PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[FreakAnimalFinland]

VANDAL X / GREY WOLVES "Faces of Death" tape
Strength Through Awareness Branch
Vandal X nothing special here. I think he has good stuff too. For example "Atrocity" tape? I recall so. This is very very simple noises. Some keyboards played through distortion. Some music box melodies through distortion. Little goofin' around with guitar. Always one thing at the time. One thing for one song. Listening music box version of Wagners Wedding March for such long periods of time... perhaps not so well spent time, hah!
Grey Wolves is actually joint live assault with Con-Dom. If you thought early Con-Dom live tapes are rugged and harsh - give this a try. Totally lacking ALL bass and mid frequencies. All you got here is ultra high pitched hiss, some distant vocals, some samples and Con-Dom's phaser electronics. It's painful to listen, even at low volumes. Absolute no brutality of force, only disturbing and painful frequencies what make material almost unbearable. That's achievement!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

WHITESWAN "Insatiable Lust" tape
Wrath
Ltd 50 copies edition on this curious UK label what doesn't seem to advertise his stuff?  There's Bizarre Uproar, Pogrom and now this Finnish power electronics newcomer, with his first official tape. Two 10 mins tracks. Both good, but very much the same. Release would benefit if tracks would be distinctively different. Vocals improved from previous promo/demo, overall style remains as live-on-tape recording of harsh and straight forward power electronics.

KINIT HER "The Poet & The blue flower" LP
avant!
Experimental neo-folk of some sort? Much more multi-layered, obscure and even ritualistic feel than vast majority of old style traditional neo folk bands. I'm still kind of half & half do I like this a lot, or is it somehow little too much...

[Andrew McIntosh]

Once again I'm listening to Z'ev and Oren Ambarchi's collaborative album "Spirit Transform Me". Not sure what kind of recording or engineering techniques were used to make this album, but it has a very deep, rich and direct sound that not only highlights the different elements but the characters of each element, while still maintaining a unity (mostly due to the interplay between the two artists). Dark, sometimes verging on menacing but mainly getting towards a different kind of darkness, and it has a musical quality that feels a lot like Scelsi (although not as sombre, certainly). A great album.

[Hakaristi]

WHITESWAN "Insatiable Lust" tape
Wrath
Ltd 50 copies edition on this curious UK label what doesn't seem to advertise his stuff?  There's Bizarre Uproar, Pogrom, Concrete Mascara and now this Finnish power electronics newcomer, with his first official tape.

How does one go about ordering a copy?

What's the Concrete Mascara release on Wrath, haven't come across this one....

[F_c_O]

WHITESWAN "Insatiable Lust" tape
Wrath
Ltd 50 copies edition on this curious UK label what doesn't seem to advertise his stuff?  There's Bizarre Uproar, Pogrom, Concrete Mascara and now this Finnish power electronics newcomer, with his first official tape.

How does one go about ordering a copy?

What's the Concrete Mascara release on Wrath, haven't come across this one....

Filth & Violence distributes WRATH releases, keep an eye on them, it should appear there soonish.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I made mistake. Concrete Mascara is not on Wrath label, but another label who also had format of tape + BIG black envelope (A4 size) with stuff. I bought my copy from Filth & Violence. Haven't yet listened it, though, but it's been on pile of "to be listened soon" for some weeks... Maybe today! I had not heard it being out, but was browsing shelves as F&V headquarters and was amazed to see this one. I don't know if Wrath as some exclusive deals. Especially first two video releases were so small, but should try to ask him about possibility of carrying tape releases on FA too...

Whiteswan is very promising. I hope he keeps doing more stuff, and also experiment with possibilities sound. Of course in realm of PE that is. For example, from yesterdays playlist, his tape would be the most recommended one..

[Levas]

Chloroform Rapist - s/t - Compilation of varioust stuff. Quite good in fact.

Bigg Cityy Orchhestrr ‎– Impetuoso - I like this outsiderish project. So this is good material too

[fireblanket]

Whiteswan tape hasn't been released yet. Artist has copies though. Will be released soon, keep a look at F&V. Concrete Mascara tape is on a different label, not the same. Will post in F&V topic when released.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

FAUSTRECHT "For the love of oi" LP, Rebel Records. Fuck. I though band would be good from beginning till end, but now this type of "lets do oi album about being skinhead and oi. Songs of oi music, being skinhead. being working class. etc etc. Basically every songs is about same stuff. Musically not as good as before. Lyrically not as good as before.

KILL BABY KILL "...burn in hell" 7", new 3 song ep from band that hasn't been alive for some years. Always good stuff, but most of all, always THE same. It makes one wonder how much more is needed...

NESSUNA RESA / Dr. MARTINS split 7", both bands have one songs each side = 4 songs in total. Weird choice. Much less memorable tunes than other Nessuna Resa I have heard. Best track is Dr. Martins b-side track. Italian oi.

BLITZKRIEG BABY "Kids' World" tape
Belaten
It's quite rare case to get tape release and come into conclusion that it's symphonic industrial what appears to be strongly influenced by Laibach?! In 2014! Simple bounding rhythms, monotone vocals narrating clear english language lyrics, choirs, cinematic/symphonic feel. Few tracks cross over to noisier side of things, but to me this is like Terminator 2 soundtrack meets Laibach and perhaps unfortunately worst moments, first track on b-side almost crosses border to rap. Yeah, I know its just drum beat and talking, but... 
Very hi-tech and computer effect sounding things. I'd prefer more "hand made" feel, but for the style like this, I guess it's bound to be computer mixed stuff. Lyrics border ridiculous, yet at the same time this is the grandiose and bold move to have guts to make such things these days when ironic comments are bound to override any enthusiasm, hah..

FUMIO KOSAKAI "The Warm Garden" tape
Ancient Records 02
last year 1st tape of Kosakai was reissued on LP. I think it was kind of good cultural preservation project to save some mid 80's recordings of now famous noisemaker... but if you compare that material, and the 2nd tape from 1990-1991, this second tape is MUCH much better than first. Perhaps one could say that you actually hear the transition to CCCC kind of works. A-side with theremin, metal plate, casio keyboards. Psychedelic drone works. Not noise. but good. B-side starts with scraping violin sound and progresses into slowly waving drone-ambient. Just good stuff. I hope this would be re-issued. It should have been, instead of 1st one, if you ask me.

[ConcreteMascara]

Concrete Mascara is tape + BIG black envelope (A4 size) with stuff. I bought my copy from Filth & Violence. Haven't yet listened it, though, but it's been on pile of "to be listened soon" for some weeks... Maybe today! I had not heard it being out, but was browsing shelves as F&V headquarters and was amazed to see this one. I don't know if Wrath as some exclusive deals. Especially first two video releases were so small, but should try to ask him about possibility of carrying tape releases on FA too...

the Concrete Mascara tape "The Pursuit of Hedonism..." was a joint venture between Si and myself co-released on his new Black Psychosis imprint and my Vanity Recordings imprint, both separate from WRATH. I can't speak for Si/Black Psychosis but Vanity Recordings will be doing more releases this year.

[ConcreteMascara]

in anticipation of getting a copy of Altamont Rising:

Shift - Bulk CD - totally crushing. monolithic. i love the buried vocals. my introduction to Shift some years ago. a good album to meditate to.

Shift - Morose cassette - a bit more variety than Bulk, and more upfront vocals.

Shift / Sick Seed - Split LP - top-notch work by both artists. no filler. easily my favorite Shift material. TOTAL NIHILISM

and in light of recent metal shows in Philly
Ilsa - Intoxicantations LP
Seven Sisters of Sleep - Opium Morals LP
Coffins - March of Despair CD
Hooded Menace - Never Cross the Dead 2xLP

[Half Aborted]

FUMIO KOSAKAI "The Warm Garden" tape
Ancient Records 02
last year 1st tape of Kosakai was reissued on LP. I think it was kind of good cultural preservation project to save some mid 80's recordings of now famous noisemaker... but if you compare that material, and the 2nd tape from 1990-1991, this second tape is MUCH much better than first. Perhaps one could say that you actually hear the transition to CCCC kind of works. A-side with theremin, metal plate, casio keyboards. Psychedelic drone works. Not noise. but good. B-side starts with scraping violin sound and progresses into slowly waving drone-ambient. Just good stuff. I hope this would be re-issued. It should have been, instead of 1st one, if you ask me.

We (that is myself of Crater Lake and Phil Todd of Memoirs Of An Aesthete) do have plans to reissue that one too, hopefully in the not too distant future. Earth Calling was re-issued first so as to be in chronological order.

[Dr Alex]

Nicole 12 ‎– Substitute cd
Nicole 12 ‎– Playground / Lolita Love cd

Great releases but it's pity that's impossible to read lyrics...

[Hakaristi]

Cheers for the info on Whiteswan fellas, will keep an eye out. Got that Concrete Mascara tape set and it's a good'n!

Gotta join in on the circle jerk for Altamont Rising; it's crushing, hateful stuff. Definitely best Shift yet!

Streetmeat - Rebirth: Recent release from this Texan PE unit, less painful high pitched tones and more low-end throbbing synth. Intriguing theme but can't say it's really discernible from the sounds themselves. Still, good stuff.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

MSBR "Structured Suicide" tape
MSBR 03
Third MSBR release if I'm not mistaken. First LP and one lathe cut 7" came before this. This belongs in my books along very best of MSBR. Despite two short tracks on b-side are quite useless, massive title track on A-side (c-6o tape) and long track on b-side that takes half of the side is totally classic recordings. Structured suicide operates on two levels. High pitched electronic noise and deep more calm rumbling and bassy ambience. Both layers are being modulated constantly and although material is never quite as noisy as Hijokaidan, Merzbow, Pain Jerk and such, it IS noise, and it is very well done. I do like this more than "Structure Suicide+" CDR. It is also good and perhaps worth having as it's not reissue of tape, but complete remake based on using this tape as source material. Great packaging in oil moistured newspaper. Had some issues to get this tape playing properly, but now that I have needed to adjust the "pad" of several tapes to get them play well, learned how to get it done, sound of this 20+ years old chrome tape is certainly brilliant.

ROPE SOCIETY "One word definition" tape
Cipher
Australian duo, I recall? Their noise works are harsh and crisp, but not too personal. I like much more b-side where they hit power electronic mode, with vocals, little more structure etc. I'd hope more PE groups these days would do something else than synths and pedal distortion, though. Something more personal for sound sources. Something more than just distorted rumble. It's decent quite short tape, but I'm sure there is possibilities to improve greatly.