cd/lp/tape etc. REVIEWS

[Andrew McIntosh]

FAUX PAS/GRAIN BELT, Syndige Du/Slow Screw
7", 2011
Phage Tapes/White Centipede Noise

Despite being a duo, Faux Pas's side doesn't sound like the work of two people. It sounds single source, a constantly breaking and squiggling thick line of distorted crunch and screetch. It's a piece that really needs to be played very loud for identity, as played at a more reasonable level seems to rob it of some if it's immediacy and impact. There is something a bit ho-hum about this piece, something lacking, and it gives the impression as being tossed off in a moment rather than meant of any real value.
  Grain Belt makes a much more favourable impression and I was surprised to read on the White Centipede site "showing a more controlled sound than on past releases". As I'm unfamiliar with Grain Belt it left me wondering what other recordings must be like. This piece is a very nicely recorded assembly of a clanking, crunching layer sounding like a threshing machine with broken and missing teeth, overlaid with further electronic bashing and moaning, howling voices through effects. It doesn't attempt to chop or change over it's duration, giving the sounds room to exist and persist, allowing the listener to revel in the pleasure of conflicting metal and electronics. This doesn't have to be turned up to be enjoyed but don't let that stop you, of course. The locked loop at the end of the side is a nice touch.
  Grain Belt saves this album for me.

[Andrew McIntosh]

NYODENE D, Caged Dog/Common Criminal
7", 2011
Phage Tapes

As Nyodene D's star ascends in the US PE pantheon there seems to be more surety and more conviction with recordings. Side one of this album bases itself on such a clamour of banging metal and raised voices that inspire nothing other than a full scale prison riot, over which the vocals are shouted defiantly, there being one brief pause for vocals only. "Caged Dog" is extremely evocative and effective, aggressive and impactful - everything a piece of modern Power Electronics should be. It's a piece that just wins, straight up.
  "Common Criminal" takes the pace down and if you read the interview on Pure Stench you'll know Mr Vilk mentioned separating the elements of his sound to broaded the overall palette. For me, this piece seemed too stretched out. It makes a good counter-point to side one's intense and rounds the out overall, but there's something about the particular choice of sounds that doesn't seem to gel with the whole. Perhaps I'm being too finicky - "Caged Dog" is a particularly impressive piece so it was going to be difficult to compliment it anyway.
  Regardless, this is a fine release and could well find itself in the modern canon of Power Electronics in time. It's great to every now and then hear something that just "stands out", but stands out well.

[Nyodene D]

NYODENE D, Caged Dog/Common Criminal
7", 2011
Phage Tapes

As Nyodene D's star ascends in the US PE pantheon there seems to be more surety and more conviction with recordings. Side one of this album bases itself on such a clamour of banging metal and raised voices that inspire nothing other than a full scale prison riot, over which the vocals are shouted defiantly, there being one brief pause for vocals only. "Caged Dog" is extremely evocative and effective, aggressive and impactful - everything a piece of modern Power Electronics should be. It's a piece that just wins, straight up.
  "Common Criminal" takes the pace down and if you read the interview on Pure Stench you'll know Mr Vilk mentioned separating the elements of his sound to broaded the overall palette. For me, this piece seemed too stretched out. It makes a good counter-point to side one's intense and rounds the out overall, but there's something about the particular choice of sounds that doesn't seem to gel with the whole. Perhaps I'm being too finicky - "Caged Dog" is a particularly impressive piece so it was going to be difficult to compliment it anyway.
  Regardless, this is a fine release and could well find itself in the modern canon of Power Electronics in time. It's great to every now and then hear something that just "stands out", but stands out well.

thanks andrew, appreciate the review! You may be the first person who has said they like side A better (including myself, actually). Not sure if you figured it out, but the scrap is all samples from the prison riot scene in the movie "Hunger".

[Andrew McIntosh]

KOUFAR & SKIN GRAFT Revelation/This Country Is Mine
Cassette, 2011
Phage Tapes

The very minimal sounding set-up for Noise generating on this tape - feedback and delay unit - has it's drawbacks, mainly the limited palate of sound, and it takes a certain skill to be able to stretch that out. To be honest, I'm not sure that's always displayed. This is especially noted on side two, which is essentially the one line of feedback being manipulated through its stark restrictions, with the occasional inclusion of whispered vocals, more towards the beginning of the piece. Side one has more advantage in that it is harsher, there's more use of the effects and much more, harshly shouted vocals. The fact that both are longer than the usual song length shout-fests of a lot of recent US PE which is to be applauded, but there's a fine line being trod between imagination and what the restricted instrumentation can actually do that took me a few listens to get past. Side one, then, is more about abruptness and two is about intensity. Both are very much live-in-the-studio recordings with a strong sense of improvisation that, again, is something to be welcomed with modern PE. I'm just wondering if the audio ideas here where enough to extend each spiral to the length recorded.

[Andrew McIntosh]

THE HATERS, Multiprotcol/Lexicon Switching
Cassette, 2010
Phage Tapes/Small Doses

Ostensibly released as a fund-raiser for The Haters to perform last year, which means that even now the costs have yet to be re-couped. Such is the hand-to-mouth world of Noise. Two solid tracks, neither of which will disappoint, as they are both multi-layered with a variety of recognisable and un-recognisable sounds ranging from feedback, hissing electronics, voice and other less definable audio. I love the use of differentiating layers, as this gives a solidity to the whole of the pieces from the confusion of sounds, rather than a solid block of sound. The variation comes from the conflict between the layers, allowing the pieces to go forward without actually changing as such, and its that clash of variations that lends to the harshness of the pieces. "Lexicon Switching" is in fact the same track as "15 Minute Glitch" which I first heard on the split tape with blackhumour, although Mr Jupitter-Larsen is known for re-using his material (and this tape came out before the latter). "Multiprotocol" I haven't heard before, but no matter; I'm biased towards The Haters in most cases and can handle a bit of repetition as long as the standard is this high.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Not sure if you figured it out, but the scrap is all samples from the prison riot scene in the movie "Hunger".

Was not aware of this as I haven't seen the movie, maybe something to track down in future.

[Andrew McIntosh]

FRANCISCO LOPEZ/GX JUPITTER-LARSEN, collaboratation
10" vynal, 2011
Phage Tapes

One of those releases that one has no problems coming back to frequently. Indeed, this is a high point of the the recent releases from Phage. Both artists create with sounds constructed by and given to each other. Mr. Lopez's side is sections of long passages of grinding sound, ranging from high pitched screech to broad, mid pitched howl to deeper yet clean sounding yawn to modulating, warbling moan. The sections are placed one after the other, sometimes overlapping in a perfectly timed sequence that has an overall sound that is grimey but not chocked in distortion, clear but not over-done pristine. The piece is immaculate, controlled and giving, requiring and rewarding study and attention.
  Mr Jupitter-Larsen's side is very much to character and contrasts with Mr Lopez's work in that it is heavy, distorted and dirty. In fact, if anything could be said to sound "rusty", it's "9 Minute Glitch". Pulsing, repeated loops of machine-like grind make this one of GX's most industrial sounding of GX's recent pieces. The abandoned factory put back to work, not to create products but for it's own sake, to create the sounds of creating products that are not being created because they are not wanted. Abandonment come back to life, living now for itself regardless of how useless it is to anything else.
  Both artists are already well known enough to warrant attention and having them featured on an attractively packaged ten inch vynal format should be enough for anyone to be interested in it - just be assured there is no disappointment.

[Andrew McIntosh]

GM ELECTRONICS, Manticore
3" cdr, 2012
Cipher Productions

The two main tracks on this, "Primal Warfare" and "Manticore vs Demogorgan" are complex, changing harsh works, the former shifting, groaning and spluttering, allowing higher pitched sounds to almost detach from it and scream above it, spraying hissing distortion; while the latter is more intensely cut up and shifting, going from harsh element to element in exquisite corpse style. They are powerful and well made works, but for my simpler tastes it's the opening track "Entering The Gaping Maw", featuring a slow built up drone with oscillating synth waves keening over it, "The Gates Of Abysm", a too-short basic synth pulse that hardens and distorts over it's brief moment, and the final track "They Licked Their Bleeding Wounds", a sullen, slow, disappearing drone, that are the personal preferences. The entirety could well be given along the lines of a concept album, entering a dimension where mythical beasts clash then perish. The production is a tad too clean and hard for my current liking but it does bring up the sound to the front in classic '00's style and sounds good through whatever speakers are being used. It's also good that such a brief collection of works can span a lot of audio territory and come across as a complete album of considered tracks, rather than a simple show-piece (that 3" 's often tend to come across as), which is a credit to the artist.

[Andrew McIntosh]

FECALOVE, Total Fucking Ignorance
cassette, 2012
Cipher Productions

Chris's series of specially packaged cassettes got off to a flying start last year with Praying For Oblivion's "Facade" and now brings an equally strong part with this album. Although unfamiliar with Tisbor's audio work until now, the impression I get is that Fecalove is a "go to" project for strictly no nonsense, fuck you Harsh Noise and Power Electronics. There's certainly no surprises here for the lay Noise listener with these six tracks, not that they lack anything. The title track is bracketed by our hero screaming the title savagely before and after berating us with ear splitting feedback and distorted crunch. "Seventeen" lays back a bit with a drone of humming, dull electronics relieved with similar elements as the last track. "On The Toilet Floor" recounts the delights of drinking and drugging too much ("Grasping the distant memory of what I just did tonight" being a good line), which also introduces bashing metal to the palette. "A New Low" takes the established elements to produce a more static, slow yet still shifting spiral that ends up breaking down anyway. And so it goes - "In A Stain Of Cum 2009" a brief blast of vocal anxiety and harshness and "Romantic" pretty much continuing in the vein set so far. The point being that every element, from the loud, filthy production (well dubbed on this tape) to the straight ahead savagery of the Noise itself to the squashed dog food tin the album is packaged in, brings a simple, strong assault of filthy Noise with antagonised vocals that can't fail to satisfy those of us who require this kind of sound from time to time (or in some cases, all the time). Put simply, there is nothing wrong with this album.

[Andrew McIntosh]

WINTERS IN OSAKA & GX JUPITTER-LARSEN, Giant Baba
7" vynal, 2012
Cipher Productions

Things can now get a tad less orthodox, although not so much for the Noise world - sixty one locked grooves. The two artists leapfrog each other on both sides, and from what I can ascertain, Winters In Osaka samples from what I imagine are Japanese movie sound sources (perhaps shows of various battles of the titular hero, Shohei 'Giant' Baba, Japanese pro wrestler?) while GX gives tiny pieces of soft, gritty droning that could we be sampled from crowd sounds. I suppose. The point being, of course, you settle your needle onto a groove you can groove to and simply let it groove however long you want. The uselessness/usefulness of such an object is determined by the listener, as this is not an "anti-album" but meant to be heard, at least in a way ascertained by whoever owns it. I'm quite tempted to use it as a sound source, myself, but it can also, on certain grooves, be simple furniture noise for background relaxing. In any case, the choice is yours.
 You also get a page torn from a Japanese wrestling magazine - mine featured a gentleman by the name of Abdullah The Butcher.

[DBL]

(Reviews are behind links to keep the post from becoming way too long.)

Doroga - II [atmospheric noise/ambient/industrial]
Tape, released by Obscurex

Nyodene D - Every Knee Shall Bow [death industrial / power electronics]
CD, released by Assembly of Hatred

Concrete Isolation Box - Truth of the Streets [nasty power electronics]
Tape & Download, self-released

Musta Oksennus - Nazi Occult Noisecore [noisecore]
Tape, self-released

MC-COWBOY - Inferior Penis Syndrome [harsh noise]
Tape, self-released

[Levas]

Skullflower - Fucked On A Pile Of Corpses

I don't remember when I had a chance to hear truly interesting Skullflower release. Quite a long time ago I suppose. Newer releases always give me hope that it will be something good, but everytime after I listen to it, all I'm left with is disappointment. This disc was released in 2011 via famous UK Cold Spring label that releases mainly the most famous industrial names like MZ.412, Sutcliffe Jugend etc. This CD is the best proof that sometimes releasing the famous band means nothing. In this disc I find more than half an hour of thin and poor mixture of filthy black metal and noise. Flyers were announcing the most brutal Skullflower album to date, halfway between Clandestine Blaze and The Rita etc. The final result is weak album with highlighted bad record quality, boredom and dull sounds. The fact that guitar and drums were used does not mean that it is black metal album and the fact that the sound is absolute lo-fi mess with sticking out feedbacks does not mean that it is noise. For me it seems as just another improvised jam session which was perhaps fun to record and have fun with instruments, but all in all that's it what this album offers. 7 tracks that I can hardly distinguish, composed in more or less the same pattern - guitar melody, buzzing, distant drums and crackling noise without lows in the foreground. From time to time I start to think that maybe it's quite interestint to listen to this chaos, but these lonely thoughts leave my head when one track is changed with the second made in the same manner, then the third one and so on until the end of the disc. Maybe black metal or black noise orthodoxes find relief in such kind of albums, but I'm far less sophisticated in that. On the other hand, there are people who enjoy free jazz, so why this album of Skullflower should be ignored? Well, not to paint everything so dark, I'll say that the cover is nice. But I think that if it wouldn't be Skullflower, but some album by no-name project, it would be thrown down in the pile of failed recordings and wouldn't be heard by outside people. But whatever. Let's say that this release will find the target audience.

[GEWALTMONOPOL]

halfway between Clandestine Blaze and The Rita

Is that actually said in a text accompanying the allbum? Not knocking either of those projects but describing your band as a combination of them carries enough intrinsic faggotry to power the Studio 54 PA and light rig for a week.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Yes, it's how Cold Spring have advertised it - "(t)he remorseless brutal sound is primitive, but as detailed and rich as a blood soaked medieval canvas, somewhere betwixt The Rita and Clandestine Blaze, but more brutal!"

guitar melody, buzzing, distant drums and crackling noise without lows in the foreground.

This pretty much sums up what I've heard of Skullflower. The only album of their's I brought was the "Evel Knievel" 7" on SFTRI, which I listened to about twice before getting rid of. Other releases I've heard haven't been much more inspiring.

[GEWALTMONOPOL]

To paraphrase what a person I admire and respect said on here a while ago regarding another current Skullflower release, Justin has a product to sell and I wish him well.

The one album I've heard where I can understand the hoohaa is 3rd Gatekeeper. I think that one is really good. I'm also told that Shaman is a good album but I haven't heard it. Everything else has, with the very exceptional track here and there, been utter shite. George, Lee and Sam are all wasted in that reunion act.

Edit: They weren't too shabby when I saw them play at the Cold Spring event last year. "Not too shabby" doesn't cut it of course. I could pick any random gig up in London today and find that. I believe the correct album title is Xaman. Not that I really give a shit.