recent weeks just landed me a big batch of new stuff, I've had time to listen through a lot of it at least a couple of times. Mostly cd and some tapes.
Alfarmania - Skräcken cd. New take on the Alfarmania sound. Good, yet different from earlier stuff. Feels more minimal, less "psychadelic" and swirling. A good move though, since the market is sort of flooded with good sounding yet similar Alfarmania releases. Artwork is some of Kristians best so far, stronger sense of composition. And also one of the oddest label descriptions in a long time.
Martin Bladh & Bo Cavefors cd - The island of death. This is based around the same concept as the Kristian Olsson/Bo Cavefors on autarkeia. I must say I prefer this one, subtler sounds - more clearly defined vocals and recitations. At some parts this album reminds me of quite the silent sampled stuff on Coils "Horse rotorvator" (like in Penetralia and Ostia). Comes with a booklet containing text and 8 great color collages. Really good stuff.
Rising from the red sand 5xcassette The reissue. It is hard to think of a more maxed industrial compilation. A monster set, industrial classics all the way through as well as to me unknown stuff. From Chris&Cosey, Attrition, NWW, Lustmord, Sutcliffe, Test Dept, Nocturnal Emissions, Merzbow, Muslimgauze - just to mention the big names. An incredible document. I haven't gone through it all yet - but the roster alone is worth the price. Styles of music shift from industrial to postpunk, synthpop and more experimental "jazzy" sounds.
Korpses Katatonik Oeuvres Completes Only had mp3's with this earlier. Also great oldschool rhytmic industrial.
Sutcliffe Jugend 'With extreme prejudice' cd. Now I really wanted to like this, since I'm not too found of gut reraction "they used to be good but now they suck" - but this is... Well, I have only listened to about half right now and most of it yesterday at work at night on very low volume, but I'm not impressed at all, some tracks have potential and some is just pure shit. Will give it a more focused listening and see if it grows on me.
Sutcliffe Jugend - Blue Rabbit Now this is a far better record I think. Comparisons to "Salt marie celeste" is all over the web, and it is perhaps not that far fetched. A dark, slowchurning little trip which works quite well. Unlike Extreme prejudice I can hear myself going back to this quite frequently. Relaxed. The narrating voice has its ups and downs but generally working out for me.
Otherwise I'm obsessing over Meiko Kaji-songs. Over and over. Forever.
