Kalteldur top 10 of 2022

A strange year with its ups and downs. Corona has "turned" into a thing of the past, while a war was going on in Europe at the same time. Either Corona or the war had destroyed the motivation for being creative, lots of great releases needed to be reviewed (as you can guess). As you can see on the so-called top 10 list, then yes... it has been a year of noise rather than industrial or ambient. Re-issues and new releases of various kinds of noise music have been in high demand, and some of those releases need a review... which of course explains why Kalteldur still exists (course!). It has also been a year where a lot of friendly artists (and labels) have reached out to Kalteldur, and for that, I am incredibly thankful! Although the talk is that record reviews are a dying culture, the releases are still being made and the artists & labels still want reviews. Which of course must mean that the interest in obscure electronic music is still there... living and thriving! So let´s get on with it!

Number 10

Kadaver - Micro Death

Fantasy 1

Kadaver´s Micro Death was a relentless mix of abstract ambient noise with atmospheric and angelic harsh noise. Soo much expression in sound and soo little time! A very concentrated and compact mini-album, with a little world inside. If you slowed down this album, you could have it as a double-CD album! A great noise album to represent the year 2022!

Number 9

Black Leather Jesus - Anti

Ominous Recordings

I have said it before, and I will say it again... I LOVE re-issues of older cult releases. This time I had the pleasure of reviewing Anti by Black Leather Jesus. Proto HNW before Vomir or the Rita. I will quote my last words from my original review... since I nailed it!: 

"A strangely comforting beast of sheer brutality, perfect background noise for obsessive minds... and perfect textured sound recording for a decent power nap. Keep it simple, less is more and all that." 

Greatest re-issue of 2022, and one of the best HNW releases as well!

Number 8

Sagenheft - Hypnerotomachia

Moonlit Castle Records

A seducing medieval trip into the world of seducing nymphs and satyrs. Or just one of those lovely scenes from that classic Caligula flick! I would dare to say that we need more of this kind of dungeon synth in 2023! An incredible journey that any soundwise escapist would love! A classic dungeon-synth act seeking new ideas, while maintaining the old-school sound! Do seek it out!.

Number 7

Lesser Dog - Tavistock Anthropocene

 

Danvers State

Classic old-school (post) industrial is still alive and kicking. And Lesser Dog (who were by no means were a Lesser Dog) proved it all with this release! A brutal and nightmarish industrial-ambient album that would even satisfy the fans of power electronics. As mentioned in the original review, take early experimental Test Dept and then the harshness of the Grey Wolves! And yup, it is that good!

Number 6

Jugendwerkhof - Mernscharmierung

Marbre Negre

Actually, the second time around that Jugendwerkhof enters the top 10 of Kalteldur. I will say (and I will say it again!) Jugendwerkhof is one of the best harsh noise acts in Europe as we speak! And this release 100% proves that fact! Lot more sound to it than just harsh noise. Post-industrial scrapyard sounds with tons of apocalyptic noise on top of it. Fans of Mauthausen Orchestra and Incapacitants must check this act out!.

Number 5

Room of Wires - Fever Switch EP

Rednectic

Whoever said that 90s technoid-electronica was dead anyway?! Room of Wires proved w(with their futuristic high-tech EP) that mind-bending electronics were still a thing to look forward to... in the near future that is. This a lovely example of how a utopic cyberpunk-inspired sound aesthetic can thrive in a modern techno/electronica vibe. Do yourself a favor and check up on Room of Wires! 

Number 4

Samsuo - You Probably Think It´s The Ocean

Elm Records

Or you would just probably think it´s a bloody masterpiece instead. Samsuo´s release on Elm Records was a breath-taker for sure, not only did it deliver pure and beautiful ambient music but also elements of guitar-based sadcore... not that far away from 4AD in their late 80s period ( Red House Painters, Cocteau Twins ). After the album was done, I was 100% sure that it had entered the top 10 list... so here it is. Seek it out, you will not be disappointed! 

Number 3

Schloss Tegal Prezsents Kollektiv - Music From The Sanitorium

Tegal Records

This obscure compilation from the ancient past (made by the minds of Schloss Tegal) not only disturbed us deeply... but also gave us new ideas on how to evolve moody experimental music in the coming future. So what kind of weird experimental stuff did people record back in the cassette days of the 80s? This compilation gives you all the answers you need, and what a trip this is! Best various artists compilation I have heard in years, and what a lovely collection of obscure recordings that hides within... worth exploring!

Number 2

Third Organ - S/T

Abhorrent Creation Tapes

Never been a big fan of Japanoise, but when I heard this one with Third Organ... it completely changed my mind. Well... It´s noise alright BUT! being completely high-tech meets low-bit, imagine a thing between Autechre and Merzbow. Some kind of artificial intelligence is stuck inside an old Atari game, kind of gets me back to Robocop 2... where the mind of that criminal drug addict gets inside that killer robot! This release is a blast...ALL THE WAY!. When a bad trip turns into a good trip, an absolutely relentless release!   

Number 1

Don Mandarin - Pekin A Porm / Guided Meditation

Environmental Studies Bathtub Press Collaboration

One of the latest with Don Mandarin. A release that instantly took my mind away to other places. A release that can give the listener an instant touch of the soul behind the act. 100% excentric character/artist creating otherworldly experimental music, with so much much of his own soul trapped within! There are hints of exotic Asian-based world music (Martin Denny fans?), heavy post-punk-inspired dub, real field recordings, harsh noise-ambient, and the sort of back-to-basics feel from an old album by Throbbing Gristle. The album is the bloody works, and I am sure that anyone would approve. Even proud that I was given this opportunity to review this magnificent masterpiece! 

  

      

Vrna - La Vecchia Madre

Vrna has released a steady stream of releases since 2000 so this is not exactly a new act on the post-industrial/dark ambient scene. I remember the Lares album fondly but have not heard anything since then until this album landed in my lap. “La Vecchia Madre” is also not exactly a new release, but actually came out in 2018, making it 6 years old already. Befitting that a release entitled ”The Old Mother” should receive a review when it is itself a bit old, right? The packaging is simple but effective and the cover art has a nice tactile feeling to it. Some kind of surface treatment that makes it feel kind of rubbery to touch. The music itself is dark ambient with some percussive tribal industrial elements and some hand-played instruments in the mix such as flutes and, I think, guitar?

The album starts out in a very calm fashion with “Of Great Silence”, a 7 minutes long droning piece with some chants. The second track, “Ritual Of Self-Burial”, follows the same recipe but quickly evolves into more percussive and noisy territories. For me personally a step up from the first track, which was a little too static and “nice” for my taste. The third track, simply titled “Empty” follows suit and is equally calm and chaotic, balancing the two poles and ending with some almost new age-like sounds with some serene piano chords before descending right back into chaos. A strong central piece with a few elements that disturb the organic progression towards chaos, which is kind of a pity, I think, but which in turn creates a certain dynamism. 

The next track is my favorite on the album; a whirlwind of ritualistic ambient noise called “Cenere” (Ash) with howling distorted chants and drones drenched in reverb taking me straight into dusty catacombs and dark vaulted cellars. The next track called “Campi Di Polvere” (dust fields) is a calm affair that does not do much for me except for leading to the final track “La Vecchia Madre – Ritual of Awakening” which in turn goes full-on ritualistic tribal industrial with nice polyrhythms, chants, screams and growls (male and female) and a beat you can almost dance to. A strong way to finish the album.

Overall, despite a few critical points, I am quite pleased with this album. The sound is very good, sharp, and focused, and everything is nicely and neatly done. At the same time, it left me wanting a little more. Something that makes it stand out a bit. Much of the things I like about “La Vecchia Madre” have been heard before, and I could have done without the new-age parts that pop up in most tracks. Personally, I would have liked a stronger focus on the rhythmic and ritualistic parts. More chaos and darkness and less calm droning, flutes, pianos, and whatnot. I am, however, sure this will appeal to dark ambient fanatics who like Raison d’Etre, Sephiroth, and acts of that ilk, and deservedly so: if you like ritualistic dark ambient with noisy and percussive tribal industrial elements, this will certainly not disappoint.

Bandcamp (band):

https://urna-rituals.bandcamp.com/album/la-vecchia-madre-2

Official Site (label):

https://www.oldeuropacafe.com/

 Schloss Tegal - Neoterrik Research " The Unearthed History of Schloss Tegal "

I REALLY love it when these classic death-industrial/ambient acts decide to release some cool reissues in nifty-looking digipacks!. One of the latest ones is by Schloss Tegal, a compilation compiling various tracks from obscure various artists-compilation (1997-2022). Re-mastered by RL Schneider himself (Brainpilot behind the act). The cover artwork is just a thing of pure beauty. Sort of grey, black, and white grainy artwork showcasing various manipulated autopsy-themed photos. Actually, the compilation was first released back in 2004 on Cold Spring Records, but this time the cover artwork not only looks better but represents the music way better as well! A big shout to Alonso Urbanos for the excellent artwork! The whole thing contains 12 tracks, 55 minutes in total. 

The first track is called Bones of Tartarus. Tartarus (according to Greek Mythology) is quite a wicked location if you ask me, a place of torment and suffering for the wicked... and the titans as well. So yes, there should be ALOT of bones in Tartarus. A deep and drony ambient track for lovers of heavy electronics. Lots of cool layers going on, and quite an adventurous/escapist vibe/mood in there as well. All of these sinister sounds are mixed with a haunting and looped religious chanting. A very cool and hypnotic track to start the compilation!

The second track Please Eat Me, is another good example of why this act can be simply irresistible... exquisite even! Lots of cool claustrophobic subterranean sounds. Reminds me of the early Test Dept/Laibach in a way. Metallic beatings in some abandoned factory, someone digging through the earth with a shovel (I think!), disturbing manipulated human voices (or is it actually pigs?!) with some distorted pitched sounds on top of it. Fans of the soundtrack of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre would love this. 

The third track Last Glint pf Consciousness gets back to those classic death-industrial/ambient sounds of the labels Cold Meat industry/Slaughter Productions. Bone-crunching atmospheres are set in some morbid operation theater. Glimpses of paranormal touch/ideas spark the track even higher. Greatest track so far.

The fourth track Collapse of the Wave Function offers a psychedelic soundtrack journey into the afterlife. Grinding and metallic drones from the heaven above, with some warbling (and eerie) ambient electronics. Again, LOTS of interesting sound layers!

The fifth track Anti-Life Equation kinds of chills down the atmosphere, to a more "pleasant" mood. Icy and minimalistic death-ambient. Love the crunchy sounds in the background, low-fi when it works! Incredible mysterious track with a lot of depth to it (11 minutes and 48 seconds).

The sixth track is called Zero Situation has a lovely mechanized rhythm. Starts with two thumps and then it ends with a metallic crash, doesn't actually sound like much (in the written words), but on the album, it sounds that good. Any fans of Megaptera would approve. 

The seventh track Invitation to an Outrage (Reptilian Mind) offers echoed, layered, and looped samples/recordings. Not much drama going on here, but the track doesn´t need the bloody drama. A very cool and subtle track with a lot of darkness within. 

And that ends the review. There are 5 more tracks on the compilation album, but I think that the listener should just further explore the rest of the album! I love this compilation, it sets a certain and specific morbid mood for anyone who digs pure ritualistic death-industrial. It also adds some extra psychedelic and experimental elements to the style as well! Might just be one of the top death-industrial releases to end up under the Christmas tree this year!. 

Bandcamp (band+label):

https://schlosstegal.bandcamp.com/album/neoterrik-research-the-unearthed-history-of-schloss-tegal

              

 Fallen - Soft Skin, Eternal Verses

The second album I get to review (this year) with this nostalgic ambient-driven act from Italy. Soft Skin, Eternal Verses was performed and recorded back in 2016 and has now been released on cassette by Mahorka, a label based in Bulgaria. The cassette is sold out at Fallen´s official Bandcamp site, but it can still be purchased via Mahorka´s Bandcamp site! A limited 50 copies cassette with some really beautiful looking cover-artwork, would have loved it even more if the paper had some texture. 3 tracks on each side of the cassette, which is about 50+ minutes in total. 

The first Echoes And Sin starts with an electronic humming sound, a slightly harsh and icy-sounding drone churns in the background while a crystal-like synth-melody lies on top of it. Beautiful and futuristic dreamy synths are also added as well. And then the melody starts with a deep synth and s simple rhythm. Piano, guitars, and church organs are also present. Kind of reminds me of Runes Order (not just as dark) and another Swedish dark-wave/ambient band called This Empty Flow. Exquisite synth-based ambient with a nostalgic retro feel here and there, I also have a gut feeling that fans of dungeon synth should check this out!

The second track Eyes Like Windows has a more ceremonial feel to it. With melancholic and looped synth keys and some very cool and rhythmic sound effects, Coil pops up in my mind here. A driven melody from above enters the stratosphere, leaving you bloody breathless!. Another great track here people!

The third (and last track) on the A-side is called No Love Is Sorrow. Kind of a haunted house of a ruin sort of intro-theme here. Slightly pleasant and slightly disturbing/eerie. The track brightens up with some rhythmic bass lines and an echoed pencil hitting metal. Almost a neo-classical feel here, not that far away from In The Nursery. 

The fourth track Soft Skin, Eternal Verses has a kind of industrial touch in the beginning. Sounds like a blow torch with some creepy and skeletal sound effects. This gets replaced with a crystalized futuristic atmosphere with those cool church-organ synths and additional guitar work. Dramatic and intense structured ambient soundtrack material here, very well made!

The fifth track Shimmering is probably the most easy-listening-like track on the album. Maybe a bit too pleasant for my taste. A Bit too light and sensual if you compare this track with the former tracks. Light-weight ambient piano-pop/new-age music. Some experimental electronica moments save the track at the end though.  

The sixth (and last track) New Beginning, sounds like an intro and an outro at the same time. It also gives the listener a kind of feeling, that you are listening to something which you have heard before on the album. It does remind me of a track here, not sure which.

A good and pleasing ambient-pop album with an experimental touch here and there. I do miss a kind of progression in the sound though, at times it does feel not your not actually getting anywhere, and then again, there are some moments on the album proving that otherwise. More edge, and just a bit more darkness also? 

Bandcamp (label):

https://mahorka.bandcamp.com/

Bandcamp (band):

https://thechildofacreek.bandcamp.com/

    

   

 Vomir and White Window - Advanced Symptoms of Claustrophilia

Actually, the first time ever that we get to review Vomir on Kalteldur. Been reviewing HNW for some time, and now it´s the first time that we get to review one of the true vets of HNW. Not completely alone this time, Vomir has made this album together with a project called White Window. 

Interesting act really, White Window hails from the Philippines! With a lot of releases on their belt, and more to check up on their Bandcamp site as well (link below).

  

Not a split here, but actually a collab. This release has been released by a label called Grubenhehr Freiburg, and this physical release is a cool-looking cassette (and cover) with some eerie (but nifty) looking collage artwork. I should also mention here that we are actually talking about a re-issue, it was first released by Transitional Void Records back in 2021. Anyways...  The album title...Advanced Symptoms of Claustrophilia, make you smile... also makes me wonder nonetheless.

The first track is called Asbestos Devotion. A very direct and brutal noise wall starts the track, the textured and microscopic sound of fabric being completely torn apart. High-pitched harsh noise sounds are present in the background, which gives the recording a nice dynamic to the wall of sound. Those high-pitched sounds almost sound like... one of those humming alien war machines in the classic War of the Worlds flick from 1962. Maybe it´s just me, getting a minor head-arch from too much asbestos. Action-driven noise wall for sure!

The second track Abnormal Pleasures of Confinement starts where the first track ended. A pulsating psychedelia sound is in the background, while strange samples/recordings (of something) can be heard with the trained ear. It's still within the area of the dynamic noise wall. So far it's hard to distinguish this track from the first track, the main difference is its length of it. Still pretty action-driven, love the energy of the sound. Vocals recorded in the end actually. 

The last track  Advanced Symptoms of Claustrophilia is a killer, 30 minutes and 8 seconds long!  In the same vibe and feel as the former tracks. I keep returning to the idea of creating something in a state of complete isolation. Corona-themed perhaps?. If you actually take a pause from listening and returning to listen... the sound sounds more brutal than before. The whole monster sounds like a mic being dragged by a fast-driving lorry truck. 

The album does sound like it was done in one take. Like a kind of live recording, and then chopped up the recorded material into three tracks. Would have been better if it just was one long track. And I was (in the end) feeling a slight case of Claustrophilia. The album felt too long, maybe that was the idea/concept of the release? Pure HNW addicts should seek it out, not for the faint for sure. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://grubenwehrfreiburg.bandcamp.com/album/advanced-symptoms-of-claustrophilia

             

 Victorian Witch - Eerie Tales

Dungeon synth on a Compact-Disc is a rare thing, even rarer when the artist describes the music as a Victorian synth. We´re dealing with a project by the Italian mastermind, who also was responsible for the proto dungeon-synth act Sagenhaft! (see former review). A beautiful limited 100-copies physical release, a glossy 4-paneled digipack inside a  wax-sealed black letter with blackened print on. The album works as a sort of complete recordings compilation since it compiles the two mini-albums Eerie Tales and Cold Embrace. Love the whole feeling of energy pulsating from this otherwordly cover artwork!.

The first track on the album is called The Tomb of Sarah. Not exactly who Sarah is, but we´re dropped right into a kind of musical style between Dead Can Dance and Endvra. Some might say Lovecraftian and some would say dark-medieval. Evocative melodies crawl over synthy strings like the legs of spiders, while eerie will-o-wisps produce disturbing light over a ruined graveyard. A perfect intro track, telling the listener straight away that we are bound to be on a fantastic trip into another world. 

The second track Witch´s Mansion goes further into a classic death-ambient sound. What do I mean by that sound? Check out the classic Death Odors compilation from Slaughter Productions. Heavy and doomish bells with some added metallic percussive on top, very kind of Megaptera´ish if you ask me. Interesting eldritch electronic sound effects going on as well. Is that new sport-shoes I hear on the gym floor, or is it the sounds of bats?... Not sure, great track nonetheless!

According to the track listing on the physical cover, the third track The Haunted Organist (which is according to the Bandcamp track listing actually being the track called Aungier Street ) contains an interesting rhythmic rhythm with some very cool synth-based atmospheres. Fans of SPKs Zamia Lehmani will surely dig this I am sure. A nice touch of atmospheres piano notes enlightens the mood beyond description.

The fourth track Aungier Street (which actually is the real Haunted Organist of course) perfectly sums up the mood for the perfect gothic-horror tale from the older days. Lovely played organ synth, with a touch of dread and moaning within. Perfect for an Edgar Allen Poe spoken-word performance of the Raven!

The fifth track The Shadow of a Shade further enters a neo-classical dark ambiance with a touch of the paranormal. Love the ancient and almost mythical archaic sound, a sound which sadly seems rarer and rarer these days. I'm getting watery eyes here people, beautiful track!.

The sixth track The Body Snatcher might even be something from one of those older Carpenter flicks. A retro sort of 80s horror thing here, the feeling of evil forces at work being present here. Synth-based horror ambient with some cool distorted guitar sounds going on (I think). The evil version of Steve Roach anyone?. 

The seventh track Twilight Encounter kind of goes "back" to that classic Sagenhaft-sound. Elegant piano, martial drums, and synthy soundscapes. VERY nicely done indeed. Again, I would love some kind of vocals here... again, spoken words would be awesome. 

The eighth (and last track) Cold Embrace further explores the retro soundtrack with added post-rockish guitar work. A good and moody outro track to end the album, although the track (on the CD) ends maybe a bit too suddenly... but that's ok I think!. 

And that ends the journey. A cool, honest, and decent album delivering what the album promises to deliver. Esoteric dungeon synth, with a nod or two to the world of classic gothic horror literature. I Would love to see that there would be more artists within the dungeon-synth realm, that would dip their fingers into something like this. It´s great, but again... I would also (for some reason) love it if there were some deep male vocals here, again spoken words. Maybe we can hope ( in the near future) that there would be an upcoming spoken-words album? Bored of Dungeons & Dragons-based synth music, go and check out Victorian Witch!.

Bandcamp (label):

https://pacificthrenodies.bandcamp.com/album/eerie-tales

Bandcamp (band):

https://victorianwitch.bandcamp.com/

  

     

   

 Soma - Vociferando En Lenguas Antiguas

I have been in the company with the abstract and extremely harsh-noise unit Soma once. I have experienced the act through a release on the label Marbre Negre, the excellent Ewige Schönheit album (see the former review!). This time we´re not dealing with a split, just an entire album/cassette release with Soma. For those who don't know Spanish, then I can reveal to you that the English translation would be Screaming In Ancient Tongues. 

This is kind of interesting when you examine the beautiful cover artwork. At first glance (front cover) you´ll see something which looks like something...which could look like something being zoomed in. A kind of strange but still recognizable organic/fungus-looking pattern. When you open up the cover and witness the photo inside, it´ll show a strange and ancient-looking cave wall with an enigmatic bust of someone on a square platform. Looks like a spot of some kind of worship. The same fungus-look structure can be seen on the cave wall itself. So the title Screaming In Ancient Tongues makes sense with the artwork itself... I like that. The idea is there, but there isn´t actual info about the location of the photo on the cover. Makes the listener wonder of course!

There are two tracks on this album, 40+ minutes in total. Live recorded as well! 

The first track is called Primera Vociferación (First Vocation). Its starts with a hiss, which then evolves into harsh radio static. The harsh radio static starts to clatter, and with added flange effects it starts to move slowly up and down. Additional layers of abstract noise are added to top the cake. Screaming vocals from the world of the dead can be felt and heard later on (in the background). Love the way how elements of the vocals are being looped as well, kind of in the same way on early albums by NON. The whole thing then dissolves into a completely psychedelic Wunder-Baum of terrific cosmic noise from another dimension! Pure madness here.  

The second track is Segunda Vociferación (Second vocation). Sounds like a distorted version of an old computer game, and then it starts to sound like noise coming from a haunted television...´They are heere´. After that, the whole thing collapses, and tons of action-driven noise drills, cuts, and impale the listener again and again. A bit more madness going on here than the former track, or is it just the sounds having an effect on my ears and brain! 

A complete smörgasbord of every kind of mental mood that u can find/hear (and locate!) within the world of harsh noise-music. A challenging sound-beast that will (and can) give aural hallucinations! Don't say that I didn´t warn you. By the way, the Sonic-looking fellow below is actually the logo of the label Crystal Mine, be sure to check out the other releases from the label aswell!

Bandcamp (label):

https://crystalmine.bandcamp.com/album/vociferando-en-lenguas-antiguas

       

 Sokushinbutsu Project - 5980 - 

Patto Generazionale

The newest release from one of the more mysterious and esoteric industrial acts from Italy, almost (in a lot of ways) being an act that pays tribute to the industrial past of Italy. Thinking about acts like Ain Soph, Sigillum S, Circus Joy, and Teatro Satanico. The act made their thunderous debut 即身仏 on Industrial Ölocaust Recordings and came out as the second-best release reviewed on Kalteldur in 2021. This time the act has jumped onto something completely else, doing an interesting kind of remix/sampled/revisited-cover versions of vintage pop songs. Sampling sounds from the original recording and changing them while adding guitars, vocals, and various sound effects. 

The release has been released via a Swedish label called TIBProd, a label started by Jan-M. Iversen. I know this guy, cause I love the album he did together with Maurizio Bianchi (Rekviem MB-JMI). Anyways, the physical release is a nifty-looking red cassette encased with a nifty-looking cover artwork showcasing the two members looking like prober upcoming pop stars of the new age. Loving the whole camouflage kind of thing going on, and I love the idea! 

The first track Oh! Carol is by Neil Sedaka. A classic piece of easy-listening vintage pop music from the age of rock n- roll, milkshakes, and drive-in-cinemas. This version is beyond recognition but learns kind of close to a drunkard version of The Blutharsh. I love the primitive and harsh guitars, and the industrial rhythm going on. The vocals? Cool as well, lovely kind of apocalyptic feeling going on here. Boyd Rice would be proud.

The second track Passion Flower is by The Fraternity Brothers, an act and a song that I don´t know. I checked it up on Youtube but still have no clue. The track is more of a ritualistic and esoteric thing. Eerie-sounding (slowed-down) trumpet-like sounds and slowed-down sampled rhythms also end up being reversed as well. Disturbing and distorted sounds from a 90s clock radio, sleazy sounding jazz music (Nurse With Sound?) with some cool reversed ritualistic voices. A VERY hypnotic piece...strange and seductive too.

The third track gets even madder!. Tom Dooley with the Kingdom Trio! We even sang that song in school when I was 10 years old, back in 1987 that is! The track starts with a sample from the original recording, and then with real guitars and vocals done by Sokushinbutso Project. If you never felt the doom and despair of the original version, you are bound to get it with this version for sure. Twisted, sick, and slightly warped... but very minimalistic as well. 

The fourth track My Sharona by the Knack. A new-wave power-pop classic from 1979, which u all have heard soo many times on your radio channel for classic pop songs. This time, the track has been mutated into doom-filled noise rock! You can even mention early Earth here, it´s really quite heavy and without any light at the end of the tunnel. 

The fifth track Upside Down by Diano Ross is, by all means, one of the biggest hits from the disco era (besides Donna Summer´s I Feel Love of course!). It starts with a metal-bangin ensemble of early Test Dept´ish rhythms, slow distorted melodies, primitive warped sound effects, and some really frightening and evocative (sampled?) vocals. Everything is quite...upside down here. The primitive drum-machine parts, later on, are just spot on, lovely kind of early industrial sound here! Sampled recordings of Diana Ross saying Upside Down here...are just wicked!

Last track The Wanderer by the queen herself Donna Summer! Never been into that hit of hers, always preferred her I Feel Love with Giorgio Moroder. This version of the Wanderer could sound like something from the first Unnatural History by Coil instead. Which of course makes it "sound" better than the original version. A very spacy industrialized piece with some cool mind-warping sound effects, early console-gaming consoles, and Coil together? I must say that I love it!. 

And that ends that journey. When old nostalgic industrial guys think back to a time when pop music actually... meant something. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to the original before listening to the cover version. The first time I listened to their album, I didn´t actually get the vibe. But when you get into the original recordings first, it ends up being a completely different journey. Actually surprisingly mind-blowing! Again, like Boyd Rice (and Fad Gadget) would say... Easy listening for the hard hearing!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://tibprod.bandcamp.com/album/5980-patto-generazionale

    

   

Kadaver - Micro Death

We´re back again with another release from the maestro of harsh death noise, Kadaver from Israel. Micro Death came out last April on a label (which I do not know) called Fantasy 1. A cool-looking noise label from Texas with cool acts like Black Leather Jesus, Astro, and Vomir. The new Kadaver CD-R album has been released in a slim-line DVD with an insert, my promo version is in a nifty-looking plastic pocket with yellow paper which has been printed on it... think I recognize the photo on it... from some old 80s Italian horror flick I think. There are two tracks on this mini-album, about 35 minutes in total here. 

The first track is called Fleschette Bloodletting. Fleshette (or Flechette) is another word for a pointed steel projectile with a tail for a stable flight... dart. And with bloodletting after that, it would then sound like some sort of i-dare-you-contest... or some new kind of torturous sport! Anyways!. The track starts with a blistering and crunchy wall of high-pitched sound. A cool and menacing bass wall, distorted demonic voices are hidden within, and then also the razor-sharp machinic wails and screams. The sound quality is excellent, love it when you can hear all the effects and the crunchiness of it all. Harsh noise version of Brighter Death Now´s Inner-war in a way. Also a kind of cosmic greatness in the sound, very high to the ceiling as well. A devastating and hellish 18 minutes and 48 seconds in pure delight.

The second track simply called Wasser (Water in German) starts with a distorted sound which I haven´t heard in some time... with the speakers on your old tube television going down or some of that gritty noise that could be located on an old VHS tape. Additional elements of shattering and shredded noise are added to the tube television. Away from the BDN sound and closer to the Grey Wolves sound, but still in the slowly-built harsh-noise approach/atmosphere. Not as action-driven as the former track, but closer to a kind of dynamic noise wall. More of a nihilistic vibe going on here. I like the idea that the track seems to have a kind of static expression in the sound, but listening closer and you may notice the action going on behind the static expression. And the sound expression intensifies (slowly) the further you get into the track, giving you that impression of getting higher and higher in some elevator. Maybe the track was trying to illustrate how water moves when flooding is happening... I know! ... Since I have experienced that in my cellar!

Cool tracks, cool album. Delivering what was promised from a Kadaver album. Abstract ambient noise or just harsh death industrial noise? The Sound (and the expression) is excellent and diverse, with a lot of layers and depth in the sound as well. I was almost close to finding the second track a bit boring, but as Hannibal Lector would say ´ All Good Things Comes For Those Who Wait! ´ and that is exactly how to describe that second track. Overall, a fantastic noise treat!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://fantasiaeternal.bandcamp.com/album/kadaver-micro-death

Bandcamp (band):

https://kadaver.bandcamp.com/

 

 Fallen - Our Dreams Will Be Told

Fallen is another act that I haven´t heard about before, although the artist behind this project has been quite active since 2015, with 14 albums so far. Lorenzo Bracaloni is the brain behind the project, and he is also working as The Child of a Creek. Fallen is mostly within the spectrum of atmospheric ambient, while Child of a Creek works around psychedelic folk music. 

This album was released this year, in May 2022. Which would mean (According to Discogs) that we are dealing with the latest Fallen album. This one is called Our Dreams Will Be Told, and the cardboard-wallet sleeve features a dreamy kind of vintage photo of a beach in the summertime. Which was kind of perfect, because at that time I was listening to the album for the first time... I also was at a beach, in the summertime. Watching my 2 eldest sons bathing in the sunset. Quite a perfect setting right? The physical is already sold out (65 copies) on the label, but the digital version is of course there on the label Bandcamp site (link below). 

The first track on the album is called Let there be more Light. A melancholic bell-like synth melody starts the track, and an additional dreamy ambient synth is added later on. There is a  feeling of nostalgia here, and there is a longing feeling for those days of old. Suddenly Camouflages synth-pop classic Where Has The Childhood Gone pop-ups into my mind, while the tune reminds me of Psychic TV folksy ballad Drifting. A beautiful piece of melancholia here. 

The second track Undisclosed Promises enters a more 80s film-soundtrack kind of vibe. Dreamy string synths, piano, and a humming and rhythmic bass drone in the background. Additional human choirs also being present as well. Great piece of ambient music, I'm not sure about the piano and the acoustic guitar though (a little bit too close to wellness music for me). 

The third track Dove´s Secret Shelter opens up with quiet but majestic synth keys. Just imagine dunes, the very pattern the wind creates in the dunes. Some cool-sounding NIN kind of piano tune is added here as well, with some post-rockish guitars as well. A very good track here, everything sounds good here! The wellness feeling is absent here, so no worries. Epic, mysterious and majestic beyond description.

The fourth track Blue Waves, Gentle Wind gives the listener just that feeling. Love the drums here, the icy ambient beats. Stretched-out human voices haunt the scenery, while that gentle piano falls like raindrops. Fans of William Orbit would love the piano parts. 

The fifth track Bright Eyes Don´t Lie kind of continues where the former track ended. I really like the beautiful simplicity of this. It´s quite easy to get that kind of aesthetic feeling here, there´s almost a story going on here (I think). In other words, I don´t think we are dealing with fiction. It still within that 80s soundtrack kind of feel, when James "Sonny" Crockett of Miami Vice gazes over the beach... pondering and wondering. 

The sixth track Stolen Empathy, Bitter Tears... there´s some drama in here I think. Kind of, the silence before the storm. Is there a storm brewing on the horizon? We don´t know, but we hope not. Cool and icy rhythms and cool reverbed melodies here as well. 

The seventh track Out of Noise... is not a noisy track of course. But more of a track/thing that has survived the storm which I mentioned earlier. The feeling of bitter disappointment perhaps? It lingers in the melody here kids. Kind of going home on the bus/train after a party and asking yourself what the hell happened (sort of sound/feeling). Don´t drink too heavily at harsh-noise concerts, bound to fxxx you up!      

The last track Our Dreams Will Be Told (same as the title of the album) might prove that there is a cure for your hangover from last night, in other words... there is light at the end of the tunnel. At that ends the album. Again with melancholic synth dreams.

I like the album a lot, if you/I get past the nods of mental and spiritual wellness then you are actually dealing with a fine piece of pure ambient music/pop. It´s not for everyone as you can hear, but I would recommend (nonetheless) the album for any fan of 80s ambient music. A good example would be guys like Steve Roach, William Orbit, and Brian Eno of course. Decent chill-out stuff for troubled times.

Bandcamp (label):

https://rohsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/our-dreams-will-be-told

Bandcamp (band):

https://thechildofacreek.bandcamp.com/