Jason Crumer

[FreakAnimalFinland]

In Canon Of Noise -topic was said:

Perhaps Jason Crumer's Ottoman Black? Outstanding level of composition, with clear musical skill at work. A large run of 500 copies on a very high profile label (Hospital Productions) and perhaps even influential (despite being quite recent) on many later works, as the bookending of brutal high fidelity noise with delicate ambient build ups seem to have become more common since.

Now again current topic, as "Ottoman Black" was released on vinyl by Urashima. And I must say I do prefer this vinyl edition over CD. Despite some could argue that utmost precision and care for detail what happens on basically every level of composition and sound, could needlessly suffer when cut on vinyl... I will disagree on that. I had gut feeling that this sounds somehow more harsh and "physical" than the CD. But eventually nerdishly putting same track on stereos and switching between phono & digital, there was barely any difference! Could congratulate Urashima for very good vinyl edition!

Is this album absolutely best of Crumer's work? Perhaps at least artists will have hard time accepting that, but now that LP made me return to the album, I find myself wondering that whether "Let There Be Crumer" CD was this good - or better? At least the overall style, variation of experimental and harsh, are well done on both.

For some reason I never even noticed "Disqualifier" LP came out in 2014.

Some links:
More experimental works from Ottoman Black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CqG0e1nyHY
And the noise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iMs4tldCDc

[ConcreteMascara]

I've listened to almost all of Crumer's material from the beginning until the stuff right before Let There Be Crumer and I still feel like Ottoman Black has never been topped. at times his shorter tapes remind me of the best of Pedestrian Deposit; super cut-up and harsh noise with a personal twist. I still really dig Walk With Me even though it's got a super slow buildup. the last track on that one, Pining is like a 9 minute harsh noise money-shot.

but I think what makes Ottoman Black so special, at least to me, is that the artwork, track titles and music itself all come together to create a tight, if somewhat opaque narrative that just elevates the whole proceeding. I know people say only the music matters and whatever, but Ottoman Black is the complete package: art, words, sounds. it's not just really well done harsh noise, it's more than that.

[impulsemanslaughter]

I Only have the record on RRR. Need to check out this reissue..

[tinnitustimulus]

One thing the really stands out for Jason is that he goes out of the way to get the album mastered professionally. I'm not certain he hired musicians to do sessions on Ottoman Black but has for Disqualifier. He makes a lot of choices I don't think noise people would make for the most part and it certainly sticks him out in the finished product.

[acsenger]

I've listened to the Disqualifier LP several times and it's great. It's a bit slow to start, but overall it's a well-crafted album with some surprising sounds that give it an extra dimension (I love the sound on side A that sounds like a trotting horse's hooves on cobblestone). There's plenty of crushing noise, but the second part of side B is more on the droney side and is excellent.

I also really like the Let There Be Crumer and Ottoman Black albums, but Disqualifier, in my opinion, is even better.

[Zeno Marx]

This guy has been amongst the cream of the crop for a while now.

[SiClark]

Have been meaning to get Disqualifier for a while. Very early albums are still good but as he has progressed he just keeps getting better in my opinion. Hopefully his new tape will arrive soon.

[NO PART OF IT]

I really hope there is some reflection of his collaborative performance with Joseph Hammer, at SuxbySuxwest Fest is 2013 released on vinyl somewhere.  That set was better than the whole entire weekend put together, and I don't mean that to undermine any of the other acts.  The set was absolutely mesmerizing.  Deep and focused loop work for 30 minutes, cascading into epic proportions.   

[Bigsby]

 other notable side projects or collaborations?

i think the reverse baptism record is fantastic; sleazy and grimey and darkly funny at times.

[Zeno Marx]

The new album is a scorcher.  Easily will make a year-end list.

[NerveGas]

The new album is a scorcher.  Easily will make a year-end list.

Agreed. Listened to it twice through today. Excited to grab a physical copy as soon as possible.

[Minus1]

Another old-ass thread!

As I type the Crumer split with Relay For Death called Channel Gutter plays. (2021).

RFD get 25min (a 6-part track) and Crumer gets a 37min track.

Both of these Artists are new to me.

Ah fuckit, I'm just going to paste the official description from Total Black, because I agree with it, and they do much better than me:

""Channel Gutter" is a split CD between autonomous American noise stalwarts Relay For Death and Jason Crumer. Relay For Death open with a barrage of sound, and over six movements Roxann and Rachal Spikula weave between noise, musique-concrète, dark ambient, and industrial, while maintaining an intangible and stoic nature. "Pauperized Monolith" is a nearly 40 minute deep arrangement from Jason Crumer. Featuring harsh noise extractions from the classic early 2000s "Ruth" sessions, the second half of the split is pensive, occasionally veering into the realm of ambient. Absolute highest recommendation. Features artwork by Roxann and Rachal Spikula, Relay For Death tracks mastered by Grant Richardson. Presented in digipak sleeve, edition of 300."

Let me just add that Crumer does "sudden" very well. There I was, zoning to a pleasant, ambient passage, and then, in a flash, all hell broke loose. Whiskey travelled through my nose. A HNW with violent shards of sound on top suddenly broke through my...er...wall.

It's quite amazing what Crumer does inside 40min here. Extremes of sound / feel, and yet it all flows and feels like a complete piece.

And near the end, I thought my CD was faulty / skipping / rotting. Damn you Crumer! He tricked me.

(And I'm still scared to sip my whiskey!)

Anyway, a superb CD. I hate to say that Crumer steals the show, and RFD was merely a warmup. It sounds like I diminish RFD, but I thought they were very good. Both Artists manage to make this CD a whole, vice 2 parts.

But Crumer really kicked my ass here.