Bloomer - Wound with Foreign Object Embedded (New Forces)
We all have those early noise discoveries that stick with us. Even if it takes years between revisits, you can come back to them and feel the power you felt the first time come creeping back into your bloodstream. I remember picking this up from Stefan at the Ende Tymes Form Hunter played back in 2019; maybe their second show? I remember being awkward as hell, trying to contain my excitement over the fact that a guy who was involved bands like Intensive Care & The Endless Blockade also made harsh noise! WOW! That was pretty cool at the time. I grabbed the cassette, tried to say a couple more words and then scurried away. Probably played it the next morning and thought "cool, harsh noise!" I cannot recount any subsequent listens after this (although they did happen).
I come to this one now with focused ears, and a lot more appreciation for all the pieces at play here. While there is plenty harsh to rave about, what grips me this time is how much of a "dreamlike" quality there is to the loops being used here. Sounds of passing music, trains, conversation... they all coalesce into what feels like a dehydrated daydream in the city heat. It's equal parts nasty and beautiful. I have heard other works from Bloomer across various projects, but this stands as his peak.
With how much noise is easy to consume in today's landscape, it can make a tape that is under 10 years of age seemingly disappear from the public consciousness in a matter of weeks after release. I think about one of the last White Centipede Noise episodes that came out about "modern favorites," and how the goal was seemingly to capture those types of "forgotten" releases of the time and give them another shine. While my section was not included in the mix, I don't even think my answers then would apply to what I feel now. Constant streams of listening result in me often thinking "why did I not think to mention this??" It's a symptom of the artform, I suppose.
If asked today about the question though, I think this release would have to be included. It's one of the great "hidden gems" of the last 10 years, and could contend as the best of the entire New Forces catalogue.
