This was my... 3rd? Or 4th festival? TT has proven to be among very best of international industrial festivals. If UK has it's UNITED FORCES OF INDUSTRIAL that has given good slice for unknown & up-&-coming artists, TT has been doing it for Germany. I think it's far easier to put out fest, which relies solely on "classic names". Festivals like these two, are good for my taste, as they allow you to see something unlikely to be seen.
Of course, we may end up in situation, where band is not yet exactly on level of big stage of international festival. For example SALÒ SALON who started on Friday, would have most likely been 100% fitting to some of Finnish kontti gigs. Two guys, in commando masks, lo-fi noise fuzz on the PA and guys beating randomly on bunch of metal junk. While one could appreciate that it really was noise stripped down from everything "innovative", just making bunch of racket, in this context it didn't give much to praise. In smaller space, adding some known-how to really amp the junk, and less light... perhaps it would be just fine.
SATANISMO CALIBRO I liked. 3 guys doing quite traditional ritual music soundscapes. Oscillating electronics, eerie throat drone, contact mic'ed horns or bones or what was it. Sigils drawn on paper, burned in metallic bowl. It has electric feel to it, but still plenty of things happening and you could see the sounds created on stage. Be it boutique oscillator-box button turning, or chants, bells, etc. Set was too long for my taste, but it was good. It was just too long of the good.
Nowadays NOCTURNE is too much of "industrial music" for my taste. It was quite amusing for many reasons, but I think a lot of people liked set, that was possibly longest of entire fest?!
1997EV was one of those names I had no idea who it was. And when I saw bunch of guys jamming endless one riff spacerock/kraut/psyche whatever, it made me think band must be in wrong place. I'm sure it was picked up to give variation for night, but I think if you go for rock bands, there are endless amount of better bands to choose.
CLUB MORAL surprised by lack of performance art. That this was more like just a... well, gig! They played songs, classic ones including Nazis of the Night, but I was turned off by clarity of sound. No vocal effects. Random boutique synth buzzing jumping here and there over drum beats and loops that created backbone of songs. Just personal taste of preferring Club Moral at its noisiest form.
WERTHAM video was bright white screen with faces. That much I can tell. Perhaps not ideal way of presentation and honestly I didn't see entire thing, as catching some breath was necessary between bands, due the brutal heatwave....
I may appear praising the buddies, but nevertheless, I'd say SNUFF was best of the Friday by far. And this wasn't even the best gig they did. Simply because it's quite a lot about what type of amplifier one uses - if the main ingredients of material is amplifier feedback! What they did in Finland, was more piercing and ripping, yet no complaints here. Snuff is slow and tormenting. Sometimes even irritating, difficult noise electronics. Double vocals, fatty and flegmatic stage presence oozes kind of old mans position who just sees the vile surroundings and approves it. Almost saggy, tugged into ass-crack. White trash approving the white trash urges. There's nothing noble in it. Noise they make, fits well to whole "who'd appreciate THIS" content. Still, they compose, plan, rehearse and execute it with true intent. It's not build upon lack of skill, but clearly exact opposite of diamond clear vision what they'd want to achieve.
Saturday 17th started with SICK SEED who delivered one of their best shows. Maybe. Band is so diverse, that it's hard to compared some of the shows together. No rock'n'roll here. I happened to sell mr. Sick Seed some of equipment I wanted to get rid off, and it's good to see significant part of the set was build on playing this Sleepdrone -oscillator. Despite it's limitations, this box enabled SS to create very nice tracks. That, and live loops, bass player creating bass noise. Exactly the kind of stuff I like - that you see what is done on stage. And that it also works. And every track is different from another. Vocals blended in unusually quiet compared to some other SS gigs, but I liked that vocals were more as sound element than clear speech on top of music.
SÖLDNERGEIST did not arrive to fest. Who knows why. SATORI appeared most of all as guy standing behind lap-top. Which was such an opposite of Sick Seed's live noise. It wasn't bad, but this type of stuff is for me home listening. Not for stage.
AIT! had huge stage set up build during break. It was guy from Today, I'm Dead. While that project is more towards death industrial, known for releases on Slaughter productions etc. AIT! is more into industrial music, what has melodic patterns, beats, nearly "gothic" feel to it. Again, lap-top playing ready made music, with just bleak vocals on top... Not for me.
As result of that, drinking perhaps couple beers too many just before GENOCIDE ORGAN hit on stage. Returning inside, to moist brutal heat on venue. It was both, suitable climate for the new performance of GO, but also resulting lack of focus from my part. Drifting somewhere between alert and excited, but also exhausted, I hoped I had not drank that last beer, hah... This show was so good, it should have been seen with clear mind. New material, somewhat new stage presence. Clashing machetes, forceful synth tones, loops, all the "usual" GO is known to be, but doing what they do now. Almost exclusively new album songs, with addition to couple formerly known tracks. But no attempt to please fans with some ever-green old classics, but band clearly sees themselves being vital at this moment, not some nostalgia act. Excellent.
I had heard many things about EINLEITUNGSZEIT before. I like their music on records (of course, having released on of their albums back in the day), but wasn't sure if all the stories of their amusing stage props is true - and will it work. And it was true, and it did work. Now already clear mind after GO, could observe and listen entire set like it should. Their sound seems more chaotic and furious industrial-noise than on older records. Perhaps it's partially just the sound quality itself. Lots of people on stage. Everybody wearing costumes, like pulled out from post-apocalyptic b-rate sci-fi movie. Power tools, fire breathing, grinding sparks from scrap metal, smoke and all sorts of chaotic behavior. At the end, all 5 members came to front of stage on one row like theatre group to bow and salute to audience. It was most of all just energy fueled fun. Not joke, but something what perhaps isn't done these days at industrial gigs of this type. You can't expect someone appear in silver face paint and kind of blacksmith/butcher outfit and just deliver good loud noise without doing it as joke. Guy setting his arm on fire while some cyborg look-a-like gas mask guy churns loud noise on back. Atmosphere was totally unlike Genocide Organ, but they lived up to level of closing band of festival.
While, being critical for some bands, it is good that there are things one doesn't have to watch entirely. Festival is organized in great place, what allows to go out for chat with friends you rarely see and even quiet corners to get some beers and sit down. As soon as bands to see, good stage, good lights, good sound system. I was told there won't be TT fest next year. Too bad. I hope they will return in 2018 then!
This time was only as visitor. Not on stage. Nevertheless, big thanks for Eric for all the work! Would hope to visit again..
