SHIFT / ROMANCE "Gateshead Sessions" tape
Unrest
2007 released tape of 60 copies might be one of less powerful Shift releases. Its not really that weak, but perhaps usage of some pop tunes and fact that Shift has improved into such strength later on, makes this side less interesting. Still many sound elements are what are known from his other releases too. What makes tape still utterly valid now, is extreme harsh noise assault of ROMANCE, who might actually be strongest pure "mid 90's japanoise style" harsh noise artists from UK, who never gained that much acknowledgement - perhaps simply because his discography 2004-2009 consists extremely small edition releases, mostly live. Scattered around different labels. Utmost precision in cutting, always wild and fast moving - into right directions. Short gloomy moments of looped orchestral pieces and crispy reverb melting abrupt cuts together. Pain Jerk, Kazumoto Endo etc. If that's your thing, then Romance is your thing. Too bad he didn't make at least one proper "studio" album... Also his live sets killed. Luckily saw couple of those.
And talking of great UK bands that seem to go slightly unnoticed...
Mlehst "Automatic Nonsense" tape
SPITE 06
Discogs says this would be Spite 05, but I trust cover of tape is correct. Two small cards in plastic sleeve and tape between them. Great mix of experimental tape music and noise. I guess its utterly false to say "unnoticed", when Mlehst has so many LP's done and huge discography, but still, when you look at the discography, it costs A LOT of tiny edition releases. Lathe cut records, CDR's, tapes and even vinyl LP's appear often to be like ltd 100? Stuff he is something one could say noise version of electro-acoustic/musique concrete. Perhaps a bit like P16.D4. It has utmost talent, like the best of academic works, but it has neat noisy edge to it. Some tape loops, but more often just collaged and manipulated sounds, noises, etc. The absolute best thing is of course that material is from 1997, and cutting and sound quality doesn't give impressions of computer work. Methods that have been available at this time, are much more difficult, but also result is phenomenal. Too bad that "history of Mlehst" series was also issued just as slimline dvd box packaged CDR's. Those are cheap to get, though. So anyone who's not into hunting old tapes, check out Self Abuse. Perhaps would be also good time to grab those more recent LP releases now when they're still easily available.
