PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[V.T.R]

Keränen – Tammisalo Tapes - The Final Early Recordings CD (Usagi)... I believe I recall an interview in a noise mag where he discusses his love for tea.

I think that you have read that Jaakko Vanhala and Lasse Marhaug discussion about their love for tea from Personal Best zine(?)

Keränen was also among the first names I recall when I started to dwell into Finnish noise about 14 years ago, but there was never too much recorded material in circulation besides his drone album Moon over Torrelorca and Testicle Hazard's Python in Bowl during those times. He said that he enjoys playing noise live more than recording it. Anyways his noise is really good also in records, so this Usagi release is truly welcomed. Especially Green Car Crash material rules hard!

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Keränen – Tammisalo Tapes - The Final Early Recordings CD (Usagi)... I believe I recall an interview in a noise mag where he discusses his love for tea.

I think that you have read that Jaakko Vanhala and Lasse Marhaug discussion about their love for tea from Personal Best zine(?)

Keränen was also among the first names I recall when I started to dwell into Finnish noise about 14 years ago, but there was never too much recorded material in circulation besides his drone album Moon over Torrelorca and Testicle Hazard's Python in Bowl during those times. He said that he enjoys playing noise live more than recording it. Anyways his noise is really good also in records, so this Usagi release is truly welcomed. Especially Green Car Crash material rules hard!

Ah, I think you are right. I'm confusing the tea interview with Tommi's Testicle Hazard counterpart, Lasse.

The Green Car Crash material is quite good. I also really enjoyed the second track Hadel and the previously unreleased track. Funny to look back at the released material between his solo efforts and Testicle Hazard. There is much less there than I realized, especially for being around for quite a while now.

[Cranial Blast]

Room Ov Pleasure - Living In A Wet Dream (tape) by Italian label Angst.

This a bit of weird one much like the material from the split with Pain Appendix that was released a little while back by German cult label Abgrund. Definitely carries with it an atmosphere of nightmare like qualities and sounds a bit trippy even. The overall texture and atmosphere of the sound is very nice and sounds unique to a lot of other things happening today. Excited to hear more from Room Ov Pleasure as time goes on.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Commando 15 - Radio Free Bothnia c20 (Freak Animal)

What is in the food and water supply of Finland right now?! All noise from the region is just stellar at the moment.

The first official release from Commando 15. Very minimal and well-structured lo-fi noise. Somewhat "experimental" in nature as it is an exploratory journey through nuance and subtleties without ever erupting into harsh territories. With the absolute most minimal and barest of tools, the artist keeps things interesting. This is far from academic or any high-brow experimental. Use of highly controlled feedback, some kind of metal rumblings and scrapings. However, extremely well-tempered and paced exploration. I enjoy the noise of this style and caliber immensely and a great debut from the artist.

Commando 15 - Vauhkola c40 (Satatuhatta)

On the second release, further minimal and exploratory feedback manipulation and sculpted sounds from Commando. Expanded the palette to a larger degree by utilizing more space on the c40 format. Beautifully controlled frequencies with time and space to develop. Very atmospheric, mature, and maybe even emotive work. A perfect example of it is not the tools that artists use that define them, but how they use them. EXTREMELY minimal sound palette but somehow very personal and unique. On the j-card, the instrumentation is simply listed as electronics, feedback sources and 4-track mixing. Doesn't get more simple than that and the artist fully makes it his own.

Commando 15 - Inner Insurgency Manual CD (Freak Animal)
CD debut by the artist. After the slow and gradual build-up across the first two tapes, the artist feels comfortable letting loose now. At the very end of the last tape, he starts to get a little harsh, but here we have him fully embracing a harsher edge. From the very first moments, things start off with an uncomfortable and shrill attack.

There is a new approach and style on the CD debut and things turn from gradually developing and minimal feedback manipulation to a truly "broken noise" and rougher angle of harsh noise.

In a previous review by Bad Milk on the last page of this thread, they encapsulate it perfectly with:

Driven through a small amplifier and recorded like a '98 Finnish dark metal rehearsal tape. Honest, live recorded noise, top-shelf release!

I admit that I miss a bit of the feel and style of the first two tapes on this CD, but it does feel like all of the releases build up to this moment and it's a very unique-sounding and harsh album. Really excited for all future releases by Commando 15 and an incredible showing of material thus far.

[Theodore]

Keränen – Tammisalo Tapes - The Final Early Recordings CD (Usagi)

I'm honestly not super familiar with the work of Tommi Keränen. ... However, I've never really delved into his noise works. Despite being very familiar with his name and having listened to noise for 20 or so years now, it's an artist that has escaped me so far. I think we are all guilty of this to an extent with the absolutely extensive breadth of artists in the genre despite being a small community, there are only so many folks we can keep up with.

As an introduction to an artist with a deep and active history in noise, I'm embarrassed that this is my first foray but it's very enjoyable. Thanks to Usagi for reissuing these choice cuts!

You may want to check his Rulla tapes. https://www.discogs.com/artist/420406-Rulla

[Manhog_84]

Shift / Sick Seed split cd

Probably because of the strange cover image, this release didn't caught my attention when it came out. Shame on me because this is perfect! Shift is at it's best when being most aggressive. From Everything You Are Will Be Destroyed It the album switches perfectly to SS tracks after a calmer and droning part. I love that sample in the beginning of Deathmask and recall Gelsomina (or was it Sick Seed already) using the same sample on live situation, when performing in Turku. Maybe it was the event with Wertham. I tried unsuccesfully find some confirmation of the dates.

This made me go through Shift back catalogue. The earlier ones are a bit boring for me but I had forgotten how good the stuff from Bulk onwards is! Shift has quite unique sound and approach that makes it stand out from the PE acts. What resonates with me in Shift, is the feeling of dropping connections to surrounding society and building up hatred in isolation. Or at least this is the image I get in my head when listening to Shift. Track and album titles and cover arts amplify this. Morose and Ruminations with blurry images of leafless trees and hostile human figure. Maybe those two are my favorites, but Abandon comes close. I didn't care for the last track with guitar. Altamont Rising is also ace.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I admit that I miss a bit of the feel and style of the first two tapes on this CD, but it does feel like all of the releases build up to this moment and it's a very unique-sounding and harsh album. Really excited for all future releases by Commando 15 and an incredible showing of material thus far.

Very first tape - just private tape with some stuff, was full on pedal harsh noise. Something more like 2005 USA harsh noise could be. Then first published C15 track (as far as I know) appears on Terässinfonia comp series. On that one, also very very different from what tapes were going to be. Considering this, it feels that C15 doesn't necessarily have firmly set "style" where he will stay, but we may expect surprises when so far each time is something a bit (or a LOT) different.

Shift / Sick Seed split cd
This made me go through Shift back catalogue. The earlier ones are a bit boring for me but I had forgotten how good the stuff from Bulk onwards is! Shift has quite unique sound and approach that makes it stand out from the PE acts. What resonates with me in Shift, is the feeling of dropping connections to surrounding society and building up hatred in isolation. Or at least this is the image I get in my head when listening to Shift. Track and album titles and cover arts amplify this. Morose and Ruminations with blurry images of leafless trees and hostile human figure. Maybe those two are my favorites, but Abandon comes close. I didn't care for the last track with guitar. Altamont Rising is also ace.

This split LP/CD is really good, even if I say so myself. Last copies of both formats. Shift indeed has different "phases". Perhaps you could even say that each release has its very own identity. What is the best thing, is that it just got better and better all the time.

[Krigsverk]

Short reviews of last weeks listenings...

Bill Laswell & Pete Namlook - Outland (6 CD box set, Cold Spring)

A fantastic release... The (dark) ambient sides of both gentlemen are astounding. Such deep, lush and immersive drones and sounds are a rare thing these days. You who were around in the 90´s when Namlook did the Fax label will love this. I really hope for more gems from that era to be re-released.

Gestapos Last Orgy (Tape, Wrath)

Pure filth, as expected. Side A is a bit too slow, uneventful and lo-fi to my tastes, but the B-side really picks up the pace.

H.Ö.H. s/t (CD, FA)

What to say that has not already been said about H.Ö.H.? Great stuff. Few manages to get such a "broken" sound. I get that almost non-human vibe from it, like this was not made by a person. Just so utterly strange and kaputt. Love it.

Drew Daniel / John Wiese - Continuous Hole (CD Cold Spring)

I do love music that gives you that "what the hell is this"-feeling and when you dont even know what the sound sources are. This almost falls into that category, but maybe a bit more glitchy/computer edit styled. Either way, it is a fun ride, lots of things that appear with repeated listens.

Rotat - Persisting calamity (CD FA)

Full on Finnish noise, all the elements are there, lots of different things going on all the time, an onslaught of chaos and harshness. A real treat, like a nail in the liver...

Genocide Organ - Death Zones (2CD Tesco)

I will not review this much - after 1.5 listens it feels great but subdued, but I need more time to digest this. Probably a grower, an album that takes a while to grasp.

Leather Dog - Chain bondage (CD IOPS)

Exactly what the write-up says. Piercing harshness, a high pitched assault on the senses. Track two does have a few bass-roaring seconds, but other than that treble is king here. Painful stuff.

[Stipsi]

Taint: Misogynst Lust
After 3 days of rain, i can finally go out for a trekking up to the hills around my village.
I m playing the tape rip on YouTube thru my phone and i have just to say: one of many keith masterpieces.

[Cranial Blast]

Taint: Misogynst Lust
After 3 days of rain, i can finally go out for a trekking up to the hills around my village.
I m playing the tape rip on YouTube thru my phone and i have just to say: one of many keith masterpieces.

Definitely 2nd that notion, might even be his best! One of my favorite albums in general too. It's absolutely perfect!

[FallOfNature]

Dolchstoss - Tribunal 2022
Short live clip surfaced on instagram which piqued my interest. Interesting tape and looking forward to more.

Algor Mortis - Interrupted Decomposition
Rough death noise from what seems a one off project under the OMM banner. Necrophilia instructions, unsettling samples, cracking sounds backed with caustic noise. Very good and fits the content. Hope there's more.

[Theodore]

Why noone shared the tip ? Why you are so selfish ? Just this morning i found that Ex Jesus has a Bandcamp page. I immediately bought the whole thing for the discounted price of 5,5EUR. And that is my only purchase of digital files in a year. Downloaded. Started listening from and just finished this https://joshuastewart777.bandcamp.com/track/too-drunk-to-talk and after my standing ovation i felt the need to scream to the world THIS IS IT MOTHERFUCKERS. So i came here ...

2 hours noise marathon ! In one sit -i lie. Did a smoking break after an hour- , full focus, without doing anything else. 2 hours, one may think HNW staticness ? NO NO NO ! NOISE ! As active, varied, rich as noise can be. Harsh, cut-up, pedals, objects / physical destruction, fast, calmer, tape music, field recordings, distorted songs thrown in, some use of -much needed- silence. PLEASURE ! Masterpiece ! Cumming ! - Ex Jesus, True warrior, Hail ! - I am going out a walk with my dog in an attempt to calm down. I feel like i am on drugs and need to spend my energy. This is how street fights happen ...

I see there is a physical copy for sale on Discogs. I pretend i dont see it. I feel so full, so complete right now, and have many more from Ex Jesus waiting. You have not much extra money Theodore, stick to your 'targets' . Leave it for an other bastard.

PS: On Bandcamp page, right-click and select all, to highlight the text -life aint easy- .

[cr]

I don't know if someone else is doing this as well, but I have the habit and need - when I was at a live show, which has really impressed me, I tend to search for all of the records I have from the artists and listen to them in the following days.

So it will all be about Brighter Death Now and related here this weekend.


Edit: As I re-read this post, this seems to be more like a teenage obsession for some boy or girlgroup. Maybe it is, haha

[Manhog_84]

Harsh Ways Fest 2CD + Zine

Excellent live cd, concept and some good photographs in the booklet. All tracks sound really good, especially Grunt ones. I think they are even better captured than in Vieraat aivot. The most interesting read was Novitshok interview, because it was the most obscure project and at the live situation looked like a veteran industrial band. The interview clarified the connections to bands that have indeed been around for a long time. In the noise/pe context the Russian sounding title and t.A.T.u. background video left a feeling that is this about sex traffic (yeah this is the first thing that comes to my mind), should lesbians be nerve gassed or something? It was explained here heh. Also I liked how Unclean described himself feeling like a deranged preacher when he was performing.

[Cranial Blast]

Macronympha - Deep Reeds tape. Recently obtainted and listened to this one and it's one of those obscure tapes that is a like collection of sounds from 92-94. I found the tape to be quite enjoyable! Layers of thick distortion, weird manipulated effects of saxophone on parts and overall very raw atmosphere!