PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[WCrap]

Haha.. well.. magical words "biggest names in the avantgarde art world"...
I think it has been notorious fact that many times big part of art music exists mostly due funding and life-support level institutional attention, while a lot of underground music has vivid and actual culture where it happens. Right? I remember talking with guy in Fylkingen (Stockholm) looking at meter after meter storage of their new art music CD's and asking anyone buying these? He said "NO". And explained releases are being made since there is funding for it and if they wouldn't put out that stuff, there wouldn't be funding.

haha, fair enough. yes, i know that those "scenes" are completely different, i was just a bit surprised about the numbers. your point that keeping stuff available will make them keep selling makes sense, after all noise/pe/etc is part of youth culture and new younger listeners come every few years, even though they might not stay.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I would also encourage more labels do this. I think we can see it just about every month, that label who put out batch of stuff, one of the many things available was received better than the rest and people almost begging to get more copies. Instead of moving on to next batch of all new titles, it would be curious to see what if the most praised tape of previous batch 2nd edition is being done? I just did more copies of Grunt "Swarm of parasites" and "chance to be cruel". Both tapes must have sold close to 300 now? Sacrosanct Imperium too, that probably more than those two.
I assume that some artists could sell their best release even several hundreds of copies and PERHAPS this would be one route to advance noise? What if the releases widely regarded the best at the moment, would be obtainable, and not buried under hundreds of 20-100 copies releases? Some sort of semi-permanent milestone? At least I know lots of people who want to get "the best", and have lost their interest in contemporary labels when options are to follow IG 24/7 or miss all the best items and have access only to unwanted generic stuff.
I would strongly urge any label to give it a try to push the best titles further. Nothing to lose really, especially on tape format, where you got even possibility to recycle something over unsellable former releases hah..

I think it is less about age, or even the new crowd, but if you got the best thing out there available, even the old men might give it a shot and get excited. They most likely do not need more generic stuff, but have interest to check that unique best new thing?

[Commander15]

Haha.. well.. magical words "biggest names in the avantgarde art world"...
I think it has been notorious fact that many times big part of art music exists mostly due funding and life-support level institutional attention, while a lot of underground music has vivid and actual culture where it happens. Right? I remember talking with guy in Fylkingen (Stockholm) looking at meter after meter storage of their new art music CD's and asking anyone buying these? He said "NO". And explained releases are being made since there is funding for it and if they wouldn't put out that stuff, there wouldn't be funding.

One has to remember that Freak Animal is "always there", and to actually sell 1000, one needs to press that many copies and keep mailing them out anytime someone asks. Not everything sells a lot, but some stuff does.
Most label bosses simply sigh in relief when first pressing is gone, and would never repress old title unless there is clear demand for repress. Many of Grunt albums have sold around 1000, even Nicole 12 albums sold 1000 each. I recall some Clinic Of Torture has 3 or more pressings. Even something like Strom.ec debut album, I guess LP+CD together over 800, and album been sold out for more than decade. All of these could be repressed and without doubt, pressings would sell out eventually. Slow or fast, doesn't matter if you are not in hurry.

Item doesn't have to be "trendy" and it doesn't even have to get that much of attention, but helps when it is good and somewhat unique. If you got 100 other releases quite alike it, one can estimate it won't be selling much. I don't necessarily aim for maximum sales, fine with doing small editions too, but sometimes it is sort of "statement" that particular album moves 4 digits amount in times when even media pets and music biz clowns cry about being unable even release physical album.

Recent playlist, kind of related to one mentioned name! I got into discussion about Klaus Schulze and ended up listening lots of his albums. Out of town right now, so have to listen online. "Mirage", "Timewind", "Body Love",.. few bits and pieces on top of that. This happened after posting ehm... cooking video at social media including my own "Schulze inspired" soundtrack on it. One person also SI forum user commented about need for pornography with this type of soundtrack and discussion continued to "Body Love" as well as that I am pretty sure Gold Medal publisher (Old Dutch xxx video label for all things vile) used Schulze soundtracks in many of their film loop VHS reissues. One most memorable for me is of course EROTIC PERVERSION : Whip & Pierce film loop, that was so influential in my youth, that I later started magazine with same name, plus Clinic Of Torture made album referring to this loop - and just blatantly ripped entire soundtrack as one long song on the album. I got one time compliments for great atmospheric kraut/synth song on the album being best stuff on it and was like... yep.. But that's not really COT, just stolen song for conceptual reasons.
Those EP films were made by same guy who directed Bondage Classics films for HOM Inc. In interview man explained that he got order to make film loop series for European market, that would be way harder than could be sold in USA. Bondage and (simulated) violence, with full nudity, penetration and such, plots of kidnapping and basement abuse.. He could not even develop the films in US, so he filmed the video and sent raw undeveloped footage to Holland and never heard about them again. Only decades later he found that everything has been edited & published already back then and became quite infamous classics. They are not like the real-deal UG s/m stuff, but like HOM films, little story, some sort of plot, very neat grainy film, woman in distress, with expressive face and body movements. Almost like art-film rather than the documentation of s/m session. Many of the old Gold Medal versions of HOM inc loops had also experimental-krautrock type of soundtrack used. Not in all, though.  I found that better than later American versions where they started to use death metal and such. I recall there was even some death industrial.. maybe BDN? Probably without permission, but actual pressed DVD comps of old rough silent loops with "updated" soundtracks.

Schulze is definitely the man! I like all his 70's solo records and Schulze-era Ash Ra Tempel is godlike stuff, esp. Schwingungen and debut albums. Early Schulze albums, like Cyborg or  Picture Music in particular are super charming, there is lots of innovation thru exploration and experimentation and also lots of pointless moments and meandering. In a way it is like old-school noise, where there is moments where the artist is clearly playing the noise and trying to some sense in it or to find a new "gear" or good sound and dynamics to work with.

[Cranial Blast]

Ride For Revenge / Transhunter - Vertical Passion Escalator Split CD (Bestial Burst)

What a fucking wild ride this split was, especially after a 6 pack! The music/noise is equally as trippy and mental as cover collage, which is quite great! Transhunter is a weird band to try to explain, it's almost like they got a "punk" aesthetic with their crazy far out riffs, almost reminiscent of like early early Swans, which is great! Ride For Revenge comes in with some heavy slowed almost doomed like riffs, but still cult and black as ever. I really enjoy these weird splits Ride For Revenge does with other weird oddities in the underground. It's this kind of mix mashes of likeminded individuals that make these splits so special. Highly recommend this one to anyone remotely interested in this sort of crossover between noise and extreme metal.

[Zeno Marx]

Klaus Schulze, like Manuel Gottsching, could turn on the early charm at any moment. As an example, "Sequenzer (From 70 to 07)", from the 2007 album Kontinuum, is like walking back in time 35 or 40 years.  It's also why seeing them live wasn't a futile exercise.  They never stopped being great.

[Zeno Marx]

Running into old cassette comps on blogs continues to be a fun and rewarding pastime.  This is a great one.  Forget the track listing.  They all bring the goods.  Never heard of this label.

VARIOUS - ORGASMUS COMPILATION (SCHUTT UND ASCHE, CASSETTE C-90, 1987)

http://stahlfabrik.blogspot.com/2024/07/various-orgasmus-compilation-schutt-und.html

[FreakAnimalFinland]

YELLOW GAS FLAMES "satanic hair dye" LP
Hospital Productions
Mix of kind of "euro industrial" things (like short repeating spoken loops, repeating longer documentary dialogues running on top of eachother) mixed with harsh noise blasting. Some distorted drum machine rhythms. When Connelly mentioned in some of the podcasts that working with Hospital is often kind of collaborative effort, that label has ideas how covers must be, perhaps even what release should be about... Not sure who came up with titles or slogan on back cover, but it has very very "Hospital vibe" there, hah.

NO GUARD tape
Cipher prod
I recall ad said that this very limited (was it 50) is something you need to buy or regret it later. Perhaps! Its very traditional PE/heavy electronics type of stuff from Australia, but neat production - at least on tape format - and what it loses on being very much "genre music", it wins by being very good at that! For fans of the style, very much recommended.

VIGILANTISM "Fetish of Death" CD
New Approach Records
Vigilantism continues his path toward more musical approach. Perhaps less musical than previous, but now louder vocals with clearly pronounced lyrics, icy cold synth tones, rhythmic noise elements. The more I listen, more I like it. First felt that could have been little more rugged production and vocals could have been less upfront in mix, but well, now that I am used to it, works just fine!

KJOSTAD "Weathering" 2xCD
Satatuhatta
I know it's pretty sucky to remind about that best Kjostad CD that is my favorite, and start to compare everything else with conclusion that this is not as good as that was. Well, Kjostad is still master in the fine detail and timbre of production. Not all sounds are amazing, but the tasty production and the overall feel is excellent and double CD worth of noise delivers!
   

[Cranial Blast]

V/A "A Contre-Temps" -Résilience compilation CD

This might be one the best contemporary black metal compilations of modern times! I cannot recommend this one enough and everyone featured on this CD comp. really delivers some really incredible material! Loads of really great riffs, epic melodic chords and you name it. This album truly feeds the hunger that I believe most black metallers are looking for! Every track is stellar!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

It is also CD only release. Length is too much for LP, perhaps too little for 2xLP, and CD works perfectly for this. Also notable for BM compilation is that its all new exclusive studio material. No cover songs, live recordings or some sort of leftovers. Some names you probably know, but would be surprised if people would be familiar with everybody. Resilience releases are probably easiest to get from nhfastore.net

I have been listening quite a lot of BM records lately. One reason been that pile of LPs on "to be listened" piles at my work has grown too big, and there is way more BM vinyl than noise related. A lot of recent noise 12" releases have been reissues and already own the original CD, so don't need all the reissues, has become almost surprising how little amount of great NEW recordings come on LP. Price of manufacturing and shipping combined to lack of distributors having real effect we have been expecting..?

[Commander15]

Hal Hutchinson - Cold Industrial Experience CD
Freak Animal

Listened to this album first time yesterday but had to replay it instantly because it so was so good. Moody and oppressive industrial ambience combined with tasteful amounts of synths and drum machines(?). Cold, mechanical impressions emanating from the industrial haze. At times the album reminds me of Pain Appendix's Toward Infinity tape and Vidöppna Sår by Sewer Election.

H.Ö.H. - s/t CD
Freak Animal

H.Ö.H. is an prince among the riff raff when it comes to weird and primitive noise. Wonderful, obscure and puzzling sounds from the inner realms of an old tape player found from abandoned farmhouse.  H.Ö.H. has really created its own sonical world and reality, where the "normal" laws of noise do not apply at all. Sounds that could be percieved as weak or lame in isolation are arranged here so that the end results could be even be described as symphonic at times! Everything is glued together by craftmanship and murky tape sound. Hauntological stuff that is hard to describe in words. 7/5 reissue.

[BatteredStatesofEuphoria]

has become almost surprising how little amount of great NEW recordings come on LP. Price of manufacturing and shipping combined to lack of distributors having real effect we have been expecting..?

I think the effects of inflation are being felt in general across every stage of the music product process, from artists/labels to the buyer as well. I know its affected my buying habits. Lucky to say I'm not struggling like many others, but even so, there's only so much money I can devote to music, and its a lot less than it was. I would usually prefer CDs, but in years past, I typically wouldn't have any issues shelling out cash for both CD and vinyl of things I really liked. Now, when it seems like the LOWEST you can get vinyl for is nearly $30 here in the US, I have to think very judiciously about what vinyl is worth that. But that's true in general no matter the format. I see the prices for some of those Hospital special editions sometimes and I wonder who in the world is buying them.

This could probably be its own topic, really. It'd be interesting to see if those on the production side of music have noticed a general decline in sales over the last few years.

[ritualabuser]

has become almost surprising how little amount of great NEW recordings come on LP. Price of manufacturing and shipping combined to lack of distributors having real effect we have been expecting..?

I think the effects of inflation are being felt in general across every stage of the music product process, from artists/labels to the buyer as well. I know its affected my buying habits. Lucky to say I'm not struggling like many others, but even so, there's only so much money I can devote to music, and its a lot less than it was. I would usually prefer CDs, but in years past, I typically wouldn't have any issues shelling out cash for both CD and vinyl of things I really liked. Now, when it seems like the LOWEST you can get vinyl for is nearly $30 here in the US, I have to think very judiciously about what vinyl is worth that. But that's true in general no matter the format. I see the prices for some of those Hospital special editions sometimes and I wonder who in the world is buying them.

This could probably be its own topic, really. It'd be interesting to see if those on the production side of music have noticed a general decline in sales over the last few years.

I can say that I definitely have noticed a decline in any sort of personal sales, and I'd say what I do sell of my projects is priced well below the norm. Granted, it's usually artist copies, but I'd say it generally affects anyone trying to sell right now, and labels moreso since they have to shoulder production costs etc. as well. The extortionate prices of shipping, especially internationally, are doing a great job of fucking everyone over as well. Almost $30 to ship a single dubbed tape to Norway.

[SIEGSIEGSIEG]

Deathprod – Treetop Drive

I cannot believe this was released in 1994!? I listened to a song (Treetop Drive 1) from this album on repeat from Spotify, when I stumbled upon it on a good playlist. And thought every time I heard the song that this was some quality post 2010s drone/dark ambient kind of sound. But finding out that the whole album was released so early is mindboggling. Can someone name bands that were definitely influenced by Deathprod or something? I refuse to believe this hasn't influenced some big names.

I searched the forums here and Deathprod has been named a few times but not much else to be found here.

Especially the song "Towboat" is like the quintessential drone song. I hear Puce Mary, I hear Prurient, I hear Abul Mogard. I would not believe if someone tried to convince me this album was released before the year 2000. Or even before 2010. It sounds like it could have been released this year. It's just so good and fresh sounding, just amazing.

No artist, album or song has made me feel this way in a long time, so I think it's worth sharing this amazement heh.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Gabriele Giuliani – Rinite Vasomotoria Cronica CD (Phage Tapes)

Here we have what I believe to be the first full-length album by Gabriele Giuliani under his own name.

A different sound palette is utilized than what is used commonly under the Dead Body Love moniker. Rather than a focus on dense texture, the sounds are all harsh but there is a wider palette of frequencies utilized.

There are a lot of "colorful" sounds if that makes sense. Gear isn't listed, but there must be some sort of synth utilized. Many layers of sound are stacked on top of each other and interweaving rapidly at any given moment for a complex tapestry. The style is definitely closer to the frantic Japanese style attack a la 90's analog Merzbow. Reminds me quite a bit of Oersted or Pinkream.

A very fun and active release showcasing yet another angle to Gabriele's technical abilities and skills. Enjoyed this quite a bit and it provided a nice contrast listening to this after the DBL Repugnance and Crossfire reissues.

Definitely has me in a mood for 90's Merzbow and now I might dig out some of those CDs next.

[mag-maa]

Caroliner Rainbow
12 albums playlist (link)

Fourth of the list going on at the moment. Three earlier played today from laptop speakers "on a background" which has been working well. There's no need to always blast the sound from the speakers or through the headphones. Crappy small speakers sometimes working well enough. Now, while having my "workbench" at the balcony, hearing all kind of sounds from outside mixed to this soup (a lot of seagulls, sometimes very nervous... or just joyful..ly restless). the music of Caroliner is veeery strange psychedelic weirdness, sometimes also with harsh(er) noise elements. Very authentic music, twisting the brains to new yet unknown forms. kind of heavy, but not heavy rock type of heavy; more likely heavy psychedelic. This stuff was probably presented in Bananafish already in the 90's... nowadays I am not sure if people really listen this band anymore. I often forget their existence, but then sometimes it pops up to the present time again, and it's a cool thing to dive in (or to just feel these strange vibrations).
No idea if the strong harsh noise fans on this forum would actually like to listen this type of music. Would be interesting to hear comments anyway.