PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[FreakAnimalFinland]

VIGILANTE MOODS tape
Bestial Burst
Limited to 50 only. I guess by reason. Perhaps it has good reason for label boss, but didn't do much for me. Quite lazy noise made mostly with bass (?) and vocals that have always the same annoyingly long delay effect repeating each shout over and over again...

PRURIENT "Unmasking The Insect" tape
Zaetraom
I must say I have not paid close attention to all what Prurient has done in recent years, as it seems like things were leaning more to direction I'd simply call "techno" - be it accurate or not. And secondly, I was hardly in touch with labels that put those out. In many ways, seemed to drift away from what I appreciated. However, recent live show and this tape shows Prurient is perhaps even stronger than ever? Despite higher price and perhaps limited distribution, I'd say its worth tracking down. Songs with structure, but its noisy and powerful electronics/industrial with plenty of good elements. I'd rate this stuff to be much higher than often praised albums like Pleasureground or History of AIDS or such.

V/A ACTS OF VENGEANCE - UFOI II -tape
Don't remember seeing much of comments of this one. I believe quite a lot of copies has been moved, and it is really good compilation. Despite few acts on this didn't make it to festival, and last minute addition are not featured, it's good compilation. Perhaps even better concept to have actually good material of festival artists than lo-fi recordings collected later on from actual festival. Many live compilations may be nice document, but not necessary classic material what you return to frequently. This tape, in all its diversity and also long duration (C-88 rules ok) makes it release what is good now, and certainly will remain relevant for years to come! It's great to report that there aren't really bad tracks. Even BROOD, which I didn't care for in live setting, delivers very good track here. Possibly highlights are all BLACK INSIGNIA tracks. Perhaps that mysterious unit should be on stage at UFOI III if it happens?!

IUGULA-THOR "Opera" CD
Electronica Radicale Edizione
Huh... its so many years when I listened the original tape. I remember it being quite a disappointment after "Asshole" mCD for example. What I remembered was that it would be just opera played through distortion pedal. Perhaps such blunt description fits to couple of pieces, but hardly does justice for entire album. There are more "traditional" tracks of IT here, if you can use such description. Vocals, fierce feedbacks. Italian ripping power electronics in the way it's rarely done. Sometimes it makes me think laters days of Atrax Morgue, but certainly AM discs like "No More" came much later. Well justified CD reissue!

... Alfarmania "farst" tape, Vidine Ramybe tape, La Chair & Le Sang / Cryptofascisme split tape, etc many more but no time to write now...

[FreakAnimalFinland]

STRIATIONS "Hunting for Bitches" tape
Fusty Cunt
Really good tape here. Don't know why it was waiting so long on box of arrived tapes... This project has developed greatly from beginning. It was promising, but now it is even more. Very nice to hear stuff that is sort of composed, that it has specific idea. But doesn't rely on utmost repetition, but sound is manually made. Sometimes makes me think of STRICT due high pitched screaming and constant feedback. But that is not all. Each track has its own sound and C-45 tape really does stand as proper album. Perhaps minus the live track.
One criticism I could give, is that to me it sounds as if it was recorded with some portable digital recorder. There is something about the sound what makes it "tinny". It has clarity and ripping sharpness, but also somehow flat at times. Perhaps thing to be solved by mastering, but I'm pretty sure band would be ready for some bigger edition releases?!! Perhaps one could say that there is element of repeating the old paths of PE.. Final Solution cover song, dedicated to Atrax Morgue, using samples from Exorcist, Evil Dead and Salo.. heh..  I could imagive some noise journalist conclude they are bored with 20-something white boys yelling lungs out over helicopter noise (hehe..), but indeed, this is far more than just helicopter noise. Sonically some of more interesting PE if you ask me.

PAINTED WOMAN s/t 4x tape box
Unseen Force
Perhaps among best stuff on Unseen Force? 45 copies box set contains 4 tapes of project. Each was originally titled by date. First is probably my favorite. It has most brutal sound, painful feedback, really raw and grim feeling. If Striations mentioned above could be referred to Strict, this tape could be if Strict sound quality was more similar to Mauthausen Orchestra? Really good sound for my ears. One 2nd tape, vocals appear less interesting blunt shouting. 3rd tape is a bit too short. 4th tape is perhaps little too much of just brooding dark hissing quietness. Dubbing on a-side appears also quiet. So after box set starts with such violent tension, remaining is very nice, but doesn't rise on same level.

[Scat-O-Logy]

^Great reports, I'm intrigued! Would've been curious to hear your thoughts on that Alfarmania tape. Sounded perfect to my ears. Gotta give it another spin this evening.

[eyestrain]

Nature Morte - (Nuées) (Reue Um Reue): Always making the perfect soundscape of misery and depressive malaise, I think this is Nature Morte's best work. After having listened to the handful of items I do own, I'd say the collaboration with Jeanne Montségur, Restes D'Une Chose Brisée, is a very close second though. I'm not 100% sure, but I've had the feeling this is yet another project of the prolific Jörg Buchholz (Wermut, etc...). I say this, as I feel a strong resemblance to His Divine Grace's Eurydice. But regardless - the music! This is a thoroughly drab affair of ambient/drone music. Always, the aesthetic of Nature Morte's releases are draped in fog, clouds and dusk. Reminds me very much of my childhood in southwestern Pennsy, being one of the grayest regions in the country. Lots of fine walks in the woods and mountains trying to shake the dust off. Never worked. This music captures that feeling perfectly. It seems to last far longer than it is - a great attribute for this kinda music. When you're feeling it at least.

Keluar - Panguna (Zone): Third EP from this German group. Just put a fuggin' album out already! Synth wave of some sort, getting ever closer to a hi-fi feeling of old Coil works like Horse Rotorvator and Scatology. That's a stretch though, but my closest association - only because of the synth sounds and percussion. Maybe more Kline Coma Xero than that. I dunno. I don't have a grasp on this kinda music; just enjoy what I enjoy. This is probably the weakest link in the Keluar chain. I always enjoyed her so-so vocals, but they're a little too off this time. I do like the major focus on percussion - more than ever - and how dated it sounds. Still a good album, just usually skip The Hacker remix at the end. Label boss makes the longest track on the album....

Undergang - Døden læger alle sår (Dark Descent): Fucking murky, stanky, retched death metal. My undying love for Coffins and Slugathor is brought to its current peak here. Holds the perfect amount of technicality while seeming utterly braindead at the same time. Makes sense they're on tour with Stargazer; it was just hiding under the filthy surface. Nice little ode to Dead on the front cover, eh? Death heals all wounds...

Also, lots of Moondog and Sieben. Good week!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

The New Blockaders "nonchalant acts of artistic nihilism" CD
Klanggalerie
Hmm.. I got little mixed feelings about this. Being there at the live show, which was best TNB show I have seen, and totally chaotic and also heavy, doesn't sound much like that on this CD. Perhaps lacking the bulldozing sound of subwoofers and overall sound pressure. Recording seems odd. It has very clear and sharp sound. But also audience screams are very loud. Not that they'd happen so frequently, but when one remember heavy crashing metal junk attack result audience cheering loudly, now its like nothing really happens and suddenly people start yelling. Would be curious to know how it was recorded.
But I can't complain that much. More treble based metal junk screech and rattle reminds more of some older releases. Heaviness and loudness starts to slowly crawl in in second half of set, which is how I remember it. Good disc, but could have been better if it really captured essence of how it was in audience!

SNUFF "III" CD
Filth & Violence
Hmm.. Band changed to digital recording and I must say that it was not the best move. Style remains basically about the same as it has been, but also inclusion of new elements. Highly disturbing opening track. Duo vocal shrieking, feedback, contact-mic noises. Problem mainly lies in production. When previous work was done with ripping analogue tape sound, digital recorder can be merciless. Despite loud amplifiers, blasting sound... but then cheap microphone plugged into digital multitrack will flatten out things quite significantly. Been there, done that. On analogue tape, all you need, is to turn input gain little further and fat and ripping sound emerges. With different type of recorder it will be different. It may not be good move to try tweak it all again on digital editing - which they probably haven't as sound remains fairly snotty and lo-fi. But also flat.
Thinking that all the previous works are something I'd rate among contemporary PE classics, this album is not flop, but certainly step down from that level.

FEBERDRÖM "Intrusion of mortality" tape
Nil By Mouth
NBM has had quite success in putting out power electronics / industrial noise type of releases from many bands I am not fully familiar with, but which has proven to be really good ones. FEBERDRÖM is one of them too. Not entiry sure did I have tape on Järtecknet? Hmm.. Should have as I have distributed them! Dark industrial, which slow and murnful feel to it, but always more common with Utmarken/RTB/Styggelse kind of feel rather than CMI. I wonder if it is mistake than each card that comes with hand made covers says "Ritual Of Mortality"... hmm.. makes me think of some other bands release, heh....

[Reverse Records UK]

Been listening to mostly RAC stuff last few weeks cause it's that time of year. Apart from that, what I remember is that

Various ‎– Cadavers' Holding Knives - very nice compilation! Especially enjoyed Ahlzagailzehguh, White Walls, Striations, Bagman, Gnawed, Botched Facelift and Swallowing Bile. But overall very good impression about this. Truly worth your money.

Deviated sister TV - murder electronics - great tape

Cheers Levas!
Keith (White Walls)

[Grübelschlinge]

Vapaudenristi - Tuomittu Vihaamaan 7" + Ei Maata Ilman Kansaa LP
Thanks to SI managed to get the records. Non stop playing whole day. Greatest RAC. Guitar tone and vocals are perfect. Need more beer.

[Ashmonger]

FEBERDRÖM "Intrusion of mortality" tape
Nil By Mouth
NBM has had quite success in putting out power electronics / industrial noise type of releases from many bands I am not fully familiar with, but which has proven to be really good ones. FEBERDRÖM is one of them too. Not entiry sure did I have tape on Järtecknet? Hmm.. Should have as I have distributed them! Dark industrial, which slow and murnful feel to it, but always more common with Utmarken/RTB/Styggelse kind of feel rather than CMI. I wonder if it is mistake than each card that comes with hand made covers says "Ritual Of Mortality"... hmm.. makes me think of some other bands release, heh....

I had noticed that too and asked mr. Nil By Mouth and it's indeed a mistake.

Quite a lot of comments, have been getting more PE/Industrial/Harsh Noise than Black/Death/... Metal lately it seems...

Puce Mary/LR - The Female Form (LP, Posh Isolation): I haven't heard their first collaboration LP (though I think I heard some tracks on youtube a while ago), so I don't know whether it's in the same style as that LP. If I do remember correctly it's not exactly in the same style as their performance in Belgium last year. Anyway, this is actually a kind of calm electronics, with a lot of rather delicate "small" sounds. Certainly good though!

Damien Dubrovnik - Vegas Fountain (LP, Posh Isolation): First time I heard Damien Dubrovnik, great stuff too. Don't know what else to say about it really...

Con-Dom/The Grey Wolves (CD, Unrest Productions): Don't know too much from Con-Dom but compared to his material on the split with Militia, I like this better, especially Moor Rapist, great track. Grey Wolves is great too, less oppressive and more atmospheric work here, really neat track.

Grunt - Sacrosanct Imperium (C20, Freak Animal): Nice companion tape to the last album, more or less the same style. Nice short tape.

Sickness/John Wiese - Amnesia (7", Freak Animal): This is some great Harsh Noise indeed. I'm  actually not familiar with other works by these two artists, some recommendations on what to check out are welcome.

Zyklon SS - War of Terror (7", Unrest Productions): Same style as the tape, lots of metal sounds and sparse electronics. Nice 7".

Concrete Mascara - Relic of Vanity (7", Filth&Violence/Untergeschoss): Harsh PE, rather buried vocals, quite some feedback. Good.

Kevlar - Criteria (LP, Unrest Productions): Follow up to the CDr, same style of PE, sparse use of vocals. Layout is minimal, but looks  good. Recommended.

Am Not - Unpunished (CD, Unrest Productions): Clean electronics, great processed vocals, oppressive atmosphere, digipack with good looking layout and interesting lyrics, including one about one of the former kings of Belgium who did his best to educate and help the people in Africa. Anyway, recommended album!

Mazakon Tactics - The Entrancing Cage (CD, TeRRoR): Really good stuff, bleak, some slight melancholy even here and there and I really like the vocals, even though they're a bit atypical for a PE/Death Industrial act, they're more somewhere inbetween Black & Death Metal.

SSRI - Stab Your Demonic Smile To My Brain! (C20, Hiisi Productions): First time I heard an SSRI release, nice rather lo-fi Harsh Noise with a rather varied approach. That being said, should I have to choose between this and Cadaver Gutter and/or Sick Seed, I'd choose the latter two projects/bands. Nice packaging too with a really nice cover.

Maskhead - Female Mutilations (C20, Hiisi Productions): Maskhead is pretty good Harsh Noise too, though I think there might have been some more samples, maybe thrown in between the noise, to up the perversion a bit.

[Nil By Mouth]

FEBERDRÖM "Intrusion of mortality" tape
Nil By Mouth
NBM has had quite success in putting out power electronics / industrial noise type of releases from many bands I am not fully familiar with, but which has proven to be really good ones. FEBERDRÖM is one of them too. Not entiry sure did I have tape on Järtecknet? Hmm.. Should have as I have distributed them! Dark industrial, which slow and murnful feel to it, but always more common with Utmarken/RTB/Styggelse kind of feel rather than CMI. I wonder if it is mistake than each card that comes with hand made covers says "Ritual Of Mortality"... hmm.. makes me think of some other bands release, heh....

yeah! At the beginning title was Ritual of Mortality, later mr. Feberdrom changed a bit the title for obviously reason but I forgot to done changes on the back of postcards. My mistake but I'm glad you like the tape!

[Grübelschlinge]

Grow - fighting youth/strong rule 7"
Still remains one of the most strange records I own. Got it back in my Japanese days. Sounds like a mixture of RAC and Japanese Biker Rock (if that exists, haha). I have asked a lot of Japanese friends about them, no one could tell. Perfect drinking music.

[VelvetCurtain]

Swallowing Bile - Secluded
[Die Song]

One of the best works of traditional power electronics to emerge from the contemporary American underground, if you ask me. When I was ordering this record, I came to realize that not only do not a lot of younger cats but also modern PE/noise seems in general not released on vinyl very often but also doesn't even seem "written" or fitting for the format. I geek out hard on the concept of "private press" and all of the various different consequences that comes along with working with the vinyl record. Secluded is fascinating as a vinyl record, in this sense. This is private and depraved, sheathing with anger, a psychological-fantastical document more so than any mere record. There seems to be a very dedicated aesthetic in Swallowing Bile to take elements of the everyday domestic, often the most terrible, and use those as menacing bases for meditations on fantastical sadism. I get a real kick of this sick hatred sounding like it was recorded in his old closest or whatever; perfectly situated within the topics it explores. Pretty standard stuff, but done very well. I'd love to figure out more about what is he yelling about. For some reason, I am reminded of Whitehouse, in many sense. There's a tendency of sonic barrage and word-piling; disorientation. Despite being quite traditional, I'm not entirely sure if I would even call it derivative. A great album and highly recommended.


Loke Rahbek and Puce Mary – The Female Form
[Posh Isolation]

However much I've come to enjoy both FH and LR's work separate, nothing that I've heard from this duo has had quite a strong impact on me. Whereas Puce Mary releases are amongst the best of power electronics and even modern experimental electronics and however much I think LR's work and label curating is strong across the board, I cannot find much to like about the collaborations they have done. The Female Form is not an exception, either. While certainly the cleanest and most well produced documented they've done together, there is not nearly enough punch for the album to keep my interest. It drifts off and off and never really comes to any significant moments, like the worst of the newer wave of "bubblegum" or "ambient" style power electronics/noise. I think Mikko pointed out that the album sounds like a "1+1=2" kind of release, ultimately I agree. All of the sinister and particularly sharp perspectives of the Puce Mary project, all of the ultra faded nods to taboo sexual perspectives of Rahbek's many projects: compromised as, indeed, a "1+1=2" affair. I'm not particularly even entertained, at the least. The Female Form is a surprising failure for two of the more ambitious and provocative PE/noise/experimental artists in the contemporary scene.

Cremation Lily - Fluids of October
[Angoisse]

Absolute masterpiece. At this point, Zigo's work as Cremation Lily seems to tread with fairly noticeable polarity between the extremes of his ambient drifts and the intensity of his power electronics roar. I think early releases were representative of these polarities being more connected, Fire Frames the Silhouette certainly, however I've come to love the stuff that is hardly power electronics in sound. Fluids of October is a work that I cannot draw a useful comparison. Very bizarre and provoking the emotional, much like plenty of Posh Isolation stuff. Yet I'd say this tape is better than, say, Internazionale in terms of this sort of ambient referencing the aesthetics of power electronics, industrial, and...a weird take on memory, sex, and identity politics that reemerges on a lot of PI, Strange Rules, and what have you? Thoughts? Very avant-garde and a favorite tape release for me.

Black Lotus ‎– Black Lotus / Black Locust
[Manikin Model]

One of the best of Minneapolis noise, Van Horn's Black Lotus project is just as weird and cryptic as anything else I've come to think about his work. Easily one of my favorite noise performers in town (I live in Minneapolis...). Not sure where Black Lotus stands in comparison to his other noise things that I've heard (Disthroned Agony, Indian Burial Ground), but this shit's certainly the absolute weirdest. Totally zany and harsh fucking noise. Abrasive but also calculated. Whereas Indian Burial Ground is more rooted in the haunted and horrific, Black Lotus is schizophrenic and debilitating. Not sure how many of these are left (44 copies made) but, without saying, highest possible recommendation.

[bile]

Swallowing Bile - Secluded
[Die Song]

One of the best works of traditional power electronics to emerge from the contemporary American underground, if you ask me. When I was ordering this record, I came to realize that not only do not a lot of younger cats but also modern PE/noise seems in general not released on vinyl very often but also doesn't even seem "written" or fitting for the format. I geek out hard on the concept of "private press" and all of the various different consequences that comes along with working with the vinyl record. Secluded is fascinating as a vinyl record, in this sense. This is private and depraved, sheathing with anger, a psychological-fantastical document more so than any mere record. There seems to be a very dedicated aesthetic in Swallowing Bile to take elements of the everyday domestic, often the most terrible, and use those as menacing bases for meditations on fantastical sadism. I get a real kick of this sick hatred sounding like it was recorded in his old closest or whatever; perfectly situated within the topics it explores. Pretty standard stuff, but done very well. I'd love to figure out more about what is he yelling about. For some reason, I am reminded of Whitehouse, in many sense. There's a tendency of sonic barrage and word-piling; disorientation. Despite being quite traditional, I'm not entirely sure if I would even call it derivative. A great album and highly recommended.

Thank you very much for the kind words, I am glad that you enjoy the record. If you would like to know more about the subject matter feel free to send a message to me here. I appreciate the support.

[Baglady]

HEINZ HOPF - Ultra Primitiv LP (Wendy)
I was expecting good stuff as usual, but not like this. It pretty much sums up Heinz Hopf as a whole, but this time far more MSNP-ish than anything else. Eight ugly, loud, muddy, delirious, and most of all, joyous harsh noise cuts. I love their previous full length albums, but this is by far their strongest effort so far. Sounds best when played way too loud at home.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

MENACING '84 tape
Wealth of Abuse
Simple and ugly noise from UK - I assume. Sometimes it takes more structured form. Sampling German WWII salutes or heavy and oppressing feels a'la Zyklon SS material. But muddier. Short, nice tape.

PHURPA "Wal phur nag po" tape
Lust Vessel
Ritual chanting, didgeridoo etc. You need that? Then this is it. Sound is nice, like in all Lust Vessel tapes. Music is far from being noise. Russian ritual music group uses all acoustic means, but there is something nice in the detail of sound what sets it much higher than some cleaner "ritual music".

HEY EXIT "else" tape and "0 of 0" tape
First one is actually pretty good. This Brooklyn artist sent me couple tapes. Which exists as digital downloads too, I assume. heyexit.com
Anyways, "else" is 20 minutes guitar-drone/ambient piece, what has enough of things going on, to be interesting, yet totally slowpaced and minimalistic. Basically hardly stands out, but remains good stuff to listen. "0 of 0" is one hour wall noise, which belongs to some of the absolute weakest noise tapes I have heard for some time. Flat, stupid crackling going nowhere, but nothing to sink into either.

[martialgodmask]

PHURPA "Wal phur nag po" tape
Lust Vessel
Ritual chanting, didgeridoo etc. You need that? Then this is it. Sound is nice, like in all Lust Vessel tapes. Music is far from being noise. Russian ritual music group uses all acoustic means, but there is something nice in the detail of sound what sets it much higher than some cleaner "ritual music".

I have been enjoying these a lot lately, Boiler Room recently shared a this 1.5hr performance video which is good to relax to (but also strange given Boiler Room is more associated with electronic dance music, AFAIK and based on my own limited experience of them).