PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Richard Ramirez - Trick (Hospital Productions)

I had listened to the samples on Bandcamp a number of times and always had difficulty "getting it" with this particular album. I'm a huge Richard fan and kept coming back to it, thinking maybe it would click eventually.

Recently found a brand new copy of the 2xLP at a local record store and figured that was a sign to give it a true go. It looks gorgeous too. The foil stamping on the front and back cover is done so well. The record store guy definitely looked perplexed when he saw the cover.

It opens up with a very fitting sample. "There is only one asshole here. And I'm going to fuck it." Chef's kiss.

The sample and cover are truly representative of the album. This one is a true ass-fucking. Something about it is generally unpleasant. Like truly HARSH. It seems like Richard was really going for something different here. There is a lot of mid and high-range sounds on this. Definitely more shrill. The material sounds like Richard exercising some demons.

Sitting down with the album and actively listening allowed me to appreciate it more. It's harsh as hell, but there is nuance happening. Only If You Want to Fuck Part I and II are the most harsh on the album by far. Voyage of Tempted Flesh Part I, II, and III explore different sounds and provide a reprieve from the beginning of the album. Voyage of Tempted Flesh is also a killer track name. 

Definitely not a release I would recommend for someone first getting into Richard, and even then, some people who are already familiar. However, I do admire it for its fuck you attitude. It feels like a particularly singular release in his catalogue in some ways.

[k.p.g]

Jay Howard - dissimulation (Adjacent)
Went on tour last week for my band and ended up meeting the one and only Jay Howard!  Was cool to finally meet someone I had been in contact with for so long, and he even came equipped with tapes!  Popped this one in today and it is a solid study in environmental sounds and digital synthesis.  Maybe after years of listening to Circuit Wound I did not expect Jay to get this... "abstract?"  But nonetheless, it's short and sweet.  Enjoyable listen.

Cameraman - Anunnaki Friend (Normal Cargo LTD)
New alias from the man behind the Hand & Knee project, which also happens to come out on a new label!  All very exciting stuff.  Sound wise, this recording is much meaner in spirit than anything I have heard from the artist previously.  Hand & Knee recordings tend to have a voyeuristic quality to them, as field recordings always took center stage for audio manipulation.  Felt like you were seeing things through the eyes of the artist.  With this tape though, none of that is discernibly present.  Instead, there is only a harsh dirge; unfeeling, uncaring of what the listener sees.  The world is blinded by such aggression.  Side B does have some semblance of environmental sound, but it sounds like the artist has a great deal of control over it.  With that control, the void continues to engulf.  Excellent stuff.

[k.p.g]

Merzbow - Pornoise: 1KG, Tape 3 (RRRecords, reissue)
Continuing on in this series.  This tape's first side contains a lot of awful lot of screechy mic abuse, followed by some similarly squeamish synth work.  Hard to listen to, easy to enjoy.  Side B contains a lot more of the loop work that I have been more familiar with this set following, which can be grating to some.  For me, the loops are great enough to justify their length.

Panicker - Live at the Clownhouse (self-released)
This tape means a lot to me.  Clownhouse was the central hub of New Jersey noise for a solid 2 years or so, and it remains missed by those who knew about it.  What Panicker has done here with this tape is a touching tribute.  A-Side is a live set that I was lucky to attend (believe this was opening for one of my bands, if I am not mistaken).  It is a solid set, demonstrating the loop creativity the project has.  Side B is very special though, as it sounds like a ton of collected sounds from chatter that would take place between sets, intermixed with some creepy circus music and dreamy ambiance.  It takes me right back to that dirty yard, where so many life-affirming conversations happened.  It reminds me that the people I am close to are a large part of what keeps me going.  And for once, when I (think I) hear my voice on recording, I smile more than cringe.  Awesome tape.

[Balor/SS1535]

Jay Howard - dissimulation (Adjacent)
Went on tour last week for my band and ended up meeting the one and only Jay Howard!  Was cool to finally meet someone I had been in contact with for so long, and he even came equipped with tapes!  Popped this one in today and it is a solid study in environmental sounds and digital synthesis.  Maybe after years of listening to Circuit Wound I did not expect Jay to get this... "abstract?"  But nonetheless, it's short and sweet.  Enjoyable listen.

Cameraman - Anunnaki Friend (Normal Cargo LTD)
New alias from the man behind the Hand & Knee project, which also happens to come out on a new label!  All very exciting stuff.  Sound wise, this recording is much meaner in spirit than anything I have heard from the artist previously.  Hand & Knee recordings tend to have a voyeuristic quality to them, as field recordings always took center stage for audio manipulation.  Felt like you were seeing things through the eyes of the artist.  With this tape though, none of that is discernibly present.  Instead, there is only a harsh dirge; unfeeling, uncaring of what the listener sees.  The world is blinded by such aggression.  Side B does have some semblance of environmental sound, but it sounds like the artist has a great deal of control over it.  With that control, the void continues to engulf.  Excellent stuff.

Howard was great when I saw him perform two years ago at the Santa Ana Noise Fest.  He had an awesome noise box that he made out of a wooden crate left over from his late father, if I remember correctly.  Totally mesmerizing to watch!

[k.p.g]

Robert Fuchs - Sunstroke (White Centipede Noise)
Last night's domestic soundtrack to decompress from an active day (more on that in the "show reports" section).  Tape like this showcases what Robert Fuchs does best, as it is a solid mix between weirder, "floatier" elements of electronic sputter/sound collage and downright pounding, nasty harsh noise.  Hearing this has me inspired to revisit the artist's work further during this week.

Robert Turman - Beyond Painting (Chondritic Sound, reissue)
Winding down for bed to this was a surreal experience.  It had been some years since hearing this, and I had forgotten just how rich and bright in sound it is.  Feels like the soundtrack to traversing miles upon miles of desert.  Started to feel myself welling up as soon as track 1 kicked in...  sublime.

[Balor/SS1535]

Merzbow - Nine Studies of Ephemeral Resonance: an auditory tapestry, bridging the abyss of experimental noise

This is the first disc of the recent-ish boxset, which consists of material recorded between 2024 and 2025.  In opposition to Merzbow's recent turn to AI-generated art (showcasing how the project certainly contains multitudes), the "Nine Studies of Ephemeral Resonance" series presents itself as exploring the more poetic possibilities of noise as a way to engage with tradition and modernity simultaneously.  Regardless of intent, however, the recordings on this disc are much less "extreme" than contemplative.  Sounds shift between more common noise textures, loops of acoustic instruments, and synthesized percussion/rhythm.  To me, it sounds very similar to the contemporaneous box with John Wiese, while also calling back to the more collage-oriented compositions of the early 1980s.  All in all, it goes to show that Merzbow is still producing interesting and worthwhile material.

[Balor/SS1535]

Merzbow - Nine Studies of Ephemeral Resonance: echoes of sound pioneers in the wilderness of noise exploration

Whereas the first disc felt comparatively mellow and "contemplative" of noise as a medium, the second part of the box immediately struck as more conventionally harsh and dark (aided in part by the prevalent reverb).  Given the title, I was expecting more of a sound collage/concrete music approach, but I guess even the classic harsh noise sound can be now regarded as historical.  Again, however, I also felt that there was constant confusion as to what is "acoustic" in origin as opposed to fully electronic/synthesized.  I (would like to) think that I heard some bird samples this time?  Perhaps his pigeons?  Then again, I could just be trying to hear something in the wilderness...

[k.p.g]

Illusion of Safety - In 70 Countries (RRRecords)
This tape fits in perfectly with the kind of sound palette I love the most from Illusion of Safety.  It's a drowsy  affair, with heavy emphasis on creeping ambiance and some sort of new age manglings.  Old timey tape samples are spliced in over top, leading to the whole thing just feeling like a bad dream in real time.  Makes the cover of friends having fun on the beach all the funnier.  Holy shit.  I think this tape drugged my coffee...

Campsite Love - Campsite Love (Satatuhatta)
Given the star power involved with this release, I see very little discussion of it online!  And what makes that worse?  It's a fantastic fucking record too!  I question if these guys really love this campsite though.  At first, sure, the A Side sounds like a walk through the marshes of some wetland you have posted up at for the night.  Waterfowl are honking, twigs are snapping, there is a moody atmosphere buried underneath it all.  By the end of this record though, it sounds like this duo is ripping apart some log cabin they found on the campgrounds and using it as kindling to burn down this marsh.  It's isolated, desolate land, so no one will even be around to catch them in the act.  Again, this rules on the sound front, but is it really loving of the campsite?
To cast aside this stupid bit though, this truly is a fantastic LP.  The cover art is striking, the sound is evocative of early memories I have traversing through forests and marshes for the first time, taking in every sound, sight and smell (while being blissfully unaware of any danger that could be hiding within).  Terrific stuff overall.  If you are a vinyl enthusiast, this should be one to add to your collection ASAP.

[Balor/SS1535]

Merzbow - Nine Studies of Ephemeral Resonance: navigating the unknown with experimental noise alchemy

I will probably have spent more time typing the title of this album than my thoughts on it, which largely mirror what I have written for the previous two installments.  The compositional excellence continues here, though now with the addition of a much more obvious acoustic sound source---a piece of metal banged about and allowed to generate feedback.  I enjoyed this one the most of the discs thus far.

Given the mention of "alchemy" in the title, I find it interesting that the very limited liner notes on these albums credit "all music" to Masami Akita (which is also the case on the other nine discs).  Is this Akita making music instead of noise, or transforming noise into music?  Is this me overthinking things?

[k.p.g]

Fossil Cunt - Your Prom Date (Reanimated Miscarriage, reissue)
Some truly raucous noisecore/general full-band weirdness.  Food Fortunata wrote in this reissue that Seth Putnam said to "not even bother" sending him a copy of this material.  While it certainly sounds like a last-minute jam session, the personnel involved here make it more than gripping for the full listen.  It's silly, stupid and ferocious when it wants to be.  For as much as the Anal Cunt discography has been reassessed and embraced by audiences of both noise and metal in recent years (particularly the earliest stuff), I am surprised that this release has not been brought up much in these conversations.

STAR - Life Goes On (I Am Elegant)
Soundtrack for last night's artwork session on a release I am very ecstatic to have come to light.  Think the manic energy of this release fueled some fun choices in color saturation.  I maintain still that the turntable work of STAR remains amongst some of the strongest of that approach in general experimental music/noise.