I think there are many many good things in Russian scene at the moment.
Lots of bands with (shortwave) radio obsession. Lots of primitive industrial approach, lots of very lo-fi hand made sounds.
I put out Yao 91404 D release on full length CD. That goes more into harsher noise, but with broken turntable loops, static noises, kind of rhythmic and "song" feeling, not just wall of noise. But the band is known also for very very primitive releases. I could imagine like Hands To removed from hot american desert into russian basement with broken electronics and junk. Some of releases seem like un-edited live recordings with no effects or anything. While others, like Key to Abyss tape/CDR just total supremacy!
I know I have tried to turn down CDR distribution for most part, but just waiting for shipment from Russian, because some of these obscurities are too good to be simply ignored due format. I just wish more labels would be ready to invest money on LP or CD by some of these bands. Freak Animal's Yao 91404 D has perhaps not been a bestseller, but considering it their first full length CD, and most cdr's and tapes were ridiculously small editions, I'm sure they'll be noticed later.
See example of descriptions:
QuoteANTI-VERSTAND Song Like Wind CD-r
ANTI-VERSTAND - side-project of YAO 91404 D - is pretty known among adorers of Russian Noise due to tapes released by YAOP and a couple of CDR re-releases made by Abgurd and Fight Muzik. With "Song Like Wind" the project introduces absolutely new and fresh point of view on its Art. The first recordings of ANTI-BRAIN were on the verge of boundless madness and unprejudiced aural challenge, while the new album appears to be more expressive, strict and catchy, burning with romantic-totalitarian lunacy of the best works by YAO 91404 D, e.g. "Heroes of the Coal Age" and "Key to Abyss". Love-poetry of soviet-era, disco-songs, accompanied by a captured metal impress, soviet-era variety art, rough and rigid feedbacks, concorporated into percussive ritual noise loops and abrasive distorted tapes emerge monumental piece of art.
I did have two masters of Yao, but I finally after about 1 years of consideration and multiple listens, finally decided to reject the other one. For two reasons basically. First of all, there was perhaps too many soviet hymns, which in one hand were very good, crackling damaged vinyl. But, it was about half of playing time of album not longer than perhaps 35 minutes. Rest of the album was very thin and delicate radio static. Nearly approaching the purity of white noise, but sometimes it would be "composed". It would change from static hiss to another. It was pretty amazing as conceptual piece, but as "noise album", lacking.
Just like I mentioned before, I see a lot of very interesting bands popping up here and there all the time, with probably no label offering proper deals.
