Couldn't find a topic on this but I was wondering what most people consider the best Grunt material, be it full length, split or ep.
I don't think I can actually throw in a straight answer myself since I really like most of Mikko's material, maybe the Schoolyard Bruises material or Petturien Rooli but I also really like his last full length, Myth of Blood.
Edit: Seems this has become the go to thread for all grunt related discussion, which is good, thread name updated accordingly.
Either welfare 7" or Terror & Degeneration.
Seer of Decay
Terror & Degeneration
Someone Is Watching
Petturien rooli
Wish FA would press some of the canon releases on lp(such as PR, SoD or T&D)
Installation Of Blood And Steel and disc 2 of Seer Of Decay.
Quote from: Thor on July 12, 2017, 12:44:14 PM
Wish FA would press some of the canon releases on lp(such as PR, SoD or T&D)
There was Terror and Degeneration as two separate LP's in 2005. This material could have been good album back in late 90's, but it somehow scattered into various releases. Most stuff was recorded roughly same time, but there was two tracks on Addicted 7" long delayed by Japanese label. Terror was supposed to be 7" on USA label that got cancelled. Some material of era was sent to Terror compilation for Spastik Soniks that never came out. Eventually some of the stuff or different versions was put out as Terror & Degeneration CDR, that got done on tape by Dead Rats label. Finally in 2005 as two separate LP's with some formerly unreleased tracks/versions of same sessions. All that made to CD reissue. Still having "addicted" 7" material and Terror compilation tracks on it, would make it sort of "all included" complete album. Just consider that having so many different versions already, makes one more reissue little awkward...
PR and SoD are too long to be proper vinyl releases. Tapes, possibly, but even then Seer of Decay track lengths makes it very hard to put it on sides of tape that would make sense on length. There probably exists bunch of unreleased of "rare" material of 2nd disc sessions. RRR's Recycled tape + some tracks that didn't fit on disc.
New album is already recorded and waiting to be released, which is my personal favorite of course. It is more like last few Grunt albums that have really been from beginning to end made to be proper album, while many things in past are "collections of tracks" that were done roughly in same period of time.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on July 13, 2017, 11:04:11 AM
Quote from: Thor on July 12, 2017, 12:44:14 PM
Wish FA would press some of the canon releases on lp(such as PR, SoD or T&D)
There was Terror and Degeneration as two separate LP's in 2005. This material could have been good album back in late 90's, but it somehow scattered into various releases. Most stuff was recorded roughly same time, but there was two tracks on Addicted 7" long delayed by Japanese label. Terror was supposed to be 7" on USA label that got cancelled. Some material of era was sent to Terror compilation for Spastik Soniks that never came out. Eventually some of the stuff or different versions was put out as Terror & Degeneration CDR, that got done on tape by Dead Rats label. Finally in 2005 as two separate LP's with some formerly unreleased tracks/versions of same sessions. All that made to CD reissue. Still having "addicted" 7" material and Terror compilation tracks on it, would make it sort of "all included" complete album. Just consider that having so many different versions already, makes one more reissue little awkward...
PR and SoD are too long to be proper vinyl releases. Tapes, possibly, but even then Seer of Decay track lengths makes it very hard to put it on sides of tape that would make sense on length. There probably exists bunch of unreleased of "rare" material of 2nd disc sessions. RRR's Recycled tape + some tracks that didn't fit on disc.
New album is already recorded and waiting to be released, which is my personal favorite of course. It is more like last few Grunt albums that have really been from beginning to end made to be proper album, while many things in past are "collections of tracks" that were done roughly in same period of time.
Excited, as always, to hear a forthcoming Grunt album's coming and i will look forward to bying it and see his direction(s) takes in, even if i found Myth Of Blood kinda mediocre but with realy good elements and sound snippets and ideas. Don't get me wrong, my Grunt's favourite album is World Draped In A Camouflage because of the new and daring steps Mikko taking with sound process and manipulations winning his challenge of refreshing his project and i don't think i may see a W.D.I.A.C sequel to top it or copying from it.
Petturien Rooli
Album: World Draped In A Camouflage
Short format: Dead Beauty 7" EP.
QuotePR and SoD are too long to be proper vinyl releases. Tapes, possibly, but even then Seer of Decay track lengths makes it very hard to put it on sides of tape that would make sense on length. There probably exists bunch of unreleased of "rare" material of 2nd disc sessions. RRR's Recycled tape + some tracks that didn't fit on disc.
Well that sucks. I was really clinging to the hope of these two eventually being pressed in wax.
That being said, I really don't see the problem with putting PR on dlp and SoD would indeed become a constant side-flipper of a larger set but nothing that couldn't be done. Given that these two are in fact two of Grunt's most praised efforts.
Great news about the new album though, just keeping the same vocal style as from last albums is enough to keep me interested.
Quote from: Otomo_Hava on July 13, 2017, 12:46:36 PM
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on July 13, 2017, 11:04:11 AM
Quote from: Thor on July 12, 2017, 12:44:14 PM
Wish FA would press some of the canon releases on lp(such as PR, SoD or T&D)
There was Terror and Degeneration as two separate LP's in 2005. This material could have been good album back in late 90's, but it somehow scattered into various releases. Most stuff was recorded roughly same time, but there was two tracks on Addicted 7" long delayed by Japanese label. Terror was supposed to be 7" on USA label that got cancelled. Some material of era was sent to Terror compilation for Spastik Soniks that never came out. Eventually some of the stuff or different versions was put out as Terror & Degeneration CDR, that got done on tape by Dead Rats label. Finally in 2005 as two separate LP's with some formerly unreleased tracks/versions of same sessions. All that made to CD reissue. Still having "addicted" 7" material and Terror compilation tracks on it, would make it sort of "all included" complete album. Just consider that having so many different versions already, makes one more reissue little awkward...
PR and SoD are too long to be proper vinyl releases. Tapes, possibly, but even then Seer of Decay track lengths makes it very hard to put it on sides of tape that would make sense on length. There probably exists bunch of unreleased of "rare" material of 2nd disc sessions. RRR's Recycled tape + some tracks that didn't fit on disc.
New album is already recorded and waiting to be released, which is my personal favorite of course. It is more like last few Grunt albums that have really been from beginning to end made to be proper album, while many things in past are "collections of tracks" that were done roughly in same period of time.
Excited, as always, to hear a forthcoming Grunt album's coming and i will look forward to bying it and see his direction(s) takes in, even if i found Myth Of Blood kinda mediocre but with realy good elements and sound snippets and ideas. Don't get me wrong, my Grunt's favourite album is World Draped In A Camouflage because of the new and daring steps Mikko taking with sound process and manipulations winning his challenge of refreshing his project and i don't think i may see a W.D.I.A.C sequel to top it or copying from it.
Is it possible to learn when new Grunt's album will be released?
Maybe november!
From Petturien Rooli onwards Grunt got real serious in my opinion, by far the strongest material.
Quote from: drunk on October 02, 2017, 03:53:53 PM
From Petturien Rooli onwards Grunt got real serious in my opinion, by far the strongest material.
Agreed. The previous eras of Grunt seemed like "hit singles" based around strong, singular concepts while the newer material all seems to relate to a wider concept or range of ideas with each still having individual characteristics...all the albums seem to have what Frank Zappa called "conceptual continuity." I have a hard time picking a favorite, because most recent stuff just continues to evolve and improve, and can sometimes feel like one continuing album that spans multiple releases.
Quote from: Peterson on October 02, 2017, 11:06:55 PM
"conceptual continuity."
This is true, and very much nature of new album. It picks up musically, and conceptually, where previous work was. And furthermore, those who are interested in other music than Grunt, can of course see topics evolve or drift to various directions in some other musical works what expands same themes.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on October 02, 2017, 01:47:44 PM
Maybe november!
Due quality issue of original test press, LP plates has to be re-done before sound was good. Therefore couple of months delay. There was no point putting out inferior sounding LP. Now I'm confident to sell vinyl version without hesitation!
OUT NOW:
Grunt "Castrate The Illusionist" LP/CDBorn in 1993, Grunt remains one of the most active and restless forces in Finnish – or even global industrial noise network. Since first tapes published 25 years ago, project has been active without any breaks. Messy discography makes it hard to judge how many actual "albums" has been created. List of releases reaches close to hundred, yet most of them represents other approach than creation of "album". Castrate The Illusionist goes directly into line of albums such as Myth Of Blood (2015), World Draped In A Camouflage (2012), Petturien Rooli (2009) and Seer of Decay (2006).
This path of recent 10 years Grunt focused mostly on creation of coherent albums. Each album has had its own character, yet often continuation of sound and themes of the previous one. Three years between the albums often spent on smaller releases and extensive amount of live gigs.
"Castrate The Illusionist" album represents both, sonic rawness of direct live-on-tape recordings as well as obsessive care on small detail. 40 minute album consists of 11 tracks, making most of them short, loaded with strong impact what leaves one hunger for more. Sound combines traditions of experimental electronics to fierce power electronics and industrial noise, aiming to fusion of interesting textures and details without losing ripping violent force of dark side of noise.
Digital stream/download available from bandcamp.
grunt-finland.bandcamp.com (http://grunt-finland.bandcamp.com)
CD version comes in jewelcase with 8 page booklet 12 euro + shipping
www.nhfastore.net/grunt-castrate-the-illusionist-cd
(http://www.nhfastore.net/grunt-castrate-the-illusionist-cd)
LP version comes in full color sleeve with 12"x12" insert. 19 euro + shipping
www.nhfastore.net/grunt-castrate-the-illusionist-lp (http://www.nhfastore.net/grunt-castrate-the-illusionist-lp)
Grunt "Sacrosanct Imperium" 12"
Re-issue of 20 minute tape that came out after Myth Of Blood album. Some concluded it to be superior material compared to full length. Whether this is true or not, Freak Animal acknowledges the strength of material to be worthy of vinyl reissue to keep it available little longer. Constant demand of the tape version has resulted material to be widely available, so vinyl edition is quite small.
Three raw yet also atmospheric tracks of industrial-noise, hammering electronic pulses, distorted screaming vocals and broken sonic waste.
Each vinyl is one-sider, including all the music on the other side and pasted-on graphics on other side of the vinyl, making it resemble picture-disc look. Includes graphics and lyrics of the original tape version.
15 euro + shipping
www.nhfastore.net/grunt-sacrosanct-imperium-mLP (http://www.nhfastore.net/grunt-sacrosanct-imperium-mLP)
been listening to the new album all day. incredible material. both raw and base but original and basically encapsulates everything I love about PE / industrial music. clanking buzzing lo fi looping rage anger experimentation etc
New album is indeed outstanding. The "experimental" tag is a loaded term but there seems to be some genuine exploration on this album without mitigating the power or heaviness at any point. Great variation in textures
I would offer (under extreme duress) Myth Of Blood - but that's w/ many a caveat. I simply don't like this album to be taken as a whole; I cannot accept it in its entirety and that is not without trying.
There is more to a work of art than an idea / premise / concept behind the piece: the execution of those ideas is every bit as important as the ideas themselves, and only from close attention and learning in both of these aspects will a work attain longevity, and retain its integrity through repeated listenings over the passage of time. It also separates the great from the mediocre. The album is beaten, bullied, bruised, and battered by a lo-fi/no-fi truly hopeless production that stinks more of laziness than a willful downgrading of aesthetic values; and I simply cannot countenance that w/ the fact that the same man offered Black Line, an album that keeps on giving and stands proud in its richness alongside other lifelong favourites such as Highway To Hell, Daydream Nation and Margin Walker.
I've much to thank Grunt for: an introduction to Pentti Linkola; the lyric, Barrier between Man and animals (which for some reason refuses to leave my brain). Yet the album itself remains cursed to me, and for that I am thankful.
Quote from: ONE on January 11, 2018, 01:27:19 AM
I would offer (under extreme duress) Myth Of Blood - but that's w/ many a caveat. I simply don't like this album to be taken as a whole; I cannot accept it in its entirety and that is not without trying.
There is more to a work of art than an idea / premise / concept behind the piece: the execution of those ideas is every bit as important as the ideas themselves, and only from close attention and learning in both of these aspects will a work attain longevity, and retain its integrity through repeated listenings over the passage of time. It also separates the great from the mediocre. The album is beaten, bullied, bruised, and battered by a lo-fi/no-fi truly hopeless production that stinks more of laziness than a willful downgrading of aesthetic values; and I simply cannot countenance that w/ the fact that the same man offered Black Line, an album that keeps on giving and stands proud in its richness alongside other lifelong favourites such as Highway To Hell, Daydream Nation and Margin Walker.
I've much to thank Grunt for: an introduction to Pentti Linkola; the lyric, Barrier between Man and animals (which for some reason refuses to leave my brain). Yet the album itself remains cursed to me, and for that I am thankful.
Haha if this is how you talk about your favorite grunt album then how do you talk about the other grunt albums.
I think I know what you're getting into however, I find Myth of Blood more challenging than his other work, meaning that there are times I put it on and simply don't feel it and then there are other times which it all just clicks for me. It's a mindset thing for me I guess. Lyrically his strongest for sure, many passes which just stick with you. Picking up the new album from the mail today and can't wait to hear which approach was chosen for the new work.
That's a though one, so I am going to go with what stands out in my mind.
The New Form Of The Organic Machine tapes
split with Alchemy Of The 20th Century tape
split with STROM.ec
tape
Spent the weekend with Castrate The Illusionist. Fantastically powerful work.
Not an album, but the two tracks on The End for Simulation of Pro-Creation might be one of my favourites. Good to have these now on CD as well.
I think my favourite album could be Seer of Decay, CD2 always kills me. But preference is also changing a lot. The last three albums are fantastic, too.
I also very much like the Documentation 3CD set.
GRUNT "Kraniometria" 3"CD will be next release. It takes leap to different direction. Instrumental full on harsh noise release. Probably first instrumental harsh release since Installation of Blood and Steel if I recall correctly.
Documents 3xCD and Seer of Decay 2xCD has been bending on "to be repressed" list.
as mikko himself has admitted, projects discography is pretty messy, but almost unnecessary to mention he has more than made of for that. hard for me to choose a definite favourite, but i think the period of greatness starts slowly with last grip to sanity, changes gears with seer of decay, becomes quite advanced with the finnish civil war concept cd.. lots of details, a thing that would get more and more attention. so i definitely prefer the latter period and newer grunt.
my favourites would (probably) be:
1. myth of blood
2. world draped in a camouflage
3. castrate the illusionist
at the moment at least!
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on March 16, 2019, 09:39:30 PM
Documents 3xCD and Seer of Decay 2xCD has been bending on "to be repressed" list.
Would grab all of these immediately as I slept on both releases the first time around.
My favorite is absolutely Petturien Rooli as the attention to detail in each track is exquisite. There is such a rich texture to the sound on this album that I think is unmatched on the others I've heard. Maybe it's because I've been listening to a lot of Vivenza recently (thanks to the revived thread), but this material feels influenced by that kind of work. Very industrial and a feel of autonomy to the sounds. World Draped In A Camouflage comes at a close second as the attention to detail is still fantastic, but used in a different manner. All great work!
World Draped in a Camouflage, such a bulldozer of a record and huge inspiration for me.
Have been listening a lot to "Long lasting happiness" recently and that is a cd which does not (!) receive enough praises. It's the type of noise I was looking for when I started listening to these genres. Both piercing and brutal.
Quickly becoming a favourite.
New 3" cd needs a few more listens. Seems to be carefully crafted but it always takes a bit of time with HN releases like that to sink in.
Quote from: Thor on April 12, 2019, 11:36:54 AM
Have been listening a lot to "Long lasting happiness" recently and that is a cd which does not (!) receive enough praises. It's the type of noise I was looking for when I started listening to these genres. Both piercing and brutal.
Quickly becoming a favourite.
New 3" cd needs a few more listens. Seems to be carefully crafted but it always takes a bit of time with HN releases like that to sink in.
It's a excellent composite release.
Long Lasting Happiness Part 4 is one of the best tracks in all of Grunt's discography. It perfectly encapsulates the "Seer of Decay" purpose of Grunt in 5 minutes. Of course it's incomplete without the context of the other parts. The tracks from the
Nihilistic Paraphilia comps are also top-tier, especially from the second one. Though I'd say those tracks are even better in context of the original compilations, which are hard to track down but well worth it!
Currently listening to the Ritual of Mortality live cassette. Some of my favorite Grunt material and one of my favorite tapes that I own. Mikko is a fucking powerhouse live.
Not GRUNT album, but some unreleased 2019 harsh noise works can be heard as audio of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYoqLQucsCg&feature=youtu.be
While we're on a quick Grunt-adjacent note here, I gotta add that the new Selected Killing 3" is perfection. I love shorter formats because they almost force focus, really hoping more recordings come from this sometime.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on June 06, 2019, 09:26:26 AM
Not GRUNT album, but some unreleased 2019 harsh noise works can be heard as audio of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYoqLQucsCg&feature=youtu.be
the Veles clock is awesome
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on June 06, 2019, 09:26:26 AM
Not GRUNT album, but some unreleased 2019 harsh noise works can be heard as audio of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYoqLQucsCg&feature=youtu.be
Basically a fucking commercial... but a good one. I'd love to see that place in person!
I've spent the last couple nights listening to "The Myth of Blood" & "Castrate the Illusionist". I'd say Myth edges out the other for my favorite but it wins only by a cunt hair or two.
I'm going to have to listen to that recent one-sider again & find "World Draped in Camo."* which I'm thinking I don't own but that can't be right! Also, going to have to listen to the new mini-disc again as the first spin didn't grab me for some reason.
*I found it!
Quote from: bitewerksMTB on June 12, 2019, 02:17:04 AM
I'm going to have to listen to that recent one-sider again & find "World Draped in Camo."* which I'm thinking I don't own but that can't be right! Also, going to have to listen to the new mini-disc again as the first spin didn't grab me for some reason.
*I found it!
Yeah that 3" is sick once it sets in. WDIAC is my favorite although probably neck-in-neck with Seer.
been listening to a lot of live Grunt recording lately - relentless, crushing the only ways I can describe Grunt live
recent playlist of the live recordings I've been listening too
Live In UK
Charred Empire - Live UK 2005-2006
Live @ No Fun Fest
Documentation - Live Assaults Around Europe 2005-2008
Dance For The Genocide: Live 2012 Helsinki / London
Providence, RI @ The Livingroom March 27 2004
Boston, MA @ The Midway Cafe March 28 2004
Documentations box will be reissued soon. It has a lot of good stuff, unreleased versions or completely unreleased tracks with really good sound.
Long ago there was plan to make "live camoflage" release as there was Many good alternative versions of sets played at the time, but them decided just upload one gig to bandcamp. May still do physical edition even this year as based on my own habits - i do not listen music from bandcamp and if live material is good and somehow exclusive, physical release can be justified.
Digging around last night for one thing, I found 5 or 6 things I had forgotten about. One is the "Addicted" 7" that only 2 people on Discogs own plus a bunch of cd-r releases along with "Europe After Storm" & "Someone is Watching" cd's for the listening pile. Plus that 3xcd live release.
I listened to the first disc of "Seer of Decay" & "Petturien Rooli" last night.
In process of removing materials from big corporation platforms... Grunt stuff now found from own website:
http://freak-animal.net/grunt/
Over the years, it's been often every handful of years, when thinking should this work be "documented", and if yes, how should be done. This means often there has been 5 or more years without writing down any gig dates or any details of activities. From I just realized from former listings was missing japanese "tour" of 2008. It is still missing one visit in Japan. Played only one short tokyo show with utterly minimal gear. Helsinki warm up show for Wolf Eyes just added.. so clearly even some of the bigger things were forgotten from former listing..
May also add informations where many of these live shows have been published.
Maybe also relevant links will be added.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on May 30, 2022, 09:45:17 AM
In process of removing materials from big corporation platforms...
Full support. I wish everyone did this.
The new Hehku album comes highly recommended to everyone into well crafted and powerful harsh noise. I think all the elements present have been there already on the last few Grunt albums, but not as this kind of whole.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on May 30, 2022, 09:45:17 AM
It is still missing one visit in Japan. Played only one short tokyo show with utterly minimal gear.
Totally freak incident yesterday. I was about to move some files from computer to printer and picked up old USB drive.. no idea what is on it and turned out to have 2010 Japan visit photos. Included in it was photos from show where Government Alpha/Pain Jerk/Grunt live collaboration happened. So that's one of the missing gigs from list. Same gig had phenomenal line-up. GRIM comeback show, Linekraft, Pain Jerk, Government Alpha, Diesel Guitar,... I don't think any recordings exists of it.
excellent project, you already said everything about it. Personal favourites are "Petturien Rooli", "Terror & Degeneration" (too bad my CD-R starts to show damages due to time, it scratches all the time), "World draped in a Camouflage", and the nasty collaboration with Taint. Herr Aspa manages to have some of the most brutal vocal cords here around.
These are some of the stand out releases for me:
Dead Beauty 7" - Great concept and hostile lyrics. The murder of Eveliina Lappalainen is one of the most interesting Finnish true crime cases.
Decadence of Flesh & Trite DVDr - These are very nostalgic. Provocative background videos and Trite has a good picture quality. Background video for this one is especially unpleasant, but it's all about the overall concept. It was around the same time I saw Grunt live for the first time. I think it was the Wolf Eyes gig. Re-watching these reminded me how different and many ways better the times were.
Myth of Blood - This somehow reminds the older records, like the 90's releases, but more powerful and executed to perfection.
Long Lasting Happiness compilation - Similar sound to Seer of Decay, but this is even better!
Kraniometria - Grunt's best harsh noise release with nice pulsating electronics on track three.
Documention 3xCD - The best Grunt live recordings. Tracks Ketjuilla kattoon, Daddy's Sex Toy and Head in a Box don't appear on other releases, I think. Forest Corpse is also a lovely track title. The sample in the beginning of Daddy's Sex Toy is about a woman describing how her head was confined in a box while being abused. Reminds me of the Colleen Stan abduction. The hitcher girl who was kidnapped and held captive in a box. Taken out to be punished. The perpetrator used similar head box for her, but I'm not sure if this is the same case.
Quote from: Manhog_84 on November 24, 2022, 12:23:31 PM
Myth of Blood - This somehow reminds the older records, like the 90's releases, but more powerful and executed to perfection.
See, what I like about Myth of Blood, aswell as other Grunt albums with songs that resemble that approach, is its oldschool vibe. Sonically, it is obviously richer in texture and experimentation than early Whitehouse or up-to-90's SJ, but the inspiration for the songs seem to aim for similar outcomes. As if the spirit preceding the songs matched - specially Black Flag and Ordeal of Water.
Now, PE and Noise nowadays is much more developed than the "screaming over waves of screeching feedback" of the old days (absolutely nothing wrong with it, though). Genres develop and it makes sense if artists from the 00's onwards feel like "coming back" to old musical patterns and repeat or improve them. The same way Black Metal bands often want to replicate the classic Bathory/Venom sound 20 or 30 years later.
The thing is, the vocals is what really stand out while the instrumentation is a bit different. The only approach to older musical characteristics of PE I've heard that comes close is Garden of Mutilated Paratroopers of Prurient. Again, musically it is more complex, but vocal patterns seem to be inspired from early Whitehouse aswell.
I was mentioned Grunt 7" on Self Abuse is already sold out from label. I have yet to receive artists copies, so no worries. It will be in stock at FA sometime when box is received.
Meanwhile, Hehku CD sold out, Kraniometria 3"CD sold out, Spiritual Eugenics 2LP only handful remains.
Those who have not noticed, GRUNT "Cast Iron Hand" 10" is out and some copies still available. Vinyl only, no digital distribution. Style close to Spiritual Eugenics -type of Grunt than recent harsh noise works. For those who prefer harsh noise, also recent reissue "Installation of Blood and Steel" CD. And of course split/collab with Ramirez!
GRUNT is one of those projects where I prefer the live recordings. Just total raw violent sound. And you can tell when an artist knows what the fuck they're doing when they pull off a successful live set. Same feelings toward BU. Maybe it's because the difference between recording for an album and performing a live set is minimal? Not too much post production and more straight-to-tape approach?
Favorites:
Ritual Of Mortality
Dance For The Genocide
Myth Of Blood
Both tracks from The End For Simulation Of Pro-Creation
I have yet to listen to the newer material past Spiritual Eugenics but have been meaning to change that
Quote from: HateSermon on November 28, 2022, 06:51:39 AM
GRUNT is one of those projects where I prefer the live recordings. Just total raw violent sound. And you can tell when an artist knows what the fuck they're doing when they pull off a successful live set. Same feelings toward BU. Maybe it's because the difference between recording for an album and performing a live set is minimal? Not too much post production and more straight-to-tape approach?
Favorites:
Ritual Of Mortality
Dance For The Genocide
Myth Of Blood
Both tracks from The End For Simulation Of Pro-Creation
I have yet to listen to the newer material past Spiritual Eugenics but have been meaning to change that
If you like Grunt live I'd really recommend the Charred Empire tapes. One of the first Grunt releases i ever bought back around 2008 and still a favorite to this day
Have been intending to delete bandcamp site when feel motivated to log in there.
Couple live sets are there, what were never issued physically. This was one of the best gigs Grunt did as duo. It is based on "World Draped In Camoflage" album like is helsinki set from next year, also found from bandcamp. But there are exclusive song(s) performer also that do not appear on album. At least Helsinki live has "Rangaistus Ilman Rikosta" starting about 7 min from beginning, that never made it to studio recordings.
https://grunt-finland.bandcamp.com/album/live-01122012
https://grunt-finland.bandcamp.com/album/grunt-live-helsinki-jan-2013
Thanks for recommendation on the Charred Empire tapes, @ConcreteMascara
Pretty funny situation today. I just got a copy of the Grunt Recycled tape and popped it in. Original material on the tape is like some gospel country kind of thing. I sat through three tracks of that, waiting for the vile sounds of Grunt to come in... and it never happened. Still had a laugh, and learned that this particular dub is single sided. That's the charm of those Recycled cassettes though. You never know what you're gonna get. These two genres of music couldn't be further opposite.
RRRecycled tapes should have 2004 Turku live gig (warm up for Genocide organ) on a-side and acoustic metaljunk noise (from same sessions as Seer of Decay disc 2) on b-side.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on January 04, 2023, 09:36:20 AM
RRRecycled tapes should have 2004 Turku live gig (warm up for Genocide organ) on a-side and acoustic metaljunk noise (from same sessions as Seer of Decay disc 2) on b-side.
Sounds really promising, especially the b-side
Lately i've been listening to lots of harsh noise -Grunt. Really exceptional stuff, not your consumer grade arkinoise stuff haha. My favorites at the moment:
Installation of Blood and Steel
Hehku
Seer of Decay
Kraniometria
Found it here a better place to publish a question regarding now defunct project Nicole 12, as the latter's topic hasn't been active for more than 10 years. Sorry if it might be out of place.
The thing is, I was thinking about Dead Beauty / Dancefloor Wreck 7". One could always talk about parallel themes in all of Mikko's projects, and when it comes to the overlapping of particular themes, I often wonder which thing comes first in the creation of this much - or rather, if conceived ideas and images are further translated into particular music or if the latter spawned to later find itself adequate lyrics. One answer in that old thread of N12 pretty much covers the subject. My point is - why was that a Grunt release, not a N12 one?
And on about N12 itself, this is something that I have never seen being asked about the project, either because the overall theme often overshadows the actual music, or because the symplistic approach of the sound pallete is very common within Power Electronics. What were the influences on the project? Any particular artists or bands back in the 90's that influenced the music, not the content, of N12? The latter was already present in Industrial and PE, yes. But on the music itself, I wonder if Atrax Morgue had been an possible influence on the general atmosphere and the "tremolo" high frequency noises. Those pulsating low frequency beats like the ones in the first two songs of Playground and others might have been borrowed from Brighter Death Now. What more?
I find myself surprised not seeing last year's Bardo Methodology on that project not being discussed in here. I might be wrong, since I'm new on the forum, but overall I didn't see it, even though I found it to be an interesting piece of work. And by the way, Discogs still maintains a description of the project with information that has already been confirmed false. Such a mess.
Quote from: Kaaoskultti on April 27, 2023, 05:57:01 AM
The thing is, I was thinking about Dead Beauty / Dancefloor Wreck 7". One could always talk about parallel themes in all of Mikko's projects, and when it comes to the overlapping of particular themes, I often wonder which thing comes first in the creation of this much - or rather, if conceived ideas and images are further translated into particular music or if the latter spawned to later find itself adequate lyrics. One answer in that old thread of N12 pretty much covers the subject. My point is - why was that a Grunt release, not a N12 one?
All projects have always overlapped, and will keep doing so. When there is some theme that feels that needs to be dealt with in more detail, or direction of sound, that needs to be taken into more singular direction - it becomes sort of "spin off project". Some lasted one or couple releases, others carried on for years. As example, despite theme and sound element can be found in Grunt, it wouldn't make sense to make that releases such as Silence Of Vacuum did under name Grunt. For "artistic reasons", so to say. Some pieces work better as stand-alone works.
Dead Beauty / Dancefloor Wreck doesn't have (in my opinion) much that would relate to themes of N12. It has also the aggression in ways that generally is not present in N12. Applies to both, sound and the lyrics. It studies two big Finnish media events of the time.
Quote from: Kaaoskultti on April 27, 2023, 05:57:01 AM
What were the influences on the project? Any particular artists or bands back in the 90's that influenced the music, not the content, of N12? The latter was already present in Industrial and PE, yes. But on the music itself, I wonder if Atrax Morgue had been an possible influence on the general atmosphere and the "tremolo" high frequency noises. Those pulsating low frequency beats like the ones in the first two songs of Playground and others might have been borrowed from Brighter Death Now. What more?
I don't think there was much of specific bands. Sonically, especially playground first recordings was pretty much exclusively MS-10 synth and reverb. Not much else. In 90's, I didn't have synth myself, so this borrowed gear made sound differ from all the other recordings I was making. At the time, vocal style was not really used that much and not really influenced by other artists. You can find spoken or whispered voice from some older material, but fairly uncommon. It was less about specific bands, more about atmosphere that was aimed for and of course one can name bunch of "treble only synth power electronics" that of course are at least unconscious influence. Those would be like Death Squad "theological genocide" or early MITB electronics recordings.
Quote from: Kaaoskultti on April 27, 2023, 05:57:01 AM
I find myself surprised not seeing last year's Bardo Methodology on that project not being discussed in here. I might be wrong, since I'm new on the forum, but overall I didn't see it, even though I found it to be an interesting piece of work. And by the way, Discogs still maintains a description of the project with information that has already been confirmed false. Such a mess.
I think I linked it in some other topic, probably? No discussion, but link was posted. I think comment sections of Bardo social media were pretty funny. Plenty of guys who didn't read the interview, had a lot to say about it. Not surprising. Bardo does a lot of editing for pieces they publish. I mentioned to journalist that do not want that interview makes me look like a nice guy and he said "
nobody will think you're a nice guy", hah... Some concluded that some of the ideas must be thought later on, and not when albums were made. Sure, isn't that in very core of industrial culture? It ain't the
lecture. Releases can make also artists to connect the dots while the discography progresses. It would be odd that if someone would dig deep into something, and claim not to have gone through some sort of transformation in the years long process. Apparatus known as "industrial noise", could and should certainly do that.
Edit:
If someone wonders what is "bardo" and where, this is the url. Mostly metal interviews on the website and paper magazine, but also industrial, experimental, art, etc.
http://www.bardomethodology.com/articles/2022/09/21/clandestine-blaze-nicole-12-mikko-aspa-interview/
I went through the N12 discography recently, after a couple of years without spinning some releases quite sparingly. I read that Bardo Interview and, besides that, I read plenty of sorts of commentaries (some of them from people involved in the extreme metal scene) about the category of the content, which is supposed to reflect on the quality of the artist and of the music itself (also thanks to the total absence of any kind of personal or emotional input in or around the music).
Regardless of the music's quality (which in the end is never the focus of the topic), it is astonishing to see how many people dedicated to "extreme content" are ready to throw shit on the "paedo project of Mikko Aspa" without even liking power electronics.
I think actually that, although with some both musical and aesthetical flaws, Nicole 12 is a project which really catches one of the aims of power electronics / industrial music: to create a clinic, cold and sheer brutal depiction of a sordid aspect of reality.
The content is not easy to digest, nor is supposed to be, and that is exactly the point. Could be that, in the future, I could even get rid of some Nicole 12 material, for various reason, but for sure is a project which successfully reaches the disturbance level this kind of music is supposed to cause.
GRUNT "Vieraat Aivot" CD video clip preview:
https://youtu.be/gEORKsnLUbk
I was checking if there was message mentioning there is actually Grunt website too, but at least not in recent posts. If it wasn't mentioned before: http://freak-animal.net/grunt/
Should have most complete discography with some stuff not found from discogs, as well as live gig listening and more.
Quote from: Neanderthal on July 12, 2017, 10:18:19 AMTerror & Degeneration
Indeed! Suffocating atmosphere unlike any other, total audial oppression and drawn out suffering that doesn't ever end.
Seer Of Decay needs a repress, great album.
It will be done in 2024. Freak Animal started in 1994, so year will be good excuse to celebrate with bunch of reissues among the new stuff. Seer of Decay, Grunt/Taint and some N12 files has been already waiting. Possibly older Pain Nail, and some more.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on December 17, 2023, 09:42:37 AMIt will be done in 2024. Freak Animal started in 1994, so year will be good excuse to celebrate with bunch of reissues among the new stuff. Seer of Decay, Grunt/Taint and some N12 files has been already waiting. Possibly older Pain Nail, and some more.
I hope this means First 12 Years compilation, that's been out of print for a long time.
Quote from: Manhog_84 on December 18, 2023, 09:17:43 AMQuote from: FreakAnimalFinland on December 17, 2023, 09:42:37 AMIt will be done in 2024. Freak Animal started in 1994, so year will be good excuse to celebrate with bunch of reissues among the new stuff. Seer of Decay, Grunt/Taint and some N12 files has been already waiting. Possibly older Pain Nail, and some more.
I hope this means First 12 Years compilation, that's been out of print for a long time.
I hope so too. That's the only one of the N12 CDs that I'm missing and you're correct that one has been out of print for a long time. Definitely needs a reissue!
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on December 17, 2023, 09:42:37 AMIt will be done in 2024. Freak Animal started in 1994, so year will be good excuse to celebrate with bunch of reissues among the new stuff. Seer of Decay, Grunt/Taint and some N12 files has been already waiting. Possibly older Pain Nail, and some more.
That's some amazing news. Can't wait for my copy of the latest Grunt to arrive. The split with Taint would be Schoolyard Bruises, right?
By the way, I didn't find this in this forum yet and am not aware if anyone already made the question, but... what does 'Dorchester Library' means?