Worth "The Steps" CS (New Forces, 2018)
I'm pretty much in agreement with all the praise this has been getting for all it's unique character. The A-side had some moments I was going to compare to some of my favorite harsh noise standbys, but the B-side was surprising, dark, and gritty enough to warrant a better description. Manages to sound "Americanoise" without bringing to mind MSNP or Skin Crime. The more chopped, almost-fast cut-up sections are probably my highlight. Although I was a fan of Weak Sisters, this stuff is just fucking killer – very much "harsh noise" but still experimental music, doesn't fall into subgenre/subcultural trappings or references, which is a good thing. Seems to focus more on being grimy (even atmospheric; something far too much harsh noise lacks) than being super-harsh. Will definitely be one of my year-end favorites. Also really good for a rainy afternoon like today.
Cooter "Besmirched For Bedwetting" CS (WM, 2018)
Simple electronic noise that has pretty good sound balance and in-your-face dynamics thanks to the loud dub, despite it's pretty limited pallette. Focus on high-end with little to zero bass, probably from one or two devices, "broken" stuttering textures. This has that youthful, intimate, embarassing and sexual feel (something I suspect that some holds more of the appeal than the sound itself with releases like this) which sounds appropriate for/intentional to the theme. There were recent post regarding some obscure "filth noise" US labels and although I wasn't really into a lot of those, I think this wouldn't be far off. This guy's duo PE project is so, so much better, but I doubt he's trying to reinvent the wheel here. I like this style of noise but it could use a lot more edits and layering, sort of like the recent Rotera B.A.G. tape on Total Black (which is ace, by the way; anyone reading check that one out). I like this, very "Leathersex," but I wouldn't listen often.
Mania/Deterge "Garrulous Opinion" CS (Fusty Cunt, 2018)
We have Mania using Deterge's stuff as source material on side A. Frankly it just sounds like some of the simpler Mania tracks from a few years back in the opening movements – dark, grisly atmosphere and saturated, wet sound. I wouldn't have known about the source sounds unless you told me. Has some nice use of a pulsing/throbbing synth texture that recurs throughout, and a slow structure like the Bizarre Uproar sound of the past few years. Not crazy about the too-muffled junk acoustics early on in this piece, but to compare them to the Hal Hutchinson collaboration wouldn't be fair! Signature Mania feedback + vocals kick in after a point. Later acoustic parts are nice but this track seems to get stuck in the mud from compression/blow-outs that aren't my thing these days, could benefit from a better mix and me having better speakers.
B-side is Deterge using Mania's sources. I don't really mind saying the first few seconds had me a bit more interested than the A-side. I've heard some less-than-generous comments about Deterge's vocal style, and I know what they're talking about now, but it's not bad for this electronics style (almost "death industrial") and reminds me a lot of Intrinsic Action and the more recent stuff from Eddie from Final Solution – very "punk." There's a more subdued, disturbing quality to this side and the acoustics used are just clatter, which is an approach I have a love-hate relationship with. Next is basically the oppposite, with nice huge banging bassy metal and some muffled, quiet delayed vocals. Background flange/chorus-effected high-end again brings to mind FS, never a bad thing. Definitely evokes the paranoia and sublimated attrition of living in America today. Now I think I get an idea of what's going on with Deterge. What I like is that the crunchy and clanking acoustics here were (obviously) recorded (very well) by someone else, which says a lot about this guy's overall sense of control. Reminds me of the Trucido stuff that MK9 did but with shoutier vocals. Would appreciate any recommendations for solid, representative albums by Deterge.
Overall pretty good but could've benefited from better sound quality and a lyric sheet like the LP has, being that the subject here is important and yet you can't understand one word of the vocals. While they do achieve the "unique" atmosphere relating to the subject matter, the tape's sound doesn't reflect that in any immediate or obvious sense. This more than anything has me curious about checking out more Deterge and looking forward to the split LP.
Wonderland Club "Pageant" CS (IOPS, 2018)
The layers of thought and source material that went into this rivals major sections of really any mid-period Sotos, and the opening sound collage is really something more PE projects should do. It's one thing to listen to N12's deliberately brooding, slimy sound, but this stuff has a viciousness that just makes the subject matter all the more vile, mostly because of the vocal style. Reminds me very much of the more composed "case history" material by Taint. This band has some of the most thought-through and well written/edited lyrics in contemporary PE, alongside maybe even Caligula031 or Koufar; considering the number of angles each project is getting at in representing its respective set of subjects is fairly impressive. Not my favorite material from the project so far, but not a step backward by any means. Not sure electronics are supposed to be the highlight point here, anyway – I almost think of this as spoken-word which happens to be delivered in a PE style/context. We do get really tasty"brittle" EDP Wasp-y textures and just enough reverb, anyway. B-side has slightly different lyrical approach and stronger sound, both in instrumentation and mix/master, for some reason (I would guess they were recorded/finished at different times). Excellent presence and enunciation of vocals – any/all US youngsters trying to do their own PE, listen to this and then decide if you really need to.
Duncan Harrison "Preamble to Nihil" (self-released, 2017?)
Although the stuff I'd previously heard from this guy is now probably about a decade old, this stuff seems to have a representative uneasiness to it along with a nice attention to detail I remember from before ("Young Arms," maybe?). As far as the voice work, I find this kind of thing pretty amazing; Blackhumour would be proud. As for as the other sounds present, we get mostly subtly-manipulated field recordings in collage with a few loops. Pretty noisy, precise cut-up acoustics and effects later on. Since we're getting into territory where we can use terms like "sound poetry" etc here, I'll just say this is like a less-crude version of some of the stuff I've heard from No Intention and Good Area ("What's that?" "What's what?" "You can't hear that?" "Hear what?" "That noise!!"). Doesn't seem to take itself too seriously and I wouldn't really recommend this to the nasty crowd anyway unless you're like me and you literally like a little bit of everything – which this tape has, including a field recording of traditional Irish music and some questionable free "jazz." Definitely one of my favorites for this year; not for it's particular strength or uniqueness but for it's personal nature and the meticulous work that went into it.
Duncan Harrison & Karen Constance "Live At Coachwerks" CS (Sound Holes, ??)
Obviously, a live collaboration between two artists, one I'm just beginning to get into, the latter I'm unfamiliar with. Will check her stuff out, though, as I like what I'm hearing here; pleasantly exotic musique concrete with a lot of live acoustics which brings to mind Derek Baron, Massimo Toniutti, and so on. A suprisingly diverse collection of acoustic and textural sounds, with some nice "industrial" touches and loud impact noises that I think serve as the "harsher" parts. Hard to say what's being generated live and what's being manipulated via tape. Disappointingly, it's single-sided.
Derek Baron "Harpist" CS (Pentiments, 2017)
Bought this based off the description, as I'd seen work by the artist advertised but never really paid attention. Here, we get something a bit like the above, very pleasant but also moving and sensuous musique concrete, in which the metal debris seems to have an odd, almost melodic tonality to it. Again, brings to mind the lesser-known Toniutti brother, but that's sort of a simplistic comparison. There seem to be nice inclusions of field recordings, noiser textures, some reel-to-reel manipulations (I assume, anyway), and some interesting tones that I'm not sure whether they are brass, woodwind, feedback, or something else. The two side-long pieces manage to stay fairly interesting throughout but keep the mood a bit lighter than I'd prefer. This was apparently recorded in a variety of urban locations and that seems to jive with the whole vibe that Pentiments has going, sort of a stylish and sleek approach to whatever this kind of thing is. This guy also apparently has a recording of him playing Erik Satie tunes while his roommates bother him, available as an LP from Penultimate. Not sure about the format, but I'd like to hear that.
Leonard Cohen "I'm Your Man" (Columbia, 1988)
Strange that I like this album so much while despising everything that came before it (especially his awful voice and "Hallelujah"). I guess it's really not all that strange considering he was 53, his voice was getting gravelly, and things were going downhill. I have a love-hate relationship with the cheesy '80s synth sound here, but it seems to work. Brings to mind the second Suicide album, with a little Tom Waits and Lou Reed thrown in. The album that followed it isn't bad either, but leans dangerously toward Randy Newman and Stevie Ray Vaughn at times.
