AM NOT

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Been spinning the recent vinyl edition of 2015 album on LP quite a lot. While knowing it is good, as have had the CD since it came out, somehow the LP format just made more impact right from the first listening.

Already decade ago felt that AM NOT started already as guy who knows what he is doing. First Morbid Vibrations tape (2012) was already album worthy effort. It had the the musicality, harmonic tonal quality to its oscillating synths. Vocals that used the less common low pitched narrative style, perhaps think mixing early Laibach with N12. Been reissued on CD later on. You can lump him together into technologically advanced sounding, kind of high fidelity and perhaps cinematic category. Unpunished has perhaps stronger content, and some thematically hard samples. There are bits I'd associate to Control and some bits that feel a bit like Galakthorro. There is certainly the song-y quality to tracks. Structure and musicality and those vocals that are cold and monolithic narration on top of sound.

Gut feeling says as if he got more noisy and aggressive during the years. Vocals have the flanger/phaser vibrating aggro approach. There is not huge amount of output. After mentioned two, there is the Tesco album and couple tapes, 7"s and now the new full length returning on Unrest that I have yet to give proper listening. Most memorable songs I have been spinning from this double CD are often based on picking up nicely rolling junk-noise loop, layering electronic oscillations and processed shouted voice on top. In a way, recipe may be used a lot, and while I most often prefer something more rugged and rusty, in this approach it is absolutely obvious some do it better than others. AM NOT belong to the ones who can push expression further and not just rely on easiest solutions.  Many times as simple thing as what kind of loop is there, the rhythm and feel how it repeats itself provides proof that some guys have good taste on that.

Currently pretty good situation that despite small print runs, most of stuff is available physically and you can check out digital streams such as:

AM NOT First morbid vibrations
https://kampfunrest.bandcamp.com/album/am-not-first-morbid-vibrations

AM NOT - Unpunished
https://kampfunrest.bandcamp.com/album/am-not-unpunished

AM NOT - Cold + Disloyal
https://kampfunrest.bandcamp.com/album/am-not-cold-disloyal

[impulse manslaughter]

That first tape is really great; nice thick, suffocating layers of sound. Probably my favorite. I like this project the best when the vocals are not upfront but buried in the mix. Live show I saw was also solid; well prepared and 100% in control.

[Andrew McIntosh]

"Unpunished" is one of the finest PE/Industrial albums ever. I have spoken.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Unpunished overall theme is strong, but also I remember thinking that how brutal was the history of Congo, plus in ways very "industrial". Curiously also site of the first photographic human rights campaign, already in 1904. One would think Congo free state would be among something dealt with, but perhaps some see it too obvious? Of course, also An Not deals more precisely Katanga, later detail in seemingly endless Congo chaos.

G.O. MaunduNi-Mau referring to Kenya incidents, UmKhonto-We-SizWe to South African incidents. It would be curious if anyone remember is there released dealing with Congo Free State?

[Aldous]

You can lump him together into technologically advanced sounding, kind of high fidelity and perhaps cinematic category.
(...)
AM NOT belong to the ones who can push expression further and not just rely on easiest solutions.  Many times as simple thing as what kind of loop is there, the rhythm and feel how it repeats itself provides proof that some guys have good taste on that."

I'm a big fan of "Unpunished", but with all the rest held in high regards! One of the most intense body of work in newer artists, keeping up with "tradition" yet pushing it a few steps further. Still have to listen a few more times to "Cold + Disloyal".

Perhaps due to the tightly controled power electronics hi-fi sound quality I tend to place AM NOT in the ranks of Strom.Ec, IFOTS or the final album of The Grey Wolves or Stromstad's "New Devoted Human" (although all these artists and albums have their very own unique identity).
This type of hi-fi sound is something I have greatly began to appreciate, as it's clinical nature does not remove one inch of soul and dynamics (and in the case of AM NOT, it's aggressiveness is always on red!).

As for Congo Free State as main subject... nothing's crossing my mind, but, on a side note, being from Portugal I would say our own colonial history has a full potential for something to be done in the future. The last generation of fighters in the wars are now in their 70's so this is the moment to catch some testemonies.

[tiny_tove]

Unpunished overall theme is strong, but also I remember thinking that how brutal was the history of Congo, plus in ways very "industrial". Curiously also site of the first photographic human rights campaign, already in 1904. One would think Congo free state would be among something dealt with, but perhaps some see it too obvious? Of course, also An Not deals more precisely Katanga, later detail in seemingly endless Congo chaos.

G.O. MaunduNi-Mau referring to Kenya incidents, UmKhonto-We-SizWe to South African incidents. It would be curious if anyone remember is there released dealing with Congo Free State?

In Italy we have several testimonies of mercenaries who were paid to free the villages and save missonaries and Belgian families. Totally crazy stuff.

[Phenol]

To me Am Not is one of the best additions to the scene in recent years (well, last decade, but who's counting...?). I really like the precision and inventiveness he displays within a rather narrow framework of PE/Heavy Electronics both in terms of sounds and themes. The metal percussion loops with heavy pulsing synths are simply on point and his vocals are good, both when subtle and when more aggressive.

On the theme of Congo it certainly looks like there's lots to have fun with. I have used some samples from Rwanda and Sierra Leone (on CD soon to come out), but Congo could be a good and maybe less obvious theme to take up at some point.

[CivilCooperationBureau]

One would think Congo free state would be among something dealt with, but perhaps some see it too obvious? Of course, also An Not deals more precisely Katanga, later detail in seemingly endless Congo chaos.

Was just giving the LP version of Unpunised its first spin on my turntables & wanted to comment on those subjects, as some further context might provide insight into Am Not's take on the matters.
Katanga state tried to breakaway from the Congo, led by Tshombe who was a chieftan of local clans of the state. He advocated for continuing normalcy & relations with Belgian colonists/companies. Much of this was a reaction to the Afro-Marxist terror of Lumumba. During this era, as in other parts, U.S. interests sided with the reds and the U.N. eventually led the Operation Grandslam invasion of Tshombe's rogue state.
This is not just a seemingly insignificant detail in the Congo conflict but is a well documented and discussed period that shows the U.S. siding against civilisation. Katanga was once called Congo's shield against communism...
These are the documented facts.
Now whether Am Not is providing any particular take on these matters will require further inspection of the lyric booklet...