One can take a look message above for something said c. 6 years ago. I still stand still in same state of mind.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on June 11, 2012, 10:14:54 PM
This original early style of short innovative tracks, unique take on lyrics/graphics/presentation, etc. It is what made the big impact. I do value their later works as well, but I think some of the original feel has been lost when tracks have extended lengths and similar tones/oscillations used over and over again.
I greatly appreciate the latest Bastard Noise / Outermost collaboration 7". It proved once again that Bastard Noise is at its best in 7" format, and perhaps also: collaborations.
Why is that. Well, lets say I spent two days to go through entire "Our Earths Blood IV" 5xCD box. Huuuff.... Even if I have recently gone through way more massive box-sets, and even if I may consider myself to be very much supportive for MITB/BN, it gets way too much. 10 x CD of Incapacitants - no problem! 4 x CD of Pan Sonic? No problem. What's the issue with Bastard Noise then? If I say there is "too much of the same", doesn't that sound exactly what
Incapacitants does?
Well, not sure how analytic one should be about it? Band like Incapacitants benefits from length and massivity. On surface level it may appear to be "the same", but each release is quite different when judged by its own merits. Bastard Noise in other hand, doesn't really benefit from length. At the best their material has been when long studio session is cut into 2-4 tracks of total length of 6 minutes on side of 7". But stuff like this 5xCD, it simply underlines that you have heard it all so many times, it gets old. You know, the exact same oscillator box used for hundreds of time, with nothing beyond neat reverb as efx. The same vocal pace and style since 25 years. No efx beyond studio reverb. Wood has without doubt, really powerful roaring, yet I start to miss experimentation. Not just treating vocals like in punk, shouting through tracks, but actually consider it as compositional part, what should not be
the same, all the time.
What this box benefits, of course, is that collaborators can bring new angle to work. Some tracks works out well. Some are reaaally lazy. Occasionally you get someone blasting harsh noise frenzy on top of bastard electronics and you feel confident the box is good. Next you got shitty digital-multiFX line-in guitar drones on top of same old bastard oscillation and one wonders what's the point? There are couple musical tracks too, which don't fit this at all. I know label invested plenty of time and money to get this done, but one single CD, with absolute best tracks, would have made this good CD. Now as box, it really gets way too much even for fanboy, hah...
Even if I was slightly critical towards
SICKNESS / BASTARD NOISE collaboration LP, I must conclude that it is still very much positive example that BN collaborations can work well it involves and actual idea what album should be. It's not just submitting lazy drones or re-doing things all the same, but indeed, in this collaboration creativity of both bands is elevated to new level. It's not like Sickness alone would do album like this, nor Bastard Noise. And composition is way beyond just random tracks with eachothers sounds. Wood vocal performance is also pretty wild - and strange. Of course he has done all these vocals styles many times, but breaking templates into long guttural whisper-growls extended over so long periods of time, over minimalist backgrounds - that are clearly composed. I must say that one needs to actually listen this more carefully to really appreciate the quality of noise textures. Especially going through this AFTER the 5xCD underlines its superiority. That said, if this and the Outermost collaboration mark highlights among Bastard Noise collaborations, maybe project is going for better direction? Lets hope so!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMKv1zLSBIQ
