MK9 "nothingess exists" CDr
Neural Operations
tour CDR of some sort. It's full length, focusing most of all to minimalistic synth noise singnals. Some spoken pieces, and some tracks are very very minimalistic. Hardly effects, hardly any innovative modulations, just stripped down to bare bones. Couple of the tracks have more advanced composition/layering, and they are among some of the best works from MK9. Overall sounds is missing somehow personal touch of artistic quality. To step away from sound coming from factory made gadget burned in CDR. Amps? Tape saturation? Tasty use of effects? MK9's ranting vocals? Something. It is good for what it is, but when you know he can do, and has done, so much more..
SINGULAR CLEANSWEEP OPERATIONS "Final Service" CD
Teito Sound Company
Hmm.. so one half of Operation Cleansweep, and what you could understand from title, perhaps this is the final tracks from archives? Unfortunately that's what it sounds like. Some of the tracks are nearly getting up there on the level of classic Operation Cleansweep songs, but many of them sound like uninspired works. He knows the template of basic industrial/PE track. Couple layers of synth, some processed spoken samples, occasional slow beat or other rhythm element. There are no total hit tracks like found from O.C. LP's. Just decent routine genre-fan satisfying tracks of same style, but lacking the passion and the interesting surface textures. Just as in MK9. Not bad, but knowing their milestone releases from past, very little to celebrate.
GRAUSTICH "Dedicated To Those Who Are Still Willing To Get Their Hands Dirty" tape
Filth & Violence
And logical 3rd item to comment would be this. In some ways it carries similarities to both. There are synthesizers and quite "dry" electronics used, and abundance of spoken word pieces, but unlike the "veterans", despite the "usual" sounds and nazi war criminal themed document dialogues, Graustich appears to have a notch more vitality in creating songs. A bit more flexible, drifting songs from original sounds ahead. A bit more dirt, a bit more grim distortions and ruggedness, while at the same time being absolute sonic stand-out in F&V's recent catalogue by not being utter amp-exploding gutter filth, but darker, more sinister industrial-PE. Whatever band may have done before, I don't know. I hope it will stay on smaller scale releases a bit further before aiming to do real "album"!
