PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[Cranial Blast]

Michael Sterns - Ancient Leaves CD Reissue by Infinite Fog.

I found this release to be quite exhilarating, amazing and quite unique for an ambient/experimental release dating back to 1977. The album definitely has some very sombre, majestic and even maybe a sort of melancholic type of atmospheres to heard throughout that sort of build and build up into this sort of subtle composition that keeps a nice interesting pace. Ancient Leaves is the only thing I've heard from Micheal Sterns, but I'll definitely be looking more into the discography. I'd like to think that anyone who's remotely into the more ambient side of Dead Can Dance would certainly enjoy this release and I'd highly recommend it to anyone that is even remotely searching for something ambient of the highest qualities.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Kazumoto Endo - Brick & Mortar CD (Skeleton Dust)

Reissue of the cut-up master's 2003 album. This one seemed so impossible to find before the reissue. Even While You Were Out would pop up for sale from time to time, but Brick and Mortar almost didn't seem to exist even though there were supposedly 500 copies.

A super precise and surgical 26 minutes. With nano-second splicing of pedal chain feedback loops, junk metal, scraped springs, and even pop music samples this album is truly special. Not a second is wasted and it's so meticulously crafted that it never feels like sounds are randomly thrown together. Every sound has a place and purpose.

Themes are created and interplay between the sounds are established, repeated, and then by the time you recognize the pattern, new themes and interplay are created. I cannot even fathom how long the standard track took Endo to edit let alone a whole album.

Endo is such a special artist and almost everyone is already familiar with his body of work. However, this album is truly immaculate and a stand-alone representation of technical cut-up noise. Even within his already well-praised discography, this has to be somewhere damn near the top. I personally think this tops While You Were Out which is a feat in and of itself.

If cut-up is your flavor and you haven't grabbed this yet, don't wait.

[Svartvit]

I was finally able to get Hospital's Mangled Clit comp and it's one amazing looking set. Very high quality digipak! There's only one track per side for each tape and songs flow into each other, like they were meant to be just one track. The only exception is the Purveyors Of Cruelty's Confession, with menacing, heavy industrial banging and spoken word. Two hours of otherwise very similar dirty noise and shouting, it's a bit hefty listen, but lovely nonetheless. Along with Final Solution, I wonder if there's more 90s NYC Power Electronics waiting to be unearthed, or is everything already reissued.

Let's pray to the noise gods that there is more still in hiding, I Love this sound.

[Phenol]

I've had a little time to digest the new DCD by The Black Mahgreb. It continues the style of the 7" and is very good, at least while listening to it. The problem is that it's too massive and after I've listened I can't really remember any standout tracks. All is good, but like with the latest GO album nothing really stands out either. I like that it's kind of subdued for large parts, though, and the brooding synth sound paired with also subdued high frequncy sounds with resonace turned up high is just he way I like it.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Tourette - Cendrier Du Voyage c60 (Archivio Diafònico)

Maybe the dirtiest and most forward harsh noise album by Tourette. All contact mics, feedback, and metal junk abuse. Only basic seasoning on this album but prepared by a skillful hand.

Still features the expertise in editing and composition of a Tourette album. However, featuring a more noticeable appreciation for grit and texture. Sounds are given more room to rot and fester. Many sounds are pushed to their limits, choked out, and strangled. Last track in particular sounds like a gimp crawling through a junkyard.

None of the classical like synth/organ chord work like on other releases. Even though synth is used minimally, it's more to add tension and nuance to some tracks.

I played this one twice in a row as I felt like I missed a lot of the detail the first time around and didn't truly appreciate how good it was. Even better on the second listen. Skillful and artistic necrotic sounds.