Listening to the final tape mix of Modern Vol. 9 as I dub the remaining blanks and pretty happy with it. Little bit rougher and grainier than what's uploaded to Bandcamp, for anyone that might give half a shit.
Red Light s/t s/s C?? (Institute of Paraphilia Studies)
"Anonymous" project that, like certain others, can be traced back to who is responsible because of the obvious stylistic trademarks. This is sort of like halfway between one project and another, let's just say that. Heavy rumbling noise with feedback overdriven to shit, creating a well-known crusty distortion with blown-out crumble. Vocals: a familiar voice reading examples of suspicious johns from an escort-related website. If you like that stuff, you'll like this. Can I be forgiven for saying this is that guy's best vocal performance? The voice seems to lapse from one accent to another. ;) People who know a lot of material from his older project will get what I'm talking about. Anyway; although the electronics are definitely excellent on this tape, I'd describe it as vocal-driven old-school power electronics, American style. While earlier he uses a sort of declarative/narrative style reading the incidental information concerning, er, uh, escorts, it lapses into a more deranged style I like a lot better than his earlier project; this style is like shrieking, screaming, and wailing not unlike S.J., M.O., Strict, or the other "ripper-style" PE, as I like to call it. As far as electronics go, they're dominated by blown-out feedback until late in the game, a fucking delicious swath of wet, electrical synthesizer static makes its' way in and sort of increases in tone and presence like older Whitehouse. It really sucks this is all you allegedly get from this project, because although the guy's current one is top-notch, this stuff picks up where the older project left off full-kill-mode. Anyone who knows what I'm talking about needs this tape, and anyone who doesn't does not. This is one of those tapes that I would prefer keeping out of knowledge of more "normal" folks, and one of the reasons why I like this stuff - there's an inherently antisocial element that shouldn't be overlooked or removed. While certain acts not dealing with this sort of thing can still be considered power electronics until the cows come home, this kind of thing was here first. This is the original intent and subject matter for this style of music. You don't need to be faithful to that to appreciate this, though; this is just excellently perverse and sinister music.
Charity Saints s/t s/s C?? (Bestial Burst/Emergentism)
Short EP of what's advertised as "noise rock/industrial/no-wave/new wave," if I recall correctly. I liked the idea of uh,"that kind of shit" coming from Bestial Burst, so I went out on a limb. I don't really know what "new wave" or "no wave" actually sound like, because when I ask nerdier or cooler, hipster types, they always give conflicting answers. If this is a good example, then I do like it, as opposed to the fucking, well, faggy shit that you hear sometimes. Nothing personal against actual gays, but hopefully people reading know what I'm talking about. Some music is all sweaters and drum machines, and that's just fucking retarded. Anyway, shit, this stuff is not like that; it's a man's no-new-wave music. The lyrics immediately bring to mind Brainbombs, they're quite vulgar without actually containing vulgar language, and the vocal delivery is sort of power electronic in that it is menacing and impassioned (or dispassionate, depending on who you ask, I guess). The riffs seem to be guitar/synthesizer or bass/synthesizer and from what I remember, repeat over and over in only one or two variations per track. In that sence, its' kind of like Suicide; but none of that bullshit NYC art vibe (not that I don't like Suicide, you should know what I mean, though). I actually cannot remember whether there are drums or not – no, I wasn't under the influence of anything while listening to this, I was just tired. I choose to review things prior to the second listen in order to get a fresh, enthusiastic perspective; so while this review might be lazy indeed, make no mistake, I loved the Charity Saints tape and recommend to track this one down as I will track down more, as they release more. Ace!
Kostis Kilymis "Not Homesick Pts. 1 & 2" C30 (Strange Rules)
Strange Rules tend not to disappoint me because I don't follow their output obsessively like some do. I've never been a fanboy of any label and I never will be; I think I tend to like a higher percentage of what I pick up because I don't buy as much as other folks. If I followed everything Strange Rules did, I would see a pattern emerge that could equally please and annoy me. Since this is my fifth or so Strange Rules tape, every single one since the beginning has surprised me, for better as well as for worse. I think that's a good thing; I like being kept in the dark. However, in this case, I was only halfway surprised as I've got a Kostis Kilymis tape released on Mazurka Editions which got me hooked on his sound. When I go on websites like Discogs and see the term "minimal" being used to describe generalized electronic or experimental music, I couldn't begin to know what people mean; such a term is too subjective. Well, in that sense, I think Kostis Kilymis generally is what I think minimal electronic music is/should be. He has some kind of Flower Electronics patchable synthesizer that makes his micro-percussive textures, as well as some effects. This time, he appears to be using looped, reverberated field recordings of walking around London. I can't say this moved me as much as the other tape of his I enjoyed, but this was a pleasant/relaxing set of pieces amongst those which are generally not so as far as my taste. Basically, although this was good, I'd imagine Kostis has some material out by now that I probably would like much more, and might offer more variation. This stuff is incredibly simple; and is probably considered "ambient" in the Brian Eno sense – you don't have to let it hold your attention if you don't want to, and it'll still achieve it's overall effect. I can respect that intention, but I suppose I would've liked to see something, well, more interesting from Kostis. To me, he is very much like M.B. in that I find his material slightly out-of-step with his peers, kind of like the sheep on that Minor Threat 7" cover, he's the black one. Still, though, he does fit in somewhere, and that's why Strange Rules has released this tape. Good, not great, I'll seek out more of his stuff while recommending this to the folks that drool over entire discographies from labels; you all can seek this out if you need everything from Strange Rules. Fans of Kostis Kilymis might like this, but I think he's done better. 7/10
Trucido/Final Solution split C60 (Der Bunker)
I got this tape as much for the Trucido side as for having material by my favorite power electronics band, Final Solution. It might be taboo to admit not following along with the pack in PE land, but I have only ever owned one MK9-related release which I traded for a Dead Body Love tape; I don't recall what it sounded like. I'm aware that Michael does good work, and I'm enjoying Trucido as a little departure from what other non-Death Squad stuff I've heard. This registers as somewhere between tape-manipulation and power electronics, with a vocal delivery I am not really used to from MK9. There are reverberating echoed synthesizer sounds fading and bursting in and out from either stereo channel, which is a nice emphasis on weirdness over the usual American heaviness and aggression. Michael also has something of a more cerebral take on power electronics and noise, as visceral as some of his sounds and performances are, so Trucido is sort of the restrained side of his output, to my limited comparative examples. This is not incredibly loud and not intrusive in the sense that Slogun, Deathpile, or MK9 generally is. I can't really describe why, but this has a clinical coldness that is simultaneously low-fidelity, bringing to mind Grey Wolves-related sounds. As far as electronics go, this early in the game, I really like the varied textures that are echoing in and out. You expect some to morph into the more all-out aggressive American style, although that satisfaction doesn't quite come. Instead, the effect is more unsettling than satisfying – I doubt Michael would feel satisfied with you feeling comfortable as the effect of one of his recordings; his intent is obviously to take you to a difficult place psychologically. In that respect; this is like flipping through the news channels in one of your worst moods, it's all going to fucking shit. This is for this pissed-off, the depressed, and those who don't like bullshit but know it's everywhere – half of what we say is total bullshit. This sound collage approach to power electronics is something I've also been working on but am not sure if my approach could have this state-of-the-union-address sort of effect; right now I'm curious as to why MK9 and Genocide Organ are not actively collaborating on something sort of along the lines of the Black State or Black Insignia projects/side-projects. Along those lines; this can be said to be equal parts power electronics, sound collage/tape manipulation, noise, industrial, field recording/sampling/spoken-word, and full-on experimental music. If you're into all this shit, why would this not appeal to you? As you get a half hour of material from Michael, it's hard to describe what you hear with specificity. There are a lot of PE elements along the lines of Genocide Organ and Anenzephalia, but they're cut up similar to really old Macronympha and stuff like If, Bwana; alongside more atmospheric industrial and cinematic elements (I'm nearly positive I hear Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now during some sample-driven sections). Still though, there's an organic, lower-fidelity roughness that makes me assume this is edited on a tape 4-track or with 2 tape decks into a mixer going out to another – that's a good thing; I would not involve my computer as a mixer if I had a reliable 4-track. Contiuing that line of thought, the sound is sometimes reduced to one track/sound and in those parts, is when I could describe it as experimental or minimal, whatever those are. When I really think about it, I remember some Chris Godreau/Sickness interviews where he says the project was much more industrial to begin with and featured a lot of looping and tape manipulations; unfortunately as far as I know he hasn't released any of that early material...this Trucido track is exactly what I had imagined that stuff to sound like. I won't waste much more text as I've got to save room for the Final Solution side, so I will end in saying that this is a good reintroduction to MK9 and I would eagerly purchase this as it is on the A-side. There should be more music that sounds like this. However, I'd obviously still go well out of my way to purchase a double-A-sided Final Solution live tape, which if I'm not mistaken, was what this release was originally going to be. If you don't know who these guys are, they were America's answer to Whitehouse, which for any cranky old Brits reading, that doesn't make them a copycat band – they are literally the solution to the problem of sometimes Whitehouse not hitting the right notch. They lived what Whitehouse talked about and it is apparent in their sound – tracklist: 1) Kill Mode, 2) Straight White Male, 3) Dedicated to Jeffrey Dahmer, 4) Lesbians. Yeah!! If you dislike Final Solution, you're probably too old, too picky, and too liberal/sensitive/easily-offended for power electronics; it's like E.J. says, "how the fuck can I be a racist when I FUCKIN' HATE EVERYBODY, all at the same fuckin' time?" Why don't folks doing their own PE performances give these nice kind of speeches like E.J. anymore? I see the occasional banter from Solotroff in their little stage antics rock 'n' roll Bloodyminded performances, but it's a lot more cute than anything funny or heartfelt from Final Solution. Sorry, Mark Solotroff. I like your band, but I'd rather be honest. We start off with "Kill Mode" because of that feeling we all get sometimes, right? Slow version with extra lyrics, not the thick 'n' quick full-frontal assault of other versions. More seething than in-your-face, but I'd imagine E.J. was still pretty intense at this show. The electronics are more in the English style which is a little strange to hear from the guys that I believe laid the template for THICK, HEAVY AMERICAN PE/HN. I still have yet to hear a moment from these guys that doesn't set me off into kill mode, though. It seems like whenever I hear these guys' live recordings, I realize the audience is halfway between afraid of them and unimpressed, and the hecklers seem like they don't want to say anything to get their noses broken. That's probably a good thing, fuck it. I've heard these guys had a lot of substance intake going on, and a lot of times E.J. sounds like whatever he took just hit him or just wore off. When they go into "Straight White Male," it sounds like that stuff just kicked in. Some kind of downer, I'm assuming – not quite the same amphetamine rage you get on live versions from other tapes. I'll just go ahead and admit that I cover this track on a private tape, I'm still not quite sure if I did it justice. Electronics in this one are more cavernous and effected with reverb (maybe just from the room or amps) and again bring to mind Whitehouse rather than the full-on wet static blast or high-end torture you typically get from Final Solution. Ends with that perfect reverb ringout that you want from this band. Next up, as the track is also known, "Lord Dahmer." Apparently a fan favorite! Creepy electronics give way to uneffected vocal declarations: "that's the way to do it!" This track has the Death Pentalty Electronics we want from Final Solution, but I'll admit I find them sadly quiet in the mix – that's the nature of live recordings, though, you don't have much right to bitch and moan about it. E.J.'s vocal and feedback performance more than compensate, however – most guys can't achieve with effects what this guy does on his own. Love how they end with that warped creepy synthesizer tone. Heckler sounds like fucking Bobcat Goldthwaite in the audience. Last track, "Lesbians" is incredibly relevant today with E.J.'s comments; "I love lesbians, but I do not like dyke politics; give me one, not the other; this one's called 'Lesbians'." Fuck the PC is right. Electronics are really, finally in full Kill Mode now as you can hear the aggressive edge they are known for with the more atmospheric Whitehouse-style drones and sweeping high-end oscillations going that nearly overpower E.J.'s totally intense held-note screaming – this guy has actual vocal talent, he's not just screaming, I'll add. I'm frankly not quite sure what else to say; I'll continue to appreciate everything these guys were about while the rest of us try to do our own thing while simultaneously standing in their shadow. If that makes me sound like one of the old UK cranks, I don't care, I think it's obvious I give ten times more of a shit about today and the future; but I'll admit I'll always look up to Final Solution's sustained aggression. I believe this is not sold out from the label, and Analog Worship may or may not still have a copy or two. If you're enthusiastic about the genre's "history," you could do well to get this, but I really recommend it for young Americans who don't feel the need to attach themselves to already-established ways of doing things. This is really for anyone genuinely into power electronics though, that isn't too faux-cultured to pretend they don't like stuff with attitude.
Whiteswan "To the Point of Exhaustion" C?? (Narcolepsia)
A couple of seconds in, and this is decidedly different than the previous offering on Wrath. This is a consistent, forward-momentum mix of gritty field recordings treated on tape saturation (I think?) with some "old-school" analog synth electronics as in the last effort. I think there are actually some muffled, screamed vocals that have a really hoarse, torturous quality that reminds me more of when harsh noise acts like Macro throw in those throat vocals than anything I might actually refer to as PE. Although this project is obviously not in line with the various waves of modern stuff, there are indeed elements of Consumer Electronics back when Best was around 14 – there's distinct similarities to Leathersex and similar early improvised tapes. Speaking of improvisation, this tape sounds improvised, but not as sloppily so as the last. That's an improvement...if you're already guaranteed to like this kind of stuff. For most folks, this is more of that shit you have to clean off the loading dock when you work in a kitchen or bar. I dig this, though, fuck it, and fuck you. I have varied taste that runs from this low-level gutter filth to utterly artsy-fartsy shit, so opinion-wise I'd disagree with anyone from the guy behind this project to any of the detractors of smelly garbage-can noise like this that don't like getting their hands a little scuzzy, so to speak. I don't mean that as an insult, so nobody get their panties in a bunch. B-side is more easily identifiable as a 1980s sort of "typical PE," but again, I don't really see Whiteswan as directly copying anyone – FCO is just a guy making these sounds mostly for himself, as he'd want to hear and imagine them. I like that purity; in this sense, it's a lot like early FFH, XE, Bizarre Uproar; some of these projects' earlier releases have tracks which really don't show the same focus of vision, singular effort, and simple recording quality (even in terms of ultra-lo-fi muffle) as more recent ones – I'll be unpopular and say that even the projects I really tend to like and always trust have some seriously lazy-sounding half-assed tracks, but even those have an honesty and enthusiasm that is hard to ignore. In that respect, Whiteswan is a good project, especially on this tape – if you like cold dirty electronics with an "urban" atmosphere to them, this is that. If you are wondering what that might sound like, you won't like it, and Whiteswan aren't for you. This isn't an insult, but go for the arty stuff on Ascetic House instead, if you don't like this review; it's just utterly different and for different people. I like both, however, and today I'm enjoying listening to Whiteswan and remembering some things I saw in Phoenix, Arizona when I was a kid. I guess some people just aren't aware of certain things. Probably for the best.
V/A "Black Spring" C33 (Korea Undok Group)
Vague and mysterious collection of what I might literally call unknown projects - I have no idea about anything regarding any of these. Some of them seem to have this second-world country vibe that I think I like, though am not sure. Apparently the label is also a project of its' own. This stuff is minimal tape music combined with primitive electronics and industrial - in the modern, organic-sounding and content-wise not so offensive sense. Still, this stuff is a little off-putting, and I might suggest it goes well with activities best conducted in the Far East. All of this stuff is at least listenable, although I don't see myself picking up cute little short tapes by these projects - maybe a full-length or more cohesive material from this supposedly-secret, private label.
