Hospital Productions : 13 new tapes

[mystikum]

FFH - 'anything is Possible'  _ first thing I have heard from this project that I liked.  The vocals are almost spoken sounding and really scratchy.  Electronics are more dynamic than other stuff I have heard from it.

Tortured Hooker is DF's noisecore project.  Not sure about K.P., it's noise from NEw York, but I am pretty sure it isn't DF.

[ConcreteMascara]

Yeah I don't think K.P. is Dom but from what I've heard Exploring Jezebel is. The first two Tortured Hooker tapes were alright but I eventually sold them.

[WAR]

EJ is definitely dom, as is Vatican Shadow. Chrome Jesus is wes eisold from cold cave. wish i would have gotten the FFH.

[Max]

i'm most interested in this new K.P. the last tape "nominating someone" came totally out of the blue (for me at least) and impressed me very much. would be interested to know more about this project, although once the veil of obscurity is lifted some "edge" is bound to be lost, hah!

[bogskaggmannen]

So it's more important who is in the group rather than how it actually sounds?

[Max]

So it's more important who is in the group rather than how it actually sounds?

who's in the group does effect on how the music sounds, does it not?

[mystikum]

So it's more important who is in the group rather than how it actually sounds?

who's in the group does effect on how the music sounds, does it not?

- don't think it effects my opinion of the music, i.e. I still like/dislike it as much, but it wouldn't mean I am not interested.  I was surprised to hear fernow was behind vatican shadow.  I remember him talking about how much he wanted to create short industrial tracks, just didn't realize that was his project.   

[bogskaggmannen]

I see your point but I always thought the idea behind doing something under a monicker incognito was to get beyond the expectations generated to specific persons. Taken to an extreme, one would change the group name for every release, if the purpose is for people to focus on the idea and sounds rather than having it all put in a larger perspective.

[bogskaggmannen]

who's in the group does effect on how the music sounds, does it not?

Maybe it does but the main question is SHOULD IT?

[moozz]

I see your point but I always thought the idea behind doing something under a monicker incognito was to get beyond the expectations generated to specific persons. Taken to an extreme, one would change the group name for every release, if the purpose is for people to focus on the idea and sounds rather than having it all put in a larger perspective.

Even more extreme would be to disguise all your releases as compilations with a dozen different artists.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I guess, been done within noise as long as I can remember. I remember years ago asking some older UK folks about identities of certain bands on old compilations and they said, everytime when you see uknown name in UK comp, it's most likely the side project of the one who put it out.

As much as I often used to underline necessity of personality in noise, I think nowadays almost the opposite. I do think it's about the same, but perhaps its more of semantics: It should actually not be said to be personality, but interesting substance? It might be directly results of "personality", but with all the bs "me me me" removed. Underlining the lack of importance of person, and focusing on ideas & substance of soniks/kontent (heh..). It would be essential. The worship of certain projects based on who did it, seems foolish, since it could be said there are hardly perfect discographies. I guess most of the "re-unions" have perhaps proven it, as well as some of the long lived projects who kind of dropped out but keep on going? Where veterans who one set the standards and gained status of being interesting projects to keep eye on, fail to live up to standards. While many of the smaller bands crush, but nobody bothers to check out.. unless it's by this or that label, or from this or that country.

[catharticprocess]

Hospital has a high profile because, for the most part, it releases quality if not exceptional quality material.

Really? That could have been said a few years back, but lately, quality of dubbing is all over the place, some tapes sounding like complete garbage. My copy of the 2nd Yellow Tears LP won't even play on one side, and I've heard others say the same. Packaging quality has taken a huge nosedive in recent years, and the design for most releases doesn't hold a candle to the past. I think this label rides on a reputation from a few years ago that doesn't reflect the current reality. I love many of the current releases, but had they been released in 2002 or 2003, I could only imagine how much better the quality control on the design would have been, and how much more interesting the presentation and packaging would have been. Now, most releases reflect mass-production without quality control, and yet the prices are the same. Why bother, though, right? People still think the label's great, pay the same prices, and the releases sell out faster. It's a fine business model. Anyone ever read any Adorno?

[Andrew McIntosh]

I see your point but I always thought the idea behind doing something under a monicker incognito was to get beyond the expectations generated to specific persons. Taken to an extreme, one would change the group name for every release, if the purpose is for people to focus on the idea and sounds rather than having it all put in a larger perspective.

That was an idea of someone I'm in a band with; change the name for each release. I wasn't into it, myself, but I could see the merit in it.

Anyone who's got a disappointing Merzbow album or a great release from a total unknown should know to expect the unexpected, and I imagine in this scene that's all of us. One can rely on the good name of a certain project or individual for only so long; everyone has their off moments.

[Goat93]

Hospital has a high profile because, for the most part, it releases quality if not exceptional quality material.

Really? That could have been said a few years back, but lately, quality of dubbing is all over the place, some tapes sounding like complete garbage. My copy of the 2nd Yellow Tears LP won't even play on one side, and I've heard others say the same. Packaging quality has taken a huge nosedive in recent years, and the design for most releases doesn't hold a candle to the past. I think this label rides on a reputation from a few years ago that doesn't reflect the current reality. I love many of the current releases, but had they been released in 2002 or 2003, I could only imagine how much better the quality control on the design would have been, and how much more interesting the presentation and packaging would have been. Now, most releases reflect mass-production without quality control, and yet the prices are the same. Why bother, though, right? People still think the label's great, pay the same prices, and the releases sell out faster. It's a fine business model. Anyone ever read any Adorno?

What you say is with nearly all Labels, who become "bigger". Cold Meat were totaly Great in Music and Packing, now ist just normal stuff. Tesco were the same. More and more went out with normal boring digipack. Old Europe Cafe too...

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think that has been discussed elsewhere at some point? I mean the topic of who does special packaging nowadays? You can remember Tesco, OEC, GROSS, MSBR, and many others who were doing even very special handmade items. Not only for sake of being "handmade", but also actually looking good & exceptional.
The choise to go into factory product is most likely direct result of increased pressing and release volume. I wouldn't expect someone to hand assemble some MSBR type for 1300-2600 tapes they just got for sale? Or 5 cd's totalling 5000 copies to hand assemble.
I'm fine with standard packaging. Jewelbox, j-card in tape box, etc.
One could say that Nil By Mouth. Cathartic Process. For example they do alternative packaging nowadays. But is it going to extent of MSBR, GROSS or specialities of early Tesco or insanities of SHF etc?

In case of Hospital, I would assume, that all the design is intentional. If it looks rough and rubbish, it is intended to be so. About dubbing, I can't say anything since I haven't heard any of the tapes since.. well, few years ago. And I do think that as opposite what Cathartic Process said, 2-3 years ago there was period of high-speed 16x on lowest grade tapes where machine was used until it simply fell apart. Some of the worst dubs in noise. And you could tell it by listening the tapes. Few sad lights blinking on one channel with clicks and pops on tape. Hosital did improve it when changed to do 1:1 double decking. But that obviously was only suitable for small runs. Whatever dubbing is now, I can't imagine that it would be worse than 2-3 years ago. I got many tapes what maybe looked nice in the big polycase with full color cover, but sound.. often unbearable. Not the low levels, but glitches and crackles not meant to be there. I do prefer the basic box, instead of oversized vinyl box. It's rare to see design what offers so much visual pleasure that it justifies the unpracticality. In same was as DVD box vs. jewelbox. It simply isn't "special" to choose oversized packaging. Tape in DVD/videobox size "library cover" isn't "special" unless it has some substance why such packaging is used. So personally, I'm all in favor for Hospital doing standard J-card & plastic box.