PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[Baglady]

MATTIAS GUSTAFSSON - Frusen Musik CD (Careful Catalog, 2019)
Listening to some of Mattias' records remind of my teenage years when I regularly suffered from heavy migraine. No matter how I isolated myself (locked myself up in the most quiet and remote part of the house, turned out the lights and covered my ears and eyes), it didn't help. Gradually I started to hear more and more sounds, as if my brain little by little amplified every real and imagined sound that went on in our home. Unintelligable noise from radios and tvs, dripping sounds from pipes and taps, buzzing electricity, wood creaking etc. Each and every sound slowly getting louder and louder, moving closer and closer. Like being stuck and strapped in an audial gallery of intrusive sounds. Several Altar Of Flies recordings have the same affect on me, but thankfully without the migraine. Frusen Musik falls into this category as well, and it's one of his very best albums to date, I think. It has this slow and slightly intoxicated trot to it, which many of his more erie records have, but rarely as perfectly paced as this one. Beautiful packaging too.

[theworldisawarfilm]

MATTIAS GUSTAFSSON - Frusen Musik CD (Careful Catalog, 2019)
Listening to some of Mattias' records remind of my teenage years when I regularly suffered from heavy migraine. No matter how I isolated myself (locked myself up in the most quiet and remote part of the house, turned out the lights and covered my ears and eyes), it didn't help. Gradually I started to hear more and more sounds, as if my brain little by little amplified every real and imagined sound that went on in our home. Unintelligable noise from radios and tvs, dripping sounds from pipes and taps, buzzing electricity, wood creaking etc. Each and every sound slowly getting louder and louder, moving closer and closer. Like being stuck and strapped in an audial gallery of intrusive sounds. Several Altar Of Flies recordings have the same affect on me, but thankfully without the migraine. Frusen Musik falls into this category as well, and it's one of his very best albums to date, I think. It has this slow and slightly intoxicated trot to it, which many of his more erie records have, but rarely as perfectly paced as this one. Beautiful packaging too.

Have been listening to this one a lot lately. Don't think I've heard anything he's done that I haven't enjoyed immensely but this is for sure a standout.

[Zeno Marx]

I havent heard anything else be Tietchens and PGR really. What does it sound like? Recommendations? I saw Tietchens live around 2004 i think, and i didn't like it. So i never bothered to check him out. But i guess his early stuff might be alot different? That last track from 1991  does not make me very curious about PGR. But the LP on RRR maybe is different? I haven't heard Thessalonians either...

There's a Tietchens thread, and I thought maybe freakanimal started a PGR thread.  Some good collaborations.

[Spectral Burn]

Putrefier - Pray For Fire (7", Birthbiter, 1992)

Finally digging into this nasty little slab after waiting months for it to arrive (from Montreal, at that). Disclaimer: It's REAL good.

The title track is a Broken Flag-esque piece of Power Electronics, with that unmistakable Durgan whine riding high above the festivities. Metal is scraped, stereo fields are messed with, and Tony Di Franco sneaks in to do something. Is that his drum machine?
Having only heard Body Hole (Meat Rack) via the sub-par YouTube rip, I'd always assumed that it was an unprocessed factory recording. I can definitely hear manipulation/human interaction happening on this listen, though.

I really need to track down some more Putrefier works. Industrial Recollections did a reissue of the Cog Dominance tape a few years back. Let's hope that these recordings finally get some wider recognition.

S•Core - Morbid Moppets (C46, Afflict Records/Trinity Production, 1986)

Your favourite noise dude's favourite noise dude.

I often think of Yutaka Tanaka as THE quintessential experimental musician. Ever-evolving, never afraid to change his sound up (often from track-to-track), yet always unmistakably sounding like S•Core.
This tape serves up five VERY different slabs of industrial nastiness, starting with "The Afterimage", a sidelong slowburn of scraped metal, singing bowls, and gut-rumbling sub bass.
The B-side diverts into the beatshit side of things, especially with the near-EBM of "Reddish-Black". The exception is "Sutra", nearly twelve minutes of DEEP, frigid drones.

Unfortunately, Tanaka has all but disappeared from the scene over the last two decades, though there have been talks of recent correspondence from a select few. Frequent enough Star Wars conventions, and you may come across the man in his natural habitat.

C.C.C.C. - Amplified Crystal II (C90, Endorphine Factory, 1993)

C.C.C.C.'s Ummagumma?

A-side is a nearly 45 minute remix of the original Amplified Crystal LP by Akifumi Nakajima. My favourite recording from the Control Center. Aube's touch really opens the mix up and allows for some of the more buried tones to shine.
The B-side is a different monster entirely. Each member gets their own solo track, before ending in a gorgeous full-group flare up.
Hiroshi's piece sounds like Astro, Kosakai's track is definitely not an Alvin Lucier cover, Mayuko's is all beautiful electronic screech n' wash, not too dissimilar from the much later Lunisolar CD, and secret weapon Nagakubo's "Phallus" is a throbber.

[Baglady]

SHREDDED NERVE - Acts Of Betrayal CD (Chondritic Sound, 2020)
The only thing I had heard of Shredded Nerve prior to this was a 7" from 2014. I barely have any memory of how it sounds, just that I thought it was allright but nothing special or original. Just... tape noise. Six years on and he has definitely worked out something of his own. A fusion of all eras of industrial and some very jagged oil-soaked tactile mechanical noise. And the (at least initially) odd acoustic number ("Meridian") bringing Organum, Metgumbnerbone and whathaveyou to mind. But I digress, this is mostly strange, loud and unsafe machinery. He's partially tiptoeing into Worth territory here, while dragging a sack of his own props and tools behind him, refurnishing, fucking up the scenery. Molding and melting all this into something coherent and comprehensive (well...), Impressive! It's alot to digest, but that is a good thing. Exactly the sort of noise I feel there is too little of right now. Great disc!

[Baglady]

RYAN BLOOMER - In Response To A Threat C40 (Harsh Head Rituals, 2010)
Much like his other tapes from this period, part of In Response... is a slideshow of different textures, feedback, acoustic hammering, bloated crackling drool, huge cavernous echoes etc, all loaded with muscle-snapping tension. It's as if he has picked apart some large multilayered composition and placed all the ingredients in a straight line, with the occasional hissing pause inbetween here and there, examining and highlighting them one by one. He's great at this, bringing everything out of the sounds he uses or produces. Steroids straight into the 4-track. The flipside sees him more patiently (as in violent yet restrained) knead and stir the shit out of some colon-fluttering bass-heavy torrent, adding some seriously fontanelle-tickling feedback to the mix. He soon puts the lid on though and keeps it that way, hinting at the shitstorm whipped up inside. It boils, foams, smells worse and worse and then it's all over. Masterclass cooking.

DEAD BODY LOVE - Emetic C40 (Labyrinth, 1997)
After enjoying the great new reissue of Low-Fi Power Carnage I felt like revisiting some other old DBLs. What strikes me straight away is how much more focused LFPC feels compared to most of his later works. Each of the four tracks deal with a particular sound or texture and sticks with it. He kept the crumbling he perfected on LFPC throughout his good period though, but became more restless in his performance. That restlessness spawned some great stuff, such as Emetic, which I've grown to love even more. Driven by gravelly heavy chewing loops, it rolls forward like a damn tank in a crossfire of feedback and searing mid-frequency spatter. Can't help but think this change for the more hectic style of his came about by hearing and correspondibg with certain Pennsylvanian lunatics.
And on another note. Dead Body Love is such a big name, but how long was his good period? Three years, maybe four?

[W.K.]

Immortalist - Confinement EP
(Digital, Breathing Problem Productions, 2018)
"Breakcore, Industrial, Power Electronics, say what?" Seeing this one appear made me smile, Breakcore on a Power Electronics label, that must be something...and it is, but also isn't. Equally I had some doubts, seeing 3 remixes on anything especially a short EP is rarely a great sign of quality.

Ranging through a vast spectrum of electronic styles this EP offers a lot of variety, but lacks the uniformity I like to hear on a release like this which seems to be more stylized than your general electronic dance release, going off on the artwork. Yes, don't expect an all-out industrial breakcore hell on this one, although it wouldn't sit strange on a Praxis or DHR. We start off with a track reminisced of the all-mighty Bomb20, maybe a little more restrained but great stuff - raw, gritty and powerful. Cristoph de Babalon is next. Well, not really (at least I think so), but it does sound like him. The yet relaxed yet complex drum programming with the sharp junglist reverb overdrive sound sounds exactly the way he does, add the powerful emotions and this one hits deep.

But then it becomes difficult. Bedrock is a more vague industrial experiment that sounds sort of okay, but it doesn't add anything nor is it in-line with any of the previous tracks. And the three remixes, ai ai ai, again nothing really bad with an early acid house remix for the office slaves, a psytrance remix for the cybergoths and a gabber remix for the crazy bald dude, but it doesn't add anything to the EP as a whole. And I even like the last track, however it also feels underwhelming, I mean yeesh dude crank up that distortion for fuck sake, or go listen to Mono-Anime some bit more.

I might sound negative now, but I don't think I am, just more confused than anything. A little more red-lining or overall arching theme would improve the quality by a lot. Style follows function, so if you style your releases, at least make it also functional ha! Still interested in that 2019 release though, well, you know what's on the playlist next!

[TS]

Cristoph de Babalon is next. Well, not really (at least I think so), but it does sound like him. The yet relaxed yet complex drum programming with the sharp junglist reverb overdrive sound sounds exactly the way he does, add the powerful emotions and this one hits deep.

Shit man, stuff that hits like Babalon is so hard to find. "If You're Into it, I'm Out Of It" is an absolute classic. Unfortunately so much DnB/Jungle is ruined by dreadful samples and the ever-pervasive stench of weed. Haven't heard  this one yet but I'm gonna have to with that description.

Been listening a lot to the recent batch from Bacteria Field. Quality artwork across the board. Nice to see some colours!

Worth - Gone Down

Great as was expected. Quite different from the Blinder LP which is my main point of reference in his discography. Less spastic, more heavy slabs of noise with longer modulations and strange, sudden drops and changes. Tasty!

Women of the SS - Femme SS Fatale

My first listen to this project. Very charming! Curious hazy steamtrain atmospheres with hot voice-overs.

Hermann Kopp ‎– Electric

This one is gonna look nice on the shelves, but I dont think its gonna get played very often. I enjoy his work in movies, but this one didn't work for me. Would have been much better without the lyrics.

[W.K.]

Cristoph de Babalon is next. Well, not really (at least I think so), but it does sound like him. The yet relaxed yet complex drum programming with the sharp junglist reverb overdrive sound sounds exactly the way he does, add the powerful emotions and this one hits deep.

Shit man, stuff that hits like Babalon is so hard to find. "If You're Into it, I'm Out Of It" is an absolute classic. Haven't heard  this one yet but I'm gonna have to with that description.

Absolutely! Also see he has a new one out, we are getting spoiled this year! (https://christophdebabalon.bandcamp.com/album/recurring-horrors)

Unfortunately so much DnB/Jungle is ruined by dreadful samples and the ever-pervasive stench of weed.

Jungle unfortunately yes, DnB is okay if you are looking for the right stuff. Anyway I agree, can't get any more boring than talking about weed, no one cares bruv, leave the chatter!

Purgate - Elemental (LP, Aufnahme + Wiedergabe, 2020)
Most powerful release I've heard this year, although I'm afraid it will fly over most harsh heads. Where Samuel Kerridge left his more aggressive side to go in a softer, more technical direction, Purgate picks up the hate up with utmost success. A enormous pit of darkness; gritty noises, grinding basses, colossal sub-bass and seeding electronics.  Mind you, the thumping techno beats and even somewhat reminisced of a melodic structure is still here, but somewhere, in the background, trying not to get drowned in the pit of...Pain. Hate. Filth. Regret. This records wants to puke itself out and I love it.

[Baglady]

BURNTABLE - s/t C40 (Nekorekords, 2012)
Came to think of this old tape the other day and felt like playing it. Found it an hour later in the bottom of a big paper bag filled unsellable crap tapes. No idea how it got there. Very loud (without really trying to be loud) south korean noise. Ripping feedback, machinery going amuk, a strange mix of rusty old mundane objects and electronics buzzing and jarring. All this in a just perfect roomy sound that works so well with all this trashy toolshed racket. A slow yet menacing restrained pace, tons of tension. Imagine a more freeform version of Ochu's Unproduktiw LP colliding with The New Blockaders' Simphonie In X Major and you'll somewhat get the idea. Maybe a splash of later Mania as well on side b, with all that choking deep bass swallowing everything else now and then. These namedrops still fall short though. There's not much like this! Wish there was more to hear from this quintet (!), but I guess I'll have to settle with this very unassuming and underappreciated little thing.

[holy ghost]

Knurl - Initial Shock CD - sounds incredible, had not heard this before picking up the CD last week. Really interesting to hear how ahead of his time he was 26 years ago, and how consistent his output has been. Highest possible recommendation for this reissue! Will have to drag out my laptop so I can watch the footage as I don't have a DVD player....

Agoraphobic Nosebleed remixes from PCP Tornado and Altered States - these are fucking great. So weird. I dig the output of the band up until about..... 2007ish give or take, but these are the high point.

Merzbow - Amlux - really nice record I've overlooked from the digital era. Was a great listen.

[[MBD]]

Mistletoe - Gestas & Dermas CDr (Small Mercies 2020)

This project never ceases to surprise me.  Starting off as raw black metal akin to the earlier one-man acts (but with a style unique in it's approach enough to separate them) Mistletoe is now a bleak, monophonic synth-driven Death Industrial entity that would fit well within the Slaughter catalog but like the Black Metal era of the project, doesn't come off as derivative.  This is Mistletoe's first full-length album at 66 minutes and remains quite the journey through out.

Tortured, reverb-soaked vocals accompany claustrophobic rudimentary synth drones.  What I like best about this album is the consistency of it's thematic elements.  There are 13 tracks but most are past of a sequence (being labeled I, II and so forth).  These tracks don't follow each other but when the next track in a series that was three tracks before picks up, any crescendos or lingering atmospheres left behind pick up and continue to evolve. 

Some tracks are a little long and repetitive but this album doesn't want to impress, an intense and highly satisfying experience.  The CD was limited to 44, there may have been a repress in the 10s but who knows?  Someone will upload a bad rip to YouTube eventually. 

[TordonLjud]

Chazev - Katatonia (CD, Narcolepsia)

One of my favourite reissues of 2020. Hypnotic industrial soundscapes with a decent amount of grittiness, not particularly harsh but not particularly un-harsh either (far away from the dreaded dark ambient-trap in other words, where a lot of industrial soundscapes seem to end up eventually). Great variety throughout. No bit overstays its welcome and it's a perfect accompaniment to reading some Dalkey Archive Press anti-novels. On the under-appreciated label Narcolepsia.

Grunt - Spiritual Eugenics (2LP/2CD, Freak Animal)

It's a bit too early to say whether this is the crowning achievement of Grunt so far but it is without a doubt the best material for... at least ten years. It's a very exciting album to listen to since every track has its own character - some favouring harshness, some favouring inventiveness - and perhaps the best sign of all: even after 4 sides of listening you still wouldn't mind another couple of sides. I think a lot of listeners who wouldn't normally be interested in power electronics would be wise to check this out. With that said this is probably the best power electronics album of 2020 for me.

[New Forces]

K-Group ‎– SERIES 4 (Knotwilg)
Drone perfection. Incredibly warm, organic, with the perfect hint of industrial clang. There are 10 distinct tracks on the album and I've managed to lose myself in each one when I listen to this record. A high-point so far this year.

[Baglady]

K-Group ‎– SERIES 4 (Knotwilg)
Drone perfection. Incredibly warm, organic, with the perfect hint of industrial clang. There are 10 distinct tracks on the album and I've managed to lose myself in each one when I listen to this record. A high-point so far this year.

Very good record indeed! Bought it more than a month ago but hadn't played it until now. I need to pick up the 1997 CD on Corpus Hermeticum, and revisit some other old New Zealand drone in the meantime, such as the Le Jazz Non compilation on said label, which was my introduction to the whole thing. Oh, and the Handful Of Dust CDs...