Sick Seed "Technological Singularity" mCD (Filth & Violence)
Well, I certainly wasn't expecting the Residents-meets-Come Org opening track, "Man and Machine," although I probably should have been, considering nobody else is arranging as diverse a take on PE today as SS. I really like that no-wave bass line and synthesizer loop that disappeared a while ago, and the subtler layering going on. Not to mention the vocals – the first couple years of SS had me amazed with how good such "plain vocals" could be; but now it feels so "formal."
Next one, "Orifice Interface," is something more like what you've heard on The Great Corrupter or Beasts Among Men, but pushing the musicality/ song-structure approach further. With dictator vocals alongside a skronky polyphonic synth loop and some of the junk metal in his signature style, I realized that this side of SS is not so menacing, but more futuristic. While some PE is like a threat against you personally, this is more like a warning of things to come in the future.
It also sounds like "band format" SS has shifted the approach a lot – the dynamics are all the more noticeable when you consider that things are not just being controlled and arranged by one person. Older stuff had a one-or-two person sense of claustrophobia, while the atmosphere, mixes, and overall sound here reflect a group effort. Things just sound bigger, maybe even better. Actually, no – they sound MUTATED.
"Guinea Pig," basically follows the formula of the others; bass line, junk rhythm, abrasive rhythmic loop, and some background noises underneath mad scientist declarations. I really like the construction of the 1-2 rhythm, not to mention the modulations each layer is tweaked with, but if I was doing something else while listening to this EP, the tracks might've run together a bit – before everything suddenly switches to ultra-noisy power-tool sounds! There are noise harmonics achieved here through what sounds like a couple of drills, a pair of hair clippers, and some amplification.
Fourth piece is a version of Jethro Tull's "Heavy Horses," but I wouldn't know unless you told me. I tried to make out some of the lyrics, but couldn't – SS has a way of taking familiar songs and turning them into something else entirely. It's a complete mutation from the original, those who've heard the Guilty Pleasures will know. Once things calm down from the harsh noise, I recognize the bass line and chorus lyrics – it strikes me, Sick Seed has some of the only current Power Electronics I know of that can be said to have a relaxed/soothing sound, which is what I get from this collection of songs. I don't know what else to say about this, except most people have probably heard this already, chances are you liked it. I just hadn't seen any in-depth discussion of it, and wanted to point out some things others might've noticed as well but didn't mention.
Sick Seed "Prison Songs" CD (Filth & Violence, Terror)
"Cavity Search" opens to a brittle but thick and scraping wall of harsh noise – have to say I'm reminded of Andrea Dworkin's cavity search anecdote, but I'm thinking I'm supposed to be the one with the gloved hand up their ass here. Here goes.
One thing I quite like about SSis that signature equipment seems to help define the signature sound – I definitely hear some wet electronic noise here that I recognize from several other SS releases. Wind and shoveling noises that comprise a rhythmic loop establish a "chain gang" atmosphere, pretty oppressive. The aftermath of his "Snow Fell" cover, eh?
Alright, so I know I'm going to draw the ire of perhaps everyone reading by making the comparison to a hipsteresque, cool-person mainstream band, but the second track, "Prison," has a really gorgeous Krautrock vibe. Modulated key synth, tribal drumbeat, and vocal.
I'm not a father, but I'm no stranger to the disintegration of domestic relationships due to sexual issues. "Daddy Jerks Off" is both a great song title, and an unexpected piece that feels like New Juche or something along those lines, with the SS Ofizier vocals from earlier SS overlaid on it. Background porn samples, seem tape-manipulated.
More beautiful but disturbing polyphonic synth opens "Anticosmopolitan," really gorgeous phaser/echo/panning effects on the vocals, delayed noise rhythm starts to intrude into the background.
Tesco-style synthesizer grit from "Peeping Tom," which gets more machine-gun like as sharp, flexible feedback is introduced with some sublte rustling/scraping sounds. Vocals don't happen until about 7m into the track!
"Massgrave of Goats" seems like an apt description for the entirety of underground industrial culture or whatever, without sounding too pretentious. "BUY MY SHIRT! BUY MY LIFESTYLE!" Me too. And it's also just a fuckin' killer track.
"Victory Garden?" There's some pretty dark implications in that title, those lyrics. I sort of would rather not explain, "gardener does his work like he's always done." Ambient rusty PE, providing a nice segue into the more science-ficiton "Cold Mouth," which has a feeling of nodding to the '80's take on PE/industrial, as a handful of other SS tracks have in the past.
OK, well, no more ass-kissing; if you're reading and curious about Sick Seed, any release is a good starting point, though this might be the best.
Sunken Cheek "Without Rejection" CS (Angst)
Side A opens to some ambient-ish reverberations amongst really good textured metal work that seems to incorporate a digital looper or delay. There is also some gorgeous feedback notes here and what sounds like it might be actual drum percussion. I think I hear some background tape loops, possibly synthesizer. This is extremely dynamic and musical – really not what I'd call "noise," but ambient or industrial. Amph and Organum immediately come to mind as comparisons. It's certainly that good. Later, it transitions into simpler, spooky-ambient Randy Greif/Christoph Heemann territorry. I'm really glad I saved this for when I could pay full attention. Things evolve into patchier noisy territory only later in the track, just prior to the end.
Distant revererations open Side B. It's not like a single track cut into two, like many C30s, but this does feel like a continuation of the first side. Metal sounds ping-pong around in the thick and queit reverb, while an old-style M.B. rhythm comes in amongst some wider, bulging synth notes that strain the reverb. Seems to be mostly a wash of distant drones, metal treatments/loops, some cello or viola sounds, and pitch-shifted speech samples. This is pretty much class-A stuff for the tape-music crowd.
The Rita/Suction Melena "Roman Facesitting" CS (Lake Shark Harsh Noise)
Really interesting mid-range textures open The Rita's side with a bass backdrop that sounds a little "rounder" than the usual avalanche of crunch. This is the subtler side of The Rita, I'm curious if this recording features Arlie Doyle or just Sam. Things increase in sustain for a bit, making the movement more palpable before stalling and then going into patchier territory. Things seem to break through to the surface of the mix only after several minutes in, and add to the tension rather than gaining much in volume – things immediately calm down and become choppier, rather than surging upward as you might expect from older pieces. The rubbing textures of the sound achieve a rhythm occasionally that is perhaps suggestive of the title having been the sound source, which would explain the presence of both members, if you get what I mean. Eventually, things take on a significant buzz in addition to the crackling and slight gargling textures, which adds a good deal of low frequency oscillation after a point. Things are pretty consistent throughout the track, though, never achieving the sense of climax or crescendo I generally am familiar with in The Rita – disappointingly, the track never actually gets particularly loud.
Suction Melena's side starts off with a more consistent and electronic-sounding static mid-range burst that blows out into more distorted, crunchier sound in a matter of seconds. There's a distinct PE/powernoise feel going on here with the rhythms standing out over simple textures. At one point, laser-like MS20 rhythms kick in, giving a feeling more akin to certain Dead Body Love or Merzbow than just wall noise. Although this is quite a bit more dynamic than The Rita's side, to say the least, this isn't necessarily the sort of noise I had expected from Suction Melena considering what I'd read about the project. At one point, more "musical" distorted industrial rhythms kick in, which is a little too close to dance-y rhythms blown to shit via distortion pedal, at least to my ears. I really can't say this release has delivered on any of my expectations, and although it's nice to get a break from what one expects at times, both sides are niether especially groundbreaking nor specific to the point of fanatical interest. I don't dislike this, but I can't recommend it to those who aren't already pretty close followers of one or both projects. I'm not sure I'm as compelled to check out further Suction Melena as I thought I'd be. Better luck next time with The Rita, I'll try again eventually with SM.
