PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[cr]

I know it's a fucking cliché, but goddamn, I really hate the summer heat so much!
Time to play some Thomas Köner - Nunatak • Teimo • Permafrost and also Daikan and Novaya Zemlya.

What do you like to listen to on such days? Dog days are still yet to come, so maybe I also rewatch the movie.
But it just gets worse...

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Corral Shut / Residual / Tyhjä Pää / Haudat "4-way split" CD
Satatuhatta
Couple spins of this and that happening after couple Dead Body Love CD's, I am slightly leaning into suggesting "that type of harsh noise" appears here too. The metal packaging /art hints that there is metal junk element - which is true, but also feels like everybody are more into live-action? Less layered, less edited feel, more like very clear and specific harsh sounds being used that ties everybody on the comp together in ways that if you wouldn't know what it is, it theoretically could be one artist as opposed to compilation. At this point, none of artists will surprise you greatly, as they have displayed skills and good taste with their former materials.
https://satatuhatta.bandcamp.com/album/4-way-split

IDLER "Oat" 3"CD
Satatuhatta
Great 20 minute disc with the broken electronics harsh cassette noises. There is no shortage of broken harsh noise these days, but this is good stuff and won't be overdose at this point..
https://satatuhatta.bandcamp.com/album/oaf

Cyess Afxzs & Scathing "Sunken Dimensions" CD
Satatuhatta
This one, absolutely recommended if you feel noise album should be like... proper album. Not just one session of something. Despite it doesn't sound exactly like it, it makes me think of more playful 90's Merzbow stuff. Stuff that is noise, but ain't just all harsh, but somewhere in lineage of Dadarottenvator, Mercuriated, Rainbow Electronics and so on. Always lots of things going on, always lots of thing coming, and listening album few times will not consume it. Just makes you want to re-play more, as there is a lot to be listened.
https://satatuhatta.bandcamp.com/album/sunken-dimension

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Government Alpha - Obscure Pulsation c45 (Modern Decadence)

Is there anyone better than Mr. Yoshida? Next year would mark the 30-year anniversary of the project based on the 1994 release Doze, which I think is the first publicly available release.

Modern Decadence is one of those labels which all the artists seem to show up for, every release I've grabbed from the label is good. That's absolutely the case here for this tape which is a solid mix of harsh and psychedelic sounds. There is a variety and focus on some digital or modular synth work, but I'm not sure which if not both. Somehow doesn't bother me in his hands at all, unlike other artists that utilize the same tools less effectively. He crafts these sounds very well and if other artists utilized them in the same way, I don't think there would be as much of a debate about their use. Very enjoyable tape.

Also enjoyed his recent interview in the latest issue of the Untitled zine. Discussion about his artwork, motivation to constantly improve, and more. He also talked about the Alphaville LP being one of his proudest moments and I need to dig that back out and give it another spin because it's been a while and it's absolutely a killer release.

Scathing - Reeking Hordes Of Rubble c20 (Fanalstatt)

A different release from Scathing. Not overtly focused on absolute pummeling and fast cut-up harsh noise. This release exhibits a more careful and nuanced approach. Some found sound and carefully manipulated sources. Was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected approach of this tape which highlights that the artist is multi-faceted and extremely skilled in his editing capabilities with various styles. Kenny continues his rampage of excellent releases but some new twists and surprises!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

HEX MINORA "Under Pornographic sun" tape
Pylon
Maybe mid 90's is so far away, but nevertheless, it is almost surprising how you never hear anyone talk about Hex Minora. Thinking how much there must be interest towards "female noise", one would think Hex Minora stuff would be sought after? Not really... One CD collected dust in my store for so many years, I sent it for free to customer who may appreciate it, hah..
Hex Minora is like experimental "heavy electronics". There is small musical element to it - meaning that songs are composed and have specific form. No melody, no beats, just experimental sounds, synth tones, noisy samples, some weirdness too. Not brutally HARSH, but very often more in realms of experimental noisy electronic-drone sound than "power electronics" or such.
Tape packaged in VHS box, with couple insert. One has piece of interview, which in pretty damn funny, haha... I guess it tells nicely about the dilemma how "scene" may want and drools over "female artists", while the actual female artists would just prefer to be artists.
If I'd have chance to interview Hex Minora, I would try to reject the gender questions, but I certainly would want to address some themes of the release. Uhmm.. "Sperm Chocking".. can you elaborate a bit?
Pylon -label did also some other totally overlooked UK power electronics releases, while most remember it from one Con-Dom sermon 7"!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

V/A "Ne - Anthology" 2xCDR
Banner prod
Indeed "Ne" 2xCDR was "merely" kind of best stuff (?) of four different "Ne" -series compilation tapes on Banned Prod. Total length of 3 tapes plust one double tape certainly longer than what went into this double CD. However, it is excellent anthology for anyone who can't access the early 90's original tapes. The Merzbow track alone, 11 minute master-skill blast sounds as if he'd be using partially same source materials like Noisembryo and Artificial Invagination. Noisembryo is probably more famous, but it is funny how it starts with re-cut-up clip known from Artificial Invagination. While typing this, actually skipped to Vasilisk track, so Merzbow will be listened one more time while drinking some coffee.
Compilations like this are so inspiring, even Merzbow alone, when you can compare situation to someone listening new "subgenre noise" comp and thinking "I'll want to start make noise like this", and likelyhood of wanting to sound like X can result they'll sound like X. Grabbing this type of comp, and even Merzbow alone, and thinking I'm going to try make sound like this. Good luck! great thing being that while trying to sound like it, most likely won't, but will end up into something different good...
You can check discogs for details, it is kind of who-is-who of Japanese noise from early 90's, when most guys didn't do utterly HARSH stuff, but more like weird noise.

NOISEUSE / MSBR / GOVERNMENT ALPHA CDR.
Teito
Small edition pro-cdr on Teito is half ok, half great. Noiseuse/MSBR collab totally slays and is really good harsh stuff. MSBR/GA is good, but relies in much more generic synth sounds.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Golden Purifier – Ganz Andere c32 (Fanalstatt)

New Golden Purifier is a treat. The project started with two acclaimed tapes in 2022, making many year-end lists. This is the first release of 2023 and released by the German label Fanalstatt. The project is often categorized as folky and occult dark ambient which I think is a somewhat fitting description. 

Out of the two tapes last year, I think I actually preferred II even though Walpurgisopfer is also quite good. The B side of Walpurgisopfer hits some very impressive heights for me but II is more consistent in my opinion.

Ganz Andere consists of haunted soundscapes, ritualistic shadows, and pseudo-rhythmic loops with an ebb and flow which are disorienting. There is a dusty and ancient feel which really brings the occult to mind. The musty atmosphere makes me think the master tape reels have been left in a crypt to naturally decay and putrefy over time.

Quality of this release overall is appreciated. Really nice artwork displayed on heavy and textured A5 paper. Also, the label really took quality in their hands to say the first dubbing was not up to their standard so they had it redone. Love seeing that level of attention to releases.

ZK - Discordia c40 (Absurd Exposition)

This tape is almost the complete opposite of the one above. Choked out frequencies. Maximalist thrashing strangled and shaped by the lack of peak limiters. Sounds fight to the surface and struggle to survive. Dense but the constant dropouts and broken sounds really give it character. Can't recommend it enough.

[coalmouth___]

Opulent Adversary - Close Your Hearts to Pity

HEX MINORA "Under Pornographic sun" tape

long time lurker, first time poster: if i like these, what else will i like?

[Theodore]

Opulent Adversary - Close Your Hearts to Pity

HEX MINORA "Under Pornographic sun" tape

long time lurker, first time poster: if i like these, what else will i like?

Maybe ? https://www.discogs.com/artist/207862-ANTIchildLEAGUE

[accidental]

HEX MINORA "Under Pornographic sun" tape

It was a duo right?

I think their material is pretty varied. Without having heard everything. Like the first cassette compared to the 7" MDP (which is excellent). Someone just paid like €100/a pop for two of their cassettes on discogs...

I'm sure an interpretation beyond "funny" would be missed on subscribers and forum visitors alike.

[Bloated Slutbag]

IDLER "Oat" 3"CD
Satatuhatta
Great 20 minute disc with the broken electronics harsh cassette noises. There is no shortage of broken harsh noise these days, but this is good stuff and won't be overdose at this point..
https://satatuhatta.bandcamp.com/album/oaf

Agreed, on both points! As to the why of it, the latter it—that we're arguably nowhere near reaching a saturation point in the proliferation of more or less "broken" electronics—the subject's been kicking around my head for a little while now. No safe conclusions but the safest musing I might muster starts with the more or less modifier, above, where starts and stops are at best hard to parse. Or put another way, I'd hesitate to situate anything within or without (the oeuvre of broken electronics) but would have less trouble musing or moseying along a path of how more or less broken the electronics of the moment might strike the earholes.

[Commander15]

The Day Of The Antler - Veri Tuli Kuolema CS

Is it heavy electronics, as the "Tammela Highland Heavy Elektroniks"-sticker that came with the ziplock pack suggests, or is it industrial-noise? Nevertheless it is really good, solid slab of industrial- and noise-informed synth action! Moody, brooding feel hangs heavy over the tape, ominous pulses and synth noises remind me more of weather phenomenons than actual music. But no way it is ambient of any sort as it stands firmly on industrial ground. Some effected vocals, some concrete metal(?) sounds and it ends with an suprisingly musical and extremely fitting track, that does remind me of an old krautrock records with its oriental melody theme and rhythmic sequence.

Highly recommended!

[Baglady]

K.M. TOEPFER
Undercut C30 (Absurd Exposition, 2018)
Interrupt C40 (Narcolepsia, 2019)
Supplant C30 (Lead Lozenges, 2020)
I've been revisiting this triple by the severely overlooked K.M. Toepfer the last few days, and I think I hold his work even higher than before now.  His box of tools is sparse but he knows exactly how to use it. Razor sharp sounds in razor sharp execution, without sounding too edited (on the contrary it sounds more like just a very seasoned artist letting it flow). I come to think of Joe Colley's work under his own name - their sounds in themselves and their surgical way of playing have much in common - but converted into something far more violently menacing. There's so much room and energy around Toepfer's sonic beams. Highly charged noise. Hazardous even. It spans from quiet to loud as hell, from subterranean to lunar, yet always with such force to it. And it's obvious he's still holding back for the sake of tension even at his harshest, always keeping you on your toes. It's as if one's walking through some giant high risk automated factory of malign purpose.
Out of these three, Undercut is the one that always leaves me mentally drained just from being so incredibly good. But damn if both Interrupt and Supplant aren't catching up over time. The latter is alot like his phenomenal CD album Retrace No Steps, released by WCN two years ago.
I wrote that he's severely overlooked, because I hope that is the case. The alternative - that people just don't get or like what he's doing - is just unthinkable to me.

[TVS]

Anatomikal Venus - Medicine and Myth CD (IOPS 2023)
Anatomikal Venus - Demonstration of Opened Beauties CD (IOPS 2023)

Very good stuff! Sharp cold electronics occasionally remind me of precise surgical cuts during an autopsy, other more brutal sounds of a bonesaw and other medical instruments. Metallic, lower pulsating and swooshing sounds behind the fast oscillations balance it out nicely. Visually sounding like the cellar of a decrepit hospital in new perverse uses.

Demonstration of Opened Beauties begins with more of the concrete metal sounds in the foreground, with ultra high pitch monotone electronics screeching continuously, topped with short high or low pulsations. Nice. Lots of small stuff happening constantly, becoming more and more complex as the album developes into fast electronic madness. Last two tracks are the highlights.

Nice IOPS style packaging in both releases.

[Hakaristi]

The Opulent Adversary CD mentioned above is excellent. Not sure if it's the content, savage vocal delivery or what but am reminded of Brethren.

Also some recent Satatuhatta releases on rotation, Kitu - Fiery Jinxes stood out the most so far. Somehow feels more industrial-noise than "usual" Sata-sound. Odd loops, throbbing pulse beneath the harshness, menacing PE atmosphere of final track. Prompted me to pull the split with Amek-Maj for a relisten but get more cosmic psych vibes from that one.

Hate Sermon - Steel Fortress

Promising PE/industrial. Look forward to spinning Children of God next.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

HUFFWUDH tape
cev-001
Not sure is Barrikad now over, but from same source from Gothenburg Sweden comes more noise oriented project. Short, I understood sort of "taster" what is about to come, tape offers live in "studio" recordings of kind of gutter arkinoise. Nothing overly special, but if the tape loops and field recordings and piano noodling, neat noise gadgets and complex modulations don't really do the trick and you just want the simplistic and to the point noise, it does have its point. Doesn't like like MSNP fanboys, not like power electronics, none of "Swedish tape noise" characteristics. Just blunt recordings that for reason or another, I must have rotated already 5-6 times thinking what to really say about it.. Something lured to listen again, while very little selling points here! hah..

AXEBREAKER "United Front Against Fascism" tape
Somatic
When you get both messages about it and forum recommendations, perhaps worth to check out? Mr. Locrian doing solo of "drone - heavy electronics - power electronics". You hear rather high dosage of later days Slogun. That approach where you got the tonal synth sound on back, and heavily delay effect treated high pitched screamo voice on top. Electronics are not noisy nor broken, nor sharp or anything. More like polyphonic keyboard key pushed down and echo applied -type of approach. He will throw in some high pitched synth noises in some tracks and plenty of quasi-melodic synth drone material. Not sure if it really is "heavy electronics" or "power electronics" per se. It is that fairly new genre of melodic synth drone screamo?  Lots of stuff found from artists bandcamp.
https://somaticaustin.bandcamp.com/album/united-front-against-fascism

IRON CLAD "Systematic Racism" tape
Wrath
Perhaps diametrically opposite, is IC tape that is gutter snot production value, raw and ripping sounds combined with suffocating rumbling. Processed vocals, some nasty samples and so on. Very much echoing the impact of most cruel filth & violence material had.

MET GLAS "Moody Brooding" tape
Absurd Exposition
I can't really articulate why exactly, but this tape ended up to be one of the most played harsh texture tapes of recent times. Can't explain why this, over multiple possibilities. Maybe the cover? Maybe the packaging including surprising object. Maybe it is just notch better than many texture focused harsh tapes? I am not only imagining, since talked to other guy who mentioned this among highlights of recent Absurd Exposition tapes.

TEMPLE OF TIERMES "Horagelles" 2xLP
Speaks Volumes
Album what you don't really know when it actually came out. Feels like it has been advertised for years, but mastering date says 2021. Well, it came out earlier this year, I think, and it is now late summer 2023 and finally in my hands. Album has very good tracks, some kind of unexpected tracks. Some very average material. I would have recommended to make single LP with absolute best tracks. That would have made more impact. At best, TOT has totally unique vision how they make tracks. Odd harmonies or weird guitar drone howling, shifting in almost diabolical notes, without being music per se. Then next track can be almost like "my first industrial-noise track" -esque recordings. It is good album, and listened several times already, but feels like band would need someone to selected what exactly to put on album to make it better.