PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[k.p.g]

Viodre - Recycled (RRR)
One of the very solid titles in this series of tapes, and one I would recommend to anyone curious about getting into the Viodre project.

Various Artists - The Artificial Nerve (Xerxes)
A very solid compilation.  It is one of those ones where the "underdog" acts outperform the bigger names.  Naj, Meeuw & Magmax tracks all left me a bit stunned by how they deviated from the balls-to-the-wall harsh (although, is it cheating since Magmax is Mr. Tano?  Who cares?  I need to hear more of that).  Not to say those more recognizable names aren't great.  PBK track has its own freakshow to behold, and the Alpha Beaulieau that bookends this thing is a good deal of fun!  After it ended, roommate commented on how "you can instantly some Ron sounds, it's great."  Truly is, I cannot help but smile when I hear that man screaming like an idiot.

[DBL]

Mongrel Tactics / Häkki - untitled
Cassette, Brownhill Mafia & Salamanauhat, 2021. Edition of 100 copies.

This split features two perhaps less known Finnish projects. I think this split still remains the latest release by Häkki, a collaboration of Pentti Dassum and Jaakko Vanhala. On the flipside there's Mongrel Tactics that has since done a split tape with Abysse Des Âmes. I haven't heard it, but I've seen some comments that Abysse's side would rival their Satatuhatta-LP in quality, so, obviously I'd like to. The tape's dubbing quality is really good and the dark-toned minimalistic cover art shows a good eye for design as well.

The opening track by Mongrel Tactics is bleak (death) industrial thumping that moves fairly slow and steady. It creates a strong atmosphere, but perhaps due to being a fairly short opener, it feels like an intro of what's to come. The song ends quite abruptly to make room for its follow-up track that's based on low humming drone, excellently controlled rising and waning waves of feedback, and harsh distorted vocals. While it's not rigid, everything seems to be wielded  with methodically clear intent and purpose. The feedback eventually fades into the background with other hoarse and high-pitch sounds, while the foreground is taken over by a rumbling mass of murky distortion that has a very pleasing (I'm guessing) analogically blown-out texture. Eventually the rumbling fades, and the sparsely heard feedback gets paired with really tasty sounds of rattling and rustling with unspecified physical objects. All in all, the side displays strength in its atmosphere, craftmanship and the used sounds. It still seems to hold back, so if they make a longer recording at some point, I hope it has moments where that pent-up something is let out to roam.

It seems unplanned, but Häkki's side starts where Mongrel Tactics' side ended. There's rustling with physical objects or field recordings of the like, but this time they're offered with a heavy delay effect. This sound slowly mutates into chirping and warbling "insect electronics" similar to what Dassum has since done with Kartio and Vanhala with Primitive Wings. There's a backing of controlled industrial ambience, and on its surface, a constantly mutating assortment of microsounds that sound both watery and electronic. They have a distinct cassette sound to them, but I can't tell if it's what the source sounds were recorded on or what they were later manipulated with (or both). As a suitable pairing with the methodical approach of Mongrel Tactics, there's no element or feel of showing off here either, but the vision and quality of craftmanship shines through absolutely clearly without it being forced to do so. There's a lot to hear during the 15 minutes per project, but I'd say I would've liked to hear even more from both!

The tape can be heard here: https://brownhillmafia.bandcamp.com/album/split-2
You can also check out the mentioned Mongrel Tactics / Abysse Des Âmes split tape on that bandcamp page.

[Bloated Slutbag]

Phroq - "35" from 77 Sound Objects
Very physical sounding, jagged, close-mic'd, close-mouthed, tonsil-insinuating, scritch n blurt. Raw, rude. Crude. Like the perpetrator is trying to induce vomit from uncooperative plastic encased robotic maw.  To quite stunning effect (soundwise, no comment on the state of the rainbow flavored footwear; tastefully peppered dry chafed feedback flits notwithstanding).  Which is funny in a way because this is exactly how I would have hoped the full release proper woulda sounded (given the title!), but does not. As if to illustrate the point a random scroll, to "33", gives us pure desiccated data hack aka whitewashed string o' ones n zeroes with no effort to gentrify proceedings, like c'mon man. To the question can this minute and four seconds save the remainder, of course not, but there are plenty of remainders, of the more and less desiccated variety, that would warrant bothering.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Kyle Flanagan - Timpani CDr (Easyriders Noise)
Really nice drone/ambient experiments conducted by running an MS20 through concert timpanis. I really enjoyed this one. Unique frequencies with the natural reverberation of the drums bouncing the sounds around. Four variations on the theme and the entire release clocks in at just 20 minutes. Short, sweet, and all the fat trimmed. Have a feeling I'm going to be revisiting this one a bit. Very pleasant.


Kyle Flanagan - Purely Psychedelic Vol. 8 CDr (Self-released)
Latest release in the Purely Psychedelic series. More drone/ambient work from Kyle, but it's fairly active here. The first track sounds like magical nymphs fluttering around a moist, slime-filled cave with cavernous reverberations and deep guttural creature growls heard coming from the depths below. Strong release and might be one of my favorites in the series. I liked this quite a bit.

[k.p.g]

HMO/Skin Crime - An Autopsy Performed Upon the Living (Self Abuse)
Decided to listen after commenting in the thread on Self Abuse.  This tape remains one of those "holy grail" sort of finds for me (anyone who wants to let a copy go, my DMs are open).  It's really not hard to see why.  This is a dark murk of synth, bizarre sample work & things that go *bump* in the night.  Being from the 90s too, it is interesting to see that these sorts of sounds that would go onto define late period Skin Crime were worked with so early on.  I usually assumed that this sort of approach was worked on mostly in the live arena leading up to the Hospital LP.  Guess not.  Great stuff.

[prolapsedlielack]

Brainbombs - DIE

The sick Swedes do it again. A perfect flowing album with great repetitive riffs and the worlds most detuned bass. The Fall if they read true crime books and a strong contender for album of the year. perfect score

[k.p.g]

Penis Geyser - Penis Geyser (Reanimated Miscarriage)
A band that sure loves to name tapes after their band name.  This one would be the newest tape in the RM drop.  It sounds like it's a live ripper, with tons of dead space between the blasts (tons for a C12).  Guitar is detuned as all hell and adds for some hilarious moments where it sounds like the instrument is slowly melting.  A fun, late night listen!

[k.p.g]

Macronympha - Sex and Death (Hospital Productions)
A little on the nose, huh?  Hah.  The title really sums up what Macronympha is ALL ABOUT.  No lies found here.
As for the audio here -- love it.  In an alternate timeline, a lineup of the band where Joe and Rodger stay together with Dom in the fold could have truly developed into something special.  This release finds this unit of Macro in an aggressive state of looping, with lots of distorted murk slapped atop it.  While not as chaotic as the 90s material with jarring cuts, this piece would still serve as a great introduction piece to anyone curious about the project.  It isn't gonna turn anyone off with its runtime, and still retains the Macro filth the diehards know and love.  I think I'd go with this one into Relentless Agony for the full length experience to follow.  Happy to have a copy of this one kicking around. 

On another note, I am starting to notice that many Hospital releases around this time serve as great, short-form introductions to some legendary projects.  Wolf Eyes, Prurient, this record, etc.  Makes me wish some of those titles were more regularly available still for newer generations to pick up on.

[Tribe Tapes]

Drew Dobbs - Sophisticated Savage K7 [1987, Sound Of Pig]
Only solo tape from this Big City Orchestra collaborator. Casio SK and emulator noise, as such the looped uncanny approach shares commonalities with Hands To, albeit the Jerman approach is to create pure audio sludge. On this tape rather the loop work is more cartoonish, sometimes serving as a backdrop for sampled speech from television broadcasts.

The Peterson Mixes / EHI - Tow Series K7 [1995, Tapes Of Wrath]
Tapes of Wrath honcho using The Peterson Mixes alias for leftfield found tape collage, the EHI side is more traditional in comparison but still immensely enjoyable no-fidelity noise. The case is modified with the hub posts melted off and the entire thing covered in some sort of plaster, a banderole insert contains the tape itself.

Bob Marinelli - Sheen Of Hypocrisy K7 [1997, Not On Label]
A very early Marinelli tape, liner notes detail it as "vocal power electronics, organic noise performance" although power electronics in this context means granite slab noise as opposed to what you'd expect of the genre. The style here is more monolithic than the spastic pace of later releases, bearing more in common with Ramirez or OVMN tapes of the era, so it only makes sense that both of them are thanked here.

Other 90s era Bob Marinelli releases will soon be reissued via Tribe Tapes as part of the 2x CD Distorted Vision Collection, compiling both Bob's tracks and those from split partners Outermost, Flutter, Government Alpha, and Facialmess.

[k.p.g]

Hack Conduit - Amp Choked Residue (not on label)
Part of lying in bed all day when you need sinuses to go away is melting your mind a bit.  This one did just the trick.  There is a melted, broken down tape shell on the front of the Norelco.  I feel a bit like that right now. hah.  What Barrett does is truly a singular focus.  Slots right into your brain nicely.

Max Julian Eastman - Jesus Love/PCP (Purveyors)
Popped this one on for a short reorganizing of the tape shelves.  It's short, poignant and gives you a great idea of what Max is capable of.  I think I can comfortably call this my favorite MJE after enough listens through.  Still can find it cheap secondhand too, so you would be a fool not to grab.

Mike Dilloway - Hay Bale Paws (Alien Passengers)
A collaborative effort between Mike Collino of Dog Lady and Aaron Dilloway.  Again, this is something to play when the mind is melting from clogged sinuses.  It is one that flies under the radar when discussing the works of either entity.  Perhaps small edition number plays a role in that, as I find it to be a knockout!  The mix of tape loop and violin hacking at it makes it sound like something nasty is rummaging around in the studio.  Never pushes over the edge in that regard though, as both artists pull back from the harsh and let an eerie calm pass over the mix for most of the runtime.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Kiran Arora - Virgin Forest (Adhuman)

New album sees Kiran further developing his own individual path. All of the harsh noise is stripped out, with the focus leaning almost entirely toward musique concrete and field recording. There is much more of a focus on micro-textural sound recordings and tonal drones. Very minimalistic, but with a highly focused ear for detail.

The 2020 album Wormwood Scrubs was maybe the first example of Kiran leaning more heavily in this direction, but it still had moments of harsh noise. The 2023 album Wilderness Years leaned even more heavily in this direction as well, but I feel like Kiran has really achieved something new on Virgin Forest.

This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoy this album and have spun it many times over the last couple of months.

[Cranial Blast]

RMSS - Engram CD (Freak Animal)

I enjoyed this CD quite a bit. Definitely has some interesting textures and industrial atmosphere. At times sounding a bit dark ambient even. Conjures up feelings of being in a black and white dream where everything feels abandoned and desolate. At least that was the feelings I got from it. The album has a nice subtle quality about it to, that feels very still. I'd recommend this one to those whom appreciate HÖH, but think this could appeal to those perhaps into any kind of noise. Definitely will be checking more out by RMSS!

[k.p.g]

Croiners - Music to Listen to Other Tapes By (Tribe Tapes, reissue)
An interesting range of early industrial sound collage.  Some of it sounds like music for commercials, while other parts range into deeply unsettling synth territory that is not too far off from something maybe Brian Eno would make.  It's a really solid disc that will demand a second listen.  Thank goodness it rests at my bedside for now.

Carousel - Pace Rotted Plank (self-released)
Was happy to receive a package of fresh cassette slaughter from Shane yesterday.  This tape is brand new, as liner notes indicate that it was recorded only the other week.  Talk about quick turnaround time!  Standing at only a C10, Carousel packs in every last second with as much tape fuckery as possible.  Ideas breeze by so fast that you really are stunned by the time you reach silence again.  Great.

Various Artists - Psychic Welfare Omnibus (The New Purveyors)
Comps like these are the best in that after a while, you stop looking at the tracklisting and just let the sounds take over.  Doesn't matter who made them, they are great.  Flow is great here, with the latter half of Side B really having some knockout moments.  Artwork here is also my favorite the current Purveyors compilations.

Krokodil Enema - Skullfuckd (Reanimated Miscarriage)
Some harsh noise cut with some of the most tasteless, late night news clips you have heard.  This project stays pretty in the red when noise is kicked in, although there are moments where I can hear some evolution in sound, namely when something like vocals or tapes are being manipulated heavy.  What is this now, a "tape collage" project?  Fear not, it still rips like the good harsh noise it is supposed to.  Good work!

Genesis Saw - Live at Cook-Out (Reanimated Miscarriage)
Noisecore that fits more into the humorous section of the genre.  These guys are clearly halfway to a blackout as they crack jokes about COVID, "donating to the kids" and some riffing on "Seven Nation Army."  Still, it's pretty dense and layered for being such a jokey release.  I dig the style at play here.

Carousel - All the Alkaline Days (Idle Hour)
Second of the 2 tapes I received from the artist, and this one just knocks me the fuck back.  I think because it has more time to breathe (being a 34 minute release), the pacing gives some great sounds a chance to breathe and sink in with the listener.  Despite this, Shane is still meticulously crafting here.  To call this "sound collage" would be understating its power.  It's more like "collage assault."  Stupid name, but I am sticking with it.  New genre!  There you go!  Awesome tape.

[k.p.g]

Ryan Bloomer - Bully Hiss (Phage Tapes)
I think it is fair to say that Bloomer is a noise wall savant.  This tape has some meat to it that so many other crackle and burst tapes lack.  It moves with mighty intensity.  Another one of those "$5 classics" that should not be too hard to find. 

The Flea Circus - A Touch of Grey (Usagi)
Creeptastic flow going on throughout all of this.  I knew Skinner was involved with this, but never bothered to checked the other personnel involved.  I am curious how a trio of him, Christian Mirande and S. English came together.  More curious to know what Skinner contributed to this as well, as this type of sound is usually not what I associate with him.

[DBL]

A couple of tour split tapes that I managed to trade for at Steel Rääseikkö Around Oulu IV in July 2025.

Inhóspito / Hingst - Gör Uppsala Osäkert
Cassette, Hingst Kassetter, 2025

This one features soundboard recordings from December 2024 from both of the Swedish projects. I'd guess it lasts for about 10 minutes per project, so I assume both participate with a more or less full gig recording.

The first thing that grabs my ear on the Inhóspito-side is that this tape is dubbed LOUD. It's a wrestling match between harsh rumbling noise and piercing feedback, with the two muting each other in an unpredictable rhythm. It's very much a genre offering, but for a fairly short recording with a strong sound, the only thing it can really be criticized for is lack of personality.

Hingst starts off with some short samples that might've made more sense in the live context. The noise itself is crammed so full of sheer raw and loud power that the main mass of rumbling harsh noise keeps crackling under its own weight, making it sound broken. The crackling rumble is paired with a lower-pitch drone that sounds almost percussive, as if something was relentlessly trying to punch its way out from under it but doesn't succeed. It's not the most punishing thing I've heard from Hingst, but still pretty good!

Moozzhead / Hingst - Double Feature Of Magnificent Harsh Noise
Cassette, Hingst Kassetter, 2025

This tape's artwork is styled like an XXX VHS featuring very male and very female photos, and its cover states that the tape offers "magnificent harsh noise". Let's see if this description is valid.

The tape lasts for about 14 minutes per project. First comes Finland's Moozzhead, and yes, this tape is also dubbed LOUD. So, Moozzhead sounds rawer and less nuanced here than on some of his other recent recordings, which is less a criticism and more a neutral statement. It's still very far from becoming a shapeless blur. The main mass of pedal noise harshness is ever in motion, and it gets spliced by another layer of sound that's more about electronic yet wet warbles and squeaks. Perhaps the electric signals are a reference to the track's title "Dial-Up Erotica". Either way, it works. It's harsh, deep and heavy, and also a little playful, and doesn't rely on sheer volume or mass to create an effect but has plenty to offer for the keen ear. Harsh noise for positive and vital moods.

I could almost recycle my description of the earlier split when it comes to Hingst: it's rumbling harsh noise that crackles and breaks under its own mass. The sound is more sharply raw this time though, allowing the plentiful screeches of industrial-like metallic distortion to cut through with ease. The track stays focused on the same things for its length, but despite being fairly straight-forward, it's also pretty damn raw and tasty.