in Tampere too! Damn!
8.9. Kulttuuritallit, Kouvola
Small city eastern Finland, "culture stables" is literally that. No more horses, but rough summer time usage only alternative venue where lots of gigs happen, occasionally also noise. All gigs free of charge, no age limit. It is not absolutely close to central, but makes it really good. No bar, no "bar crowd", just people into gigs.
Augmented Atrocity did pretty much same set as he did in Helsinki week before. Both good shows, but obscure venue has its advantages. Even if the new Helsinki place that was used is very good, there is simply atmosphere of place that is like ruins of the civilization! I suppose you can call Augmented Atrocity power electronics, but just like Kovana was (his former band), there is some odd sounds, noise, experimental shaker sounds, and things that blend it with... noise. Sure there are loops, structures, vocals with lyrics, and it falls into category of contemporary power electronics, but not the kind of violent and vile thing. There was little cable problem with PA speaker at one point of set, but didn't really effect the gig itself. Good set!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-aeOH3-CaE
Ahola & Silander often praised for the gigs. Recordings I have, most of them. Always liked, but for some reason, never was at gigs until now. Gig was perhaps more of pure noise fun and physical energy, than display of their abilities known from recordings. Just pile of junk metal collected on stage, and two guys assaulting the junkpile with hammers and such. There was decent PA and they had mic'ed the stuff nicely, since everything was amplified. Despite you could hear also acoustic hammering, it was all coming through PA in same sound, just amplified and little by little more efx and echo applied and more nuance and detail into electronic side of performace. Great fun. Almost entire set here uploaded here, missing only couple seconds from beginning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYzP31AuhpA
I expected Hail Conjurer & Absolute Key to be a bit more "metal". Not that it would be any sort of traditional metal music, but I did expect there would have been something. I don't mean that as positive or negative remark, just my own impression what I thought there would be. Positive was, that there was actually no metal, hah! So it was industrial noise show. They had couple keyboards, but did not play anything easygoing, but noisy electronic sounds. There was also table full of noise gear. Perhaps 2/3 of the gig on clip linked below. There are few songs that had simple industrial beat going on, but as oppose there was songs of sheer noise and even leaning to power electronics. Seen Absolute Key doing solo noise, and I suppose his parts on this collab seems to be better than that first noise live was. Could be good to see more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npPY2k_MrJY
TOWER TRANSMISSIONS IX
includes, text, pics, videos!
https://special-interests.net/main/tower-transmissions-ix-2023/
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on September 18, 2023, 10:45:03 PMTOWER TRANSMISSIONS IX
includes, text, pics, videos!
https://special-interests.net/main/tower-transmissions-ix-2023/
Impressive review of one of those shows I would have loved to attend if I was not earing impaired. So glad to see many friends still delivering the goods despite being over 50s...
can't wait to watch the video on line after work
Passed Futurist, Joshua Burkett and Juho Toivonen, 22.9.2023 @ Pethaus, Tampere
Went too see Juho Toivonen, who I saw a couple of weeks ago at the horrible barvenue mentioned earlier in this thread. Did not know the other artists.
Passed Futurist played a set of guitar through looper-delay and freejazzish drumming. The drummer was an animal, nice. The guitars were quite generic looperstuff with strummed chords. Towards the end the guitar went bit more crazy, but still quite the uninteresting thing.
Joshua Burkett played a really nice set of bluesy folk. At times even reminding me of Fahey. Open tunings, capo, arpeggios and somewhat mumbled vocals at parts. Bought album from him.
As mentioned I went here to see how Juho Toivonen sounds in a setting with proper aduience and venue. Like the gig some weeks ago Juho played computer with controller or mixer and a (delay?)pedal: Nature and traffic soundscapes overlaid with piano, bells and I think even a saxophone at points. Really nice short set. A world of difference to listen to this kind of set with people who shut the fuck up when artist plays vs. bar with rowdy children of the corn running and shouting past you every second. I second the thought that this kind of set (maybe even longer than 20 min) in a moody dark setting would be optimal.
23.0.2023 HELSINKI : NOISE EQUINOX live report, with the videos and pics:
https://special-interests.net/main/23-09-2023-helsinki-noise-equinox/
17.-18.11.2023 Rituals Over Limburg
Great festival! As I was kind of expecting, the Finnish sound masters were the best acts of two nights. On Friday, Haare performed with two-men unit. Set was similar (or same?) as in Redi shopping center last Spring, but I think it worked even better now due to better venue. Steadily building psychedelic loops of ripping metal sounds created a hypnotic atmosphere that you could sink into. Simply put amazing. Arktau Eos was also perfectly crafted with their own kind of live show approach: theatrical gestures that borderline silliness, but done with such conviction it works. Long gig and sonically it was more mystical than dark. Halo Manash was the most anticipated act for me. I had seen them a long time ago in Helsinki, but it was sort of bar gig with people chattering over the music etc. and I didn't remember much of it. This time, everything hit the spot. I managed to get a stool for sitting and could just let myself sink in. There was something in the sounds that pulled you in. Slow moving, organic, minimalistic and also very dark. Horns, low frequenciens, some guttural chanting, heavy smell of incense. After the performance I felt absolutely exhilarated. Highlight for the two evenings for me! I'm considering now the January Oulu gig just to see them again.
As for the other acts, Sa Bruxa was a good one-man performance, without any robes or other props. I liked Shibalba as well, with many members on stage playing different instruments and it had the "live ritual" feel to it. Trepaneringsritualen was also a positive surprise. Last time I saw him in Mannheim and it was just a playback sounds and vocals. Now there was a live drummer that added a lot. Great vocal delivery and it was a good choice to end festival with the most aggressive act in contrast to others.
The average age of audience was closer to fifty and from what I gathered, the theme of the evening was people's back pains (including myself). "Of fuck I cannot stand any longer" haha.
Edit. Few words on the other bands as well: Anatta started very well, but there were couple of abrupt breaks and ending. It felt more like a compilation of songs without sense of proper flow. Still, good parts were very good. Grimoire De Occulte was unfortunately boring, sorry. There was potential still, but it didn't grab my attention. Human Larvae is a good performer, but it's not really my favorite style of pe/noise. Murderous Vision seemed to be an anticipated artist, but I didn't see it properly as I had to head back to accommodation. I liked the wall of low rumbles though and the new album on Dunkelheit is highly recommended! Best material I have heard from him.
Nuclear War Now/Hospital Fest, Osaka 6-7 April 2024
Machine Parts 2 Fest, Tokyo 13-14 April 2024
I could not find this topic for a while so I posted this first to the Scream & Writhe forum. This is pretty much the same, slightly edited.
What a trip! Out of my 9 full days in Japan I went for gigs on 5 and they kinda already start bleeding into each other in my mind. All the beers make it even more so. The start of the trip was promising, slightly jetlagged (I tried to prepare and adjust beforehand) arriving at my hotel in Osaka and finding out it was a love hotel. These are the places to where people usually take prostitutes. Also visits to a local brewpub and the club that was supposed to be the after party club for the weekend.
Saturday's metal menu was solid, the ones I liked the best were Departure Chandelier and Beherit. The after party was NOT at the same club and we could not find any updated info so we just went to an izakaya for beer and food. I was looking forward to Sunday much more than Saturday and it did not disappoint. Skin Crime, Thirdorgan, Yellow Gas Flames, Prurient, Linekraft, Genocide Organ and Masonna all in one night, incredible. Masonna's 3-minute rock star noise freakout was perfect. There was no way Beherit's electronic set would feel like much after that (and it did not). I met so many people during the weekend it was insane. Even Dominick had time to stop for a chat despite he must have been super busy organizing a fest like that and performing on both days. Also bought a collage from Kristian Olsson that fittingly had a piece from an old Swedish porn mag talking about "dreaming of moose cock". Also heart warming was that two people wanted to take a picture of my Moozzhead shirt with the Revenge ripoff design AND send the picture to members of Revenge. The remaining days in Osaka were "filled" with kinda disappointing sex shops, awesome record stores and more beer.
In Tokyo we did not even get out of the railway station before parking ourselves at the Antenna America craft beer bar that had like 20 meters of fridges full of yummy cans. The following few days were filled with tens of bookstore visits (I was staying in Jimbocho so it was super easy), better sex shop visits (found a Hitomi Tanaka DVD box set with 23 hours of censored greatness) and more beer. Even ended up going to a bookstore asking for Namio Harukawa books and when the lady said she did not know the name I googled some pictures for her and then she said "no, this is a children's bookstore". Also visited the awesome Vanilla Gallery that this time had SIGNED Trevor Brown books for like 25 EUR each. On my previous Tokyo trip I managed to miss NEdS but this time I made it. International noise freaks had bought "everything" already during the two weeks before but it was still great to feel the intimacy of the place, especially with 6-8 people inside. Afterwards beer in the Golden Gai district's Deathmatch In Hell which was an awesome tiny bar with horror movie VHS tapes, props and posters everywhere plus two screens playing horror movies. All drinks were 666 yen.
On Friday I got my ass to Yokohama for the pre-fest gig which was organized in a tiny punk/hardcore basement with a bar. Again a solid night with most memorable sets being Anti Itch Cream delivering great one-woman noisecore, Deterge blowing the whole place up and finally Nikudorei doing 15min feedback and then like 200 songs. I seemed to be the only one not returning to Tokyo after the gig and ended up in a love hotel. Again. By myself.
On Saturday mister Government Alpha was our guide in Tokyo and he took us to a record store that had not been raided dry. I already had my luggage at the weight limit with all the books and magazines I had bought so no LPs for me but my friend found Hijokaidan's Limited Edition LP and No Paris/No Harm LP originals for a nice price. Then it was time for the main reason I decided to go to Japan, the Machine Parts fest! A legendary venue (Ochiai Soup) in a small basement (70 people max) with cheap beer. Shitstorm and Suppression started the evening with super intense hardcore. And it had to be super compact as I heard they were going to play in Yokohama still that same night! Other top moments for the evening were Deterge (this time with more gabber/hardcore techno in the set that made the place go wild), Mo*Te the fragile Japanese gentleman who still conjured some great noise, and K2 who was totally amazing to see live as his stuff is some of the earliest Japanese noise I ever heard. Ended up in a small "semi-private" bar in Golden Gai and bumped into mister Ames Sanglantes while Death Race 2000 was playing on the tv (the cover of VMS Elit - Todesrennen tape is from this movie). Only in Japan!
On Sunday it was time for the best night of the whole trip. I had the pleasure to see (among other things) Scum as 50% of Malformed Gentlemen, Facialmess do perfect cut-up stutter assault, Napalm Death Is Dead doing a long guitar intro that sounded like Gerogerigegege's Piano River (which I love) and then a super short burst of an "actual" set, Cracksteel playing total '90s Japanese noise and finally Killer Bug playing a great noise set with minimal stutter (I was afraid it might have been like recent Kazumoto Endo solo stuff which is a bit too much for me). Don't get me wrong, everything else was great as well but these were my absolute highlights. I had many great chats with great people (like discussing the finer points of early Finnish death metal with Ben of Ebola Disco), heard great music (even between bands!), and drank lots of average beer. What's not to love?
Super mega thanks to Kenny for organization and helping out people with problems with Japanese websites and for being such a gentleman!
Special Interests website has full report from the last weekend. Includes photos, text and video compilation. I am sure that there will be better quality audio and people probably have also better close-up filmed video footage, at least Noisecast may be doing report in near future. Needless to say, not all gigs were youtube friendly so you get to see just short fragments of what was going on.
https://special-interests.net/main/26-27-04-2024-turku-fin-vihaa-ja-kiimaa-ikuisesti/