PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[k.p.g]

awenydd - nwyfre (Fusty Cunt)
One of those pleasant surprise cassettes I grabbed when it first came out, but had not listened to probably since.  Today's revisit still contains the same massive energy that this tape had the first time I heard it.  Synths dip into an extreme mix of PE and psychedelia.  A couple of moments of beep boop occur but that is the risk you take when you are tracking totally live.  In the capacity that it comes in here, it's endearing more than anything.  Vocals are menacing but you never get the sense of this being another "kill all whores" style yells.  Sounds like the man is angry... so angry.  Anger is good sometimes.

Green Tea - Private Universe (Tribe Tapes)
Finally pulling from the CD section of the "listen to" stack.  As the Green Tea discography continues to expand, I find myself asking the question of "how does an artist evolve?"  I think anyone engaging in the creation of art has to ask this question at some point.  Some will jump from style to style across recordings, while others will gradually introduce new sounds to the formula over time.  In noise, the latter may not come across as immediate, especially when output becomes so frequent.  For Green Tea though, it is the approach he has taken, and it pays off with close listening.
The opening minutes of this recording throw that idea off though, as it opens with the usual pretty synth/digital cut-up sound the project has become so synonymous with.  My first thought was "man, will this project ever do something else?"

My question found an answer as I listened more intently though.  What sounds like vocal cut-ups and heavy looping begin to enter the fray.  Sure, you have plenty of that new age sound still present but things are moving along.  It eventually starts to feel like I am trapped inside a melting VHS cartridge.  I find myself enjoying this quite a bit! 

One day, I would love to see a Green Tea release that deals with almost no pretty sounding stuff and leans completely into the weirdo, nasty harsh he has built up.  It could be pretty cool!  For now though, I find myself thoroughly intrigued with the glacial evolution that Forte is taking with the project.  Visuals for this album are also pretty cool, far more engaging than previous releases.

[k.p.g]

PainJerk - Loud Acoustics for Nude-Mobile (AMP)
Fast-moving, flamethrower style from Mr. Gomi here.  This is the project in its prime, and it is not hard to see why so many people are looking for these old tapes.  It is elite stuff.

MSBR - Fracture of Silence (Sounds for Consciousness Rape)
Tano forever!  Inspired by the sounds of PainJerk, I wanted to revisit this tape with its famously absurd special packaging.  No disappointments to be had here, as it is just pure harsh aggression.  I hear some radio in the background but Koji knows to keep that sound going over his ripping.  It sounds like a town square being set ablaze.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

KYLMÄKOVAMAA "Joel Rifkin Experience" tape
One of those mysterious Finn projects that very few in the scene knows anything. He has been doing tape after tape self published releases, with exception of one CD on Freak Animal. Usually I hear about artists when pile of tapes arrives via post and not much else. Now Kylmäkovamaa hits with more power electronics vibe than on some releases. It is still fairly primitive, but more of the oscillating noise electronics type of thing. Several unnamed songs on one sided tape, all instrumental, at best it is when combining painful high pitched feedback, but also the heavier oscillating tracks work. I know some may be wondering where do we need old school serial killer PE these days - well to satisfy our desire to hear it, of course! Strongly welcomed!

[k.p.g]

OVMN - Optimum Volume Maximum Noise (Industrial Recollections, reissue)
Picked this one up recently from Roemer at a show he played in New Jersey.  I had been wanting to get my hands on this for a while since hearing it back in the winter, and I have fuck all to do today, so why not start things with this blast of harsh noise.  I doubt I need to explain the sound of OVMN much, as it pretty much explains itself in the acronym.  That being said, so many satisfying moments of editing on here, especially whenever the tracks split from a mono blast into two hard-panned stereo nightmares.  Excellent.

[Apes Clog Snag]

Xeroxhead / Moineau Écarlate split tape

Xeroxhead does blunt uneffected tape loop noise. Very chunky, very hearty. Like it a lot. Exactly what I was hoping for too. Moineau Écarlate is more, let's say, sophisticated. Has a bit of a Dilloway in it maybe, precise tape cuts, neat musique concrete vibes, goes down real smooth.

Pinwheel tape

Collaboration between Magnetic Coroner, The Consept Horse and Marie Vermont. I'm not hugely aware of any of the artists but I have heard a bit here and there so the shaky reversed loops with a bunch of tape delay are not surprising. A side is good but nothing mind blowing. B side makes this very much worth owning though. Long collage track of half speed classical music and someone trying to get a reel to reel machine playing more than a few seconds of squelch. Very neat. I guess the tape is untitled but poodle grooming would be a good tape name.

Toanche Dwelling – The Sentient Afterimage tape

This basically just destroys my pleasure centers. Sounds are perfect, artists has amazing ear for momentum and pace and does great job mastering these noisescapes.

Incapacitants - D.D.D.D cd reissue

Another album that just kinda feels good. I guess the title would reference CCCC but to me this sounds like Incapacitants going americanoise. I've been listening to this a lot this summer. Crunchy and static in the right places, under that something always happening.

[k.p.g]

Evil Moisture - Lucio Full Cheese (Throne Heap)
The best works of Andy Bolus are the ones that deliver that surgical precision, where it sounds like he is dissecting a reel to reel in real time (keepin' it reel... real?).  While it is not always present on more modern releases, Throne Heap got a great cut of it this time.  The pace does not let up, but never overwhelms.  It made locking into the task of meal prep an enjoyable task, like I was on the factory line of Evil Moisture.  I will need to listen back again for next round of chores.

Kjostad - Splitting Wedge (Throne Heap)
One of the few Throne Heap titles I have been hoping would pop up for years secondhand.  That day finally came when Tom was actually selling a few leftover copies he had.  This one is a great addition to the Kjostad discography.  It has some weirder environmental looping that reminds me of Jeph Jerman before giving way to full on harsh chaos on each side.