Kjostad "Effie" CS (Archivio Diafonico)
A-side opens to mixer feedback fast-paced pulse and quickly adds in a looped field recording; appears to be early morning bird calls amidst some sort of high-end tone which acts as a kind of "melody." Very linear and simply ends rather than progressing much.
Second A-side track begins to a beautiful combination of a wooden pounding rhythmic loop and a warbling, melodic bird call, also looped. After another, quieter bird call loop is introduced, some pleasant electronics (?) come into the picture, a sort of PE-ish mid-range drone, eventually fading out quickly to expose some more quiet field recordings (rocks?) and another drone, more round and bassy this time. Excellent static/feedback noisy electronics also come into play after a bit.
Third A-side track opens to field recordings of machinery, or well-treated electronics, with a background human voice loop that is unintelligible to me. I think here we're seeing some elements of Kjostad and Breaking The Will (Stefan's other project) melding together a little bit? I'm reminded of certain elements of the CD on Terror really from the very beginning of this tape. This track, though, if I had to guess: machinery, big rig brakes, amplified background voice, perhaps some kind of generator, compressor, or some such equipment; a little too hollow to be a jackhammer. Despite overall great elements and some very strong moments, I might say this track drags on slightly.
What sounds like equalized rig engine rattle opens up the first B-side track, also giving way to debris impact noise – rattling and crunchy, very nice. Little high-end detail makes it's way into the background alongside some heavy acoustic unidentifiable crunch and metallic scraping, often compressing into a nice blown-out bassy sound. There are even some parts that appear distinctly tape-manipulated, though how exactly it's hard to say – you have to enjoy that. After a while of this, some great and cheap-sounding feedback spurts in and out.
This is absolutely listenable and tasteful noise, that I'm not going to attempt to describe too much because that would seem to take away from it's purpose. Instead, check this out for yourself, that is, if you enjoy going outdoors. Not down the street, I mean into the woods. Even if you didn't look at the pictures included on the j-card artwork (which appear to center the release around its' dedication to a late Harry Aune, presumably a very positive influence in Stefan's life), you might label this as "log-cabin noise." Say you're spending a few days in the country somewhere, this is what you might produce when taking some equipment with you. Easy comparisons for the lazy? Lettera 22, Mania (!!), obviously Breaking The Will, Scorpio & Glass. I really think if you've read this far, you should consider picking this up.
Kjostad "Evinrude" CS (Angst)
Sometimes, "you get what you pay for" is not a value judgement, but a literal statement of fact; in other words, the affirmation of a description. In this case, "lake water churning against an aluminum bottom." This sounds like exactly that, but I'd be worried if this experiment was conducted with a boat that sounds this rickety. There had to be some ingenious setup which captured this sound in such a dynamic and fairly harsh manner, that "churning" part is very apt.
After some time, skittering high-end electronics seep in in the background and grow almost intrusive before receding while they seem to reach their most menacing power electronics-type tone. Interestingly, the level of activity in the lake water churning sound seems to follow the cutoff increasing and decreasing in the background electronic tone, rather closely. About this time, some very nice bassy pounding starts happening – sounds like some kind of tank being struck, and by now, the background electronics have become brittle, early-90s-Whitehouse type "electrical surge" static. This is pretty goddamned enjoyable to listen to, especially once the resonant bassy metal action becomes more intense. Eventually, all the action gives way to some smaller, rattling sounds; then an abrupt tape cut to windy background static.
Oscillating backround machinery drone alongside some unobtrusive banging open up the B-side. There is this interesting rhythmic hammering tone in which is extremely hard to place. There is also a sort of tape-speed warped "melody" happening here if one pays enough attention, which is one of the nicer little tricks I've noticed from an already-innovative project. Familiar snow-shoveling (?) sounds also enter the picture, right before things calm down significantly to only the barest elements of the piece; probably back to the initial sounds from the beginning of the track. Things seem tape-cut again here, fizzing in and out as if power-starved.
At this point, there is some brittle rattling alongside a sort of high-pitched whine which leads into heavier "sweeping" noises – maybe this is ice being cleared off of some surface? Subtler details emerge but signal the end of the piece. Stefan is at the top of his game with those more recent Kojstad releases, so keep an eye on this project if you enjoy what Patrick/Self Abuse has been doing with Scar Crowe or the last Alchemy of the 21st Century CD.
