Government Alpha - Affective Imagery

Summer vacation can sometimes be a long and very boring thing. We´re all prober programmed into working and delivering something to the greater good, and then all of a sudden you are going on a 4-week long vacation. I keep thinking about that track with Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb I think the title was. Finding motivation for anything (with all that extra time) on your hands... can be hard. That´s why I told myself today, that maybe it is the perfect time to review an album by one of the big ones in Japanoise. Government Alpha has been active in releasing high pressured and multi-layered noise since 1994, and so far his album count is around... 100! Not one of the truly old guys in Japanoise, but har so far proven to be the next Merzbow. This album was made back in 2019 and has then been released by the French label Abhorrent Creation Tapes, limited to 500 copies. Still possible to get the physical release from the label itself, check the link below!. 47 minutes, 9 tracks in total.

The first thing I still take notice too is the cover artwork itself. Surreal collage stuff, a lot of stuff to look at while the noise explodes in your speakers. The first collage picture shows 3 people reading magazines, two of these 3 people's heads look... weird (not sure what it is). Behind them are 4 analog clocks, and some rubbery stuff being entangled altogether. To the right we have a bandaged leg and some other interesting stuff going on. 2 other surreal collage photos are also inside the booklet as well. I love it when the artist gives the listener something to actually look at (while you are listening). The same thing with the cover artwork by Nurse With Wound, you just look deeply and listen at the same time... and wonder. Keeps the imagination alive! 

The first track on the album is called Stridor. Stridor means the sound that your throat creates when your throat is partially blocked. The sound of a lot of old-school alarm clocks ringing, with a mesmerizing and atmospheric synth drone in the background. Thumping and rhythmic distorted bass later on. A very calm and different intro to a Japanoise album, a cool ear-opener if you ask me.        

All that changes with the second track called Invisible Area. High-pitched and tweaked harsh noise breaks in from some open dimensional gate, explosive and splintered aural attack on the senses. A Super energetic force of electrical currents of sound without any mercy. Lots of action and stuff going on, not just noise for the sake of noise. I know I have said it before, not a big fan of harsh noise.. but this I like. It´s pure Japanoise, the way it should sound. 

In the third track Eternal Signals, it gets a bit spacier. I'm thinking about all those signals we keep transmitting into space now, noise and space right?. A very psychedelic noise track, not that far away from Merzbow´s Space Metalizer from 1997. Love the altered 8-bit´ish sounds here. 

The fourth track Apnea continues the psychedelic sound brutality. A cool track that tricks the listener into thinking that we´re dealing with a non-action noise track. It starts like a typical harsh noise thing, but then it evolves into a tentacled monster of noise. Lots of action so far! 

The high pumping action gets turned down a bit in the fifth track called Sacred Tree. A strange psychedelic ambient-noise creature with a kind of... Japanese soundtrack-horror approach. Love the way how the sounds move up and down into distortion.

The fifth track was too short, we´re hauled back into the action-driven noise of the sixth track called Obstructions. Maybe the most aggressive track on the album so far compact atomic bombs inside! Everything sounds super fast here, and there is background as well... which I can hardly hear. But it makes the aggressive track more interesting, with a (hard to hear) background. 

The seventh track In Equilibrium. Does not sound like something which is In Equilibrium, but more like something which is constant and chaotic at the same time. Moody noise with religious undertones in a way. Another cool track! My ears and my mind are getting a bit... over-stimulated now. Not enough that I wanna stop!

The eight-track Pale Idolum is a long and minimal one, not having that many layers like the other tracks. It is also the longest one on the album as well. A track that explores the very boundaries of sound that the artist can produce, through a minimal approach. 

The last track Transience is the ninth track on the album (and the last).  Ends with a monotonic wall of sound which evolve into chaos. 

And there you have it. Abstract noise with an aggressive attitude. It´s a pure energy drink with (something else inside) all the way from the start and to the very end. I love it in the beginning, but later on, the noise gets a bit dull. More of the "adventurous variations" approach could help a lot. Action-packed material for sure, but sadly without the mood. The best track on the album was Stridor, Eternal Signals, and Sacred Tree.

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentcreationtapes.bandcamp.com/album/government-alpha-affective-imagery?fbclid=IwAR2M5BUSNj8X1vTL4YEF9ArNSolCW73t-6banFT2L6M1rI8_z7m4RkKHa_I

Bandcamp (band):

https://governmentalpha.bandcamp.com/

           

 Brighter Death Now live at Tusindfryd, Aalborg 16-04-2022

As I promised to the event manager at Tusindfryd, and to Roger Karmanic himself I will now try to review the live performance with Brighter Death Now at Tusindfryd. This is ALSO my first EVER review of a live concert, so here goes! Here, is just a quick introduction to those who don´t know Brighter Death Now.

Brighter Death Now is the solo project by a guy named Roger Karmanic. The crown jewel and pioneer of true death-industrial, and also one of the most iconic acts in the style as well. His first album came out on Börft Records, simply called Temp Tations. Another album followed in the same year called Slaughterhouse Invitation. Already here you could hear that something new was brewing in the realm of industrial music. Thumping machines in a factory, ultra-heavy and monotonous bass, distant voices and screams, high-pitched distortions. Doesn't sound like something new when you read it, but back then Brighter Death Now showcased a kind of style that showcased power electronics (Whitehouse, Sutcliffe Jugend), esoteric-ambient (Lustmord, Ain Soph), and old-school industrial (Throbbing Gristle, SPK). As brutal and direct as power electronics, but also with a thoughtful mind/eye on an atmosphere before action approach.

The sound of Brighter Death Now was a sound that only Brighter Death Now. Frightening simple and incredibly efficient. In typical 80s power-electronics/industrial style, you were confronted with an up-in-your-face message both in the concept, sound, and lyrics. Again, Brighter Death Now was altogether a different beast than that. To me, it was always about a kind of atmospheric story-telling approach to sound. Let the atmosphere/mood speak for itself! The soundtrack to hell... or the realm of the dead?    

Roger Karmanic then, of course, started his own label Cold Meat Industry. Most of you guys know this label, if you don't... LOOK IT UP!. The quick intro then! Cold Meat Industry was the best and coolest underground industrial indie label of the 90s! The label quickly gained recognition and success, and Brighter Death Now (of course) received more listeners. The best example from the best period would be his massive May All Be Dead album from 1998.

If I should give you any recommendations for starters, then I would suggest any albums made in the period of 1990-1998. Later on, it becomes noisier in the power-electronics style but still holds on to the atmospheric sound aesthetics of the early recordings.

 

Brighter Death Now is one of my all-time favorite acts, which I have followed since the Innerwar album from 1996. Back then I was just a confused kid who thought that Skinny Puppy was the hardest shit around, I WAS PROVED WRONG of course! So when I received the news that Brighter Death Now would be playing in Jutland, Denmark I of course jumped right into it!

The night started with two bands, Danish Ubehag and Of The Wand And The Moon. Ubehag was a kind of experimental doom/drone-metal act, not that far away from the early Cathedral and Earth...just a bit more user-friendly in their sound. At this time yours truly (also in good company with good friends) has drunk the first cold alcoholic beverages. The decent-sized crowd in the small room seems pleasant so far. 

After Of The Wand And The Moon enter the scene. They're a kind of band which delivers something pleasant and good every single time. Incredible atmospheric and incredibly melodic. They are the bloody reason why metal fans love neo-folk in Denmark by the way! Not that far away from the sound of Death In June (1992-1995), but with a kind of vintage psychedelic and nostalgic vibes like The Walker Brothers or anything Phil Spector produced back then. Tons of charms and tons of reasons to love the act, they deliver and you smile... while drinking your cold Hancock beer. At this, I start noticing a strange fellow in the room, on a pair of rolling skates!

    

After playing my playlist (via Mixcloud), Brighter Death Now enters the scene and all the comfort lights are turned totally down...(At this point, I think that the guy on the rolling skates has escaped!) Roger Karmanic is in good company, being Peter Andersson and his girlfriend Asa Tedebro. Everything is smoky and hazy all around, and everything is dark blue. Everything seems like... yes... we have just entered the twilight zone. It´s pure sound torture beyond description! We´re not just talking about an act (which just lazily) pushes the distortion button, but an act that has knowledge of how to deliver a truly infernal sound through high-pitched sounds and subsonic bass sounds. A pure cacophonic sound with epic religious undertones. 

After being submerged into this infernal netherworld, I quickly went out for a smoke. I had a hard time believing that I was finally witnessing Brighter Death Now live for the first bloody time! After hearing through the walls outside that they were playing Pay Day, I quickly went in again. And experienced that many of the happy crowd was gone, and only the older hardcore people were around (mostly males). 

At this time I could feel the effects of cold Hancock Beers from Skive. My head was spinning, and I was trying hard to focus on what the 3 people were doing. There was a violin, two bass players, knop-twidling on the effects boxes, and Roger skulking around in the dark-blue darkness with the beautiful and iconic Brighter Death Now icon on the wall. In a lot of ways, the situation perfectly describes Brighter Death Now. For those who couldn´t stand the sound of torture escaped at that time I needed a smoke. And when I re-entered (half-drunk), the right mood of the concert was there. And it was good. Nothing new as of such, but a good reminder of the effect the act has on me the first time around. I would love to hear what other people in the crowd thought, especially those who have heard this act for the first time.  

It was a concert which I will remember as well as I will remember a tattoo. The memory of it sticks, and it will remain. Will I go and see another Brighter Death Now live performance on Jutlandish soil? absolutely yes! Be sure to check out the works of Roger Karmanic in the links below! 

Brighter Death Now (Bandcamp):

https://brighterdeathnow.bandcamp.com/

Of The Wand And The Moon (Bandcamp):

https://ofthewandandthemoon.bandcamp.com/

      

      

      

 Knives - Violent Distillation

An interesting compilation from Ominous Recordings with an act called Knives. It´s (as you all can see) called Violent Distillation. And why is it interesting then?. Simply because that this single compact disc contains every released track by this act. One seven-inch, and 3 cassette tapes. Great idea to collect it all into a single disc!. All the material within has all been made and recorded in 2005, and the last track is an extra live bonus recording. I must say, there isn´t much to talk about when you look at the cover... but... I love it. I love the simple thing with white bold letters on a black background. A cool history lesson regarding the act inside as well. 

The Knives itself is a collab between Jon Borges (Pedestrian Deposit) and Phil Blankenship (The Cherry Point). About 34 minutes of pure American harsh noise for the hard of hearing!

The first track Switchblade Princess starts with a heavy-distorted and rumbling wall of sound. Additional static wall effects and screeching sounds made from bleeding fingers... controlling the harsh noise sound equipment! A chaotic mess of statics and pumped-up sound-action. Everything that is about pure harsh noise, can be found within this single track!

The second track Cemetery Girls I starts... VERY directly. Harsh tv/radio-static which almost sounds like crispy meat being burned on the frying pan. Lots of high-frequency treatment for the ears here, a very aggressive in-your-face track. Bound to make several people hold their breath! Max volume ear-phone listening is not recommended!

The third track Cemetery Girls II starts with a higher frequency than the first one! It is more of a proto-HNW thing, a harsh noise wall with turbo dynamics more like. Brutally distorted psychedelics just like a bad trip. The sound of everything violent trying to squeeze itself out of a tiny tiny hole, and your ear is on the other side of that hole! A piercing aural experience. 

In the fourth track Empty Desire I we are further introduced to the direct sound of pure harsh noise-action. At this point, you are probably feeling that you have been here before. A grinding and metallic distortion, when the brakes of the train deliver sparks... and a lot of noise!     

Empty Desire II is the fifth track... well, the train hasn´t stopped yet. The brakes are still on! You can almost feel the metal... crumpling! Why am I thinking about that Robot Wars show on UK television now?! 

Knives VS Knives I is a different beast than the former. Imagine a heavily distorted drone, with a kind of windy sound texture in the background. I am imagining a constant flushing toilet on an airplane!. Again, I like the brutal and static noise here. "Calm" and brutal at the same time, harsh noise with a lofty ceiling if you please. 

The seventh track Knives VS Knives II has a slightly heavy-ambient feel, the thing is... it only lasts for like 5 seconds. This track follows up nicely where the former track ended. Still being in the realm of atmospheric harsh noise. 

The last track on the album is the live bonus track that I mentioned earlier. A rumbling distortion with high frequencies, with occasional screaming effects trying to penetrate the wall of sound. There are some rather nice microscopic sounds worth noticing here, a live recording is a trick sometimes. The track ends with a cherry salute from the crowd. Love the recorded atmosphere of the crowd talking to each other when the track ends... I miss these kinds of concerts!.

And that ends the Violent Distillation. A happy and rampaging harsh-noise beast that warms cold ears in the winter seasons. The brutality is honest, and the intent is served for anyone who is bored. There is only one thing I need, which is content and a conceptual sound idea. But of course, it´s a matter of taste! It´s pure 2005 harsh noise, and the album does take me back to that time in Denmark (2005) when Ultimate Combat Noise roamed the Danish countryside. Why content, when you can represent pure chaotic noise?! But as a minor fan of harsh noise, I can guarantee you that the Knives... delivers the pure harsh noise experience 100%. I can still feel my ears, vibrating! 

Bandcamp (label):

https://ominousrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/violent-distillation

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/311226-Knives-2

   

       

      

 Empty Chalice + Cactus Dildo - S/T

A new release from Industrial Ölocaust Recordings, a split CD-R with dark-ambient/ritual act Empty Chalice, and a new and unknown painfully called Cactus Dildo (ouch!). Now I do know Empty Chalice (since I have reviewed the act a couple of times before), but as mentioned before I didn´t know anything about Cactus Dildo. I tried looking it up on Discogs, and it turns out that the sole member of Cactus Dildo is one of the members of the pioneering dungeon-synth act called Sagenhaft. They made a dungeon-synth release way back in 1996. Anyways, this is a split release having 2 tracks from Empty Chalice and 4 tracks with Cactus Dildo. A limited cool-looking black and white jewel case. The release is also out on cassette!

There are also some notes in the album from each act on here, here are the notes by Empty Chalice:

Assembled, registered, and mixed in March/April 2020. Concept born from the peace ad power of intuition of Transcendental Meditation. When our false perception is corrected, misery ends also. 

The first track on the album is called Schisma. A Schisma is... something for you to look up on Wikipedia, something about musical notes and math. The track enters a mediative dark-ambient zone in the underworld. Caught somewhere between heaven or hell maybe. Deep ominous multilayered drones and hidden synths in there... maybe? Heavy space ambient (in a way) imagining the few space-ship-traveling scenes from Lynch´s Dune film here. There are a few irritating clicks in the sound, which I don´t think were intentional. A great dark-ambient track nonetheless. 

The next track (also with Empty Chalice) is called The Field. An awesome and great-sounding Raison D´être´ish track. Slightly melodic, heavenly epicness, moody melancholia. Still some unintentional clicks at the beginning of the track. Later on... the shimmering sound of metallic crystals and more of that angelic melancholia. 

The third track on the split starts with Cactus Dildo. The notes by Cactus Dildo being quite interesting, read : 

Music found on moldy tapes in the abandoned house of an old pervert.

This third track is called A Mattress Of Dead Fetus. Clearly a more industrial-noise act. Heavily distorted and slowed-down sound of drums and bass, with some string instruments in there (guitars or piano?). Some psychedelic and distorted vocals on top of that. Some of this might be some of that music mentioned earlier!. Love the ending, someone laughing... and the laughing just sounds disgusting for some reason. There is a noticeable wet clicking sound in the laughing throat.  

The fourth track is called Daisy (She Was Just A Little Girl). Old school pre-death-industrial moods get you back to early Lille Roger (pre Brighter Death Now), with the swirling industrial psychedelic noise dragging the listener further down. A nasty great track without a doubt, more of this!

The fifth track is called Diary Of An Old Pervert. Moaning sensual voices with a sleazy drum and bass pattern to back it up. Cool sounding post-rockish sound-textures with some distorted whispering vocals seducing the listener. Distorted whispering vocals, brilliant. You can get tired of those vocalists always shouting their lungs out when someone hits the distortion button! Almost a kind of, sleazy striptease thing going on in here. Brilliant track with a lot of new ideas. 

The sixth (bonus track) Moldy VHS. A psychedelic Wunderbaum of pleasant aural-depravities. Altered and layered spoken words, distorted guitar loops... and then it suddenly in silence! There are still... 10 minutes more. Waiting...Waiting... Total silence. Nothing more. 

An album presenting two acts which doesn't have much in common. But, I do love the contrast nonetheless! The first one finds peace in meditation, and the other finds peace in stalking around in a house that belonged to an old pervert... fair enough! Love the contrast, makes the listener think... why? The tracks with Empty Chalice are great but could be greater if the clicks weren´t there. Cactus Dildo sounds better than the band name (believe me!). Lovely and seductive sound of sleazy industrial strip-tease music, more of that, please!

Label (official):

https://cardinium.com/sound-grimoire/

Band (Empty Chalice):

https://emptychalice.bandcamp.com/album/empty-chalice-cactus-dildo-s-t

Band (Cactus Dildo):

https://cactusdildo.bandcamp.com/releases

 

 Samsuo - You Probably Think It´s The Ocean

Always a good thing to review stuff from Elm Records after tons of reviews in the harsh-noise/industrial section! Everything just cools down, a dip in a forest lake in the burning summertime. A way to reset the mind and body, with just that simple plunge into the waters. And that is exactly the concept behind one of the latest albums from Elm Records. 

Samsuo´s You Probably Think It´s The Ocean has a fine description on Elm Record´s Bandcamp site : 

You probably Think It's The Ocean' is a meandering sonic tale that draws the listener into a complex world of texture, tone, and melody. The narrative weaves between soft shorelines and turbulent seas, crashing waves, and gentle breezes. Exploring the depth of his sonic palette Samsuo conjures a deep and immersive story perfect for the Autumnal months.

Well ok. Taking a plunge in the autumnal months is not my thing, too cold. I did that once, with heavy hangovers after a drunkard Halloween night... I then ended up taking that plunge in a lake called Stilling Sø... The perfect cure for Halloween hangovers if you ask me... Anyways!.... 

The first track on the album is called You. May I remind you that every track on the album is named after every word added in the title of the album itself? It starts... gentle... with a shivering sound of non-melodic but drone-based guitar strings, with some water´ish sounds in the background. Very archaic stuff here, the atmosphere is absolutely sublime. Takes me back to something from Cure´s Faith album, not as dark and depressive of course...but... delivering the same kind of melancholic and thoughtful aesthetic. Layer upon layer of repetitive string drones sounds bloody amazing! Also reminds me of some of the guitar-based ambient stuff by Controlled Bleeding.

The second track You Probably continues the echoed and reverbed guitar strings, lower on the guitar notes than the former track. More guitar layers are then added. The artist has chosen to follow up closely on whatever happened in the first track, and it´s bloody lovely because it sounds great. The emotions in the drone´ish sounds hit you like ocean waves, has a certain...rhythm to it. 

The third track You Probably Think adds new stuff to the stuff. Repetitive and layered organ keyboards and some sublime and lowkey electronic rhythms. Crystalized moments are frozen in pure amber, almost forgetting in taking my breath here! Interesting synth-based ending here as well. 

The fourth track You Probably Think It´s has a certain... retro and nostalgic synth-wave feeling over it. It does remind me a bit of something from Autechre´s immortal Amber release from 1994. Exquisite ambient music at its best! You just get the picture of beautiful desert dunes with this track.

The fifth track You (Gezzz) Probably Think It´s The goes back to the sound of the first two tracks. Improvised and layered guitar work with reverb and echo. Is there a synth of some sort in the background? I am not sure, but the sound intrigues the listener without a doubt! Again, the ending here is so deep and sublime!

The sixth track You Probably Think It´s the OCEAN!!! A soothing outro of a track. At this point, you have probably recovered from the hangovers you had that Halloween night. Sitting in a warm car, bus whatever, and feeling the cold sensation leaving the body while you are feeling asleep. Bingo! Cold guitar work here as well, reminds me of the saddened sound of the Red House Painters for some reason. 

A perfect mixture of pure ambient and almost... sadcore kind of guitar work. I did think of the Cure, 4AD, and the Red House Painters here. Which is a sound from heaven... right?. This album does it, a 100% perfect ambient album. Adventurous with some daring nerve to top it. The sound/moment when an eccentric individual finally finds peace in mind. Highly recommendable album!....

 

Bandcamp (label):

https://elmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/you-probably-think-its-the-ocean

Bandcamp (band):

https://samsuo.bandcamp.com/

 

 Tuffo / Tube Tentacles / Gyakusatsu / Soma - Ewige Schönheit

A new and limited cassette release from Spanish Marbre Negre, this time featuring 4 acts on one cassette. In my part of the universe, I would call it a compilation, but in the case of this release, we´re talking about a four-way split. The interesting cover artwork itself shows a Marlene Dietrich´ish lookalike from the old days of movies. A very mysterious and cool-looking vintage photo, the expression on her face and with that background of morbid qualities... lurking in the background. Inside there is another lovely photo of the same actor, with contact info for the 4 acts. Sort of Weimar cultural decadence in the conceptual visual theme here. 4 acts, 2 acts on each side of the blackened tape. Almost 60 minutes in total.

First track Bolo with Tuffo. Really don´t know what Bolo is, tried to do a search for it. Could be anything from some kind of medicine, to something which you could polish your shoe with. Cool sounding ambient noise wall with dynamics going on here. Sounds like echoed recordings of a dusty vinyl on the record player, with a digitally manipulated sound of a leaking gas pipe in the background. Hypnotic stuff indeed. Later on, the gas pipe sound intensifies itself soundwise, while subliminal distorted sounds fade in and out of the recording. If one should ask me, the true conceptual sound of Marbre Negre... what would that sound like?. I think this track nails it. I have reviewed a lot of Marbre Negre releases, so I think I know what I am talking about. Always been intrigued by this label. 

The second track is Night of the Blood Beasts by Tube Tentacles. Psychedelic noise and vintage sound effects. If some early Berlin-School act/artist would go around and make a noise album, it could come close to the Lovecraftian world of Tube Tentacles. It´s an acid-drenched grinding brain in the machinery of the Fungi From Yuggoth on crack! Hell of a ride if you ask me. Or it could be the sound of some time machine getting stuck between the dimensions. Action-packed harsh noise with a nod or two to psychedelia and vintage sci-fi. I bloody love it!  

The third track is a bloody violent one! Violencia, Ultraviolencia, Parpadeo 2 by Gyakusatsu. A violent and highly energetic piece of ultra-sonic harsh noise. Who said that only Japan could produce this kind of stuff? Gyakusatsu might just be the new Government Alpha or even Incapacitants. Incredible neck-snapping material, bound to take your breath away!

The fourth and last track by Soma is called De Las Moscas Say El Rey, translated as Of The Flies Say the King. The track continues the hyper-sonic-ultra-violence with some additional mind-warping sound effects attached to it. Interesting screaming vocals can be sensed and heard through a cosmic void in the recording itself! Not as violent and bloody as the former track, but still as challenging to the nerves for sure. Kind of an act which delivers something between Tube Tentacles and Gyakusatsu, highly psychedelic-noise meeting highly violent harsh noise.

The whole idea of doing a conceptual split with 4 acts with a lot in common, is (as one can hear) a VERY good idea. They are label-mates and share the same soundwise vision at the same time. Why not make an album together? It´s bound to be a true cult release for the small harsh-noise/power-electronics crowd for sure, and what a pleasure it will give to that small crowd. I give this release a total thumbs up!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/ewige-sch-nheit

       

Broken-form - Into The UnKnown EP

Not often do I stumble upon a Danish dark-ambient act. When all the stars are in the right positions (in the great cosmos) it actually happens! Reason?... Well... We are not a big country, and most people in our country prefer mainstream culture rather than underground culture. The sun is always shiny, and we´re all soo very happy... or are we? Broken-Form might just be proof that things aren´t all that lovely and dancy in good old Denmark. Into the Unknown is the first release from Broken-Form, only available by digital means (Bandcamp). A cassette release of this EP would be lovely if you ask me. The EP/mini-album offers 2 tracks, each about 10 minutes long.

The first track called Into the Unknown welcomes the listener with heavy and subsonic bass. Kind of heavy sounding, and reminds me of Scorn. A scraping sound through a steel pipeline, a high-pitched drone from a classic thriller movie, strange human voices from the land of the dead... tries to crawl inside those tiny cracks in our own dimension. I like the thing about the sound and mood of this, has a recognizable Nordic touch to it. The soundtrack for a classic Scandinavian thriller in pitch blackness! Or just the mood for abandoned factories. 

The second track is Hope For A Better Tomorrow. A lighter track than the former. The sensation of feeling a rising sun, gentle touching the ground on the smothering ruins of a bombed village. A melancholic dreamy track, with a blackened sky hanging over it. Harsh industrial drones, raindrop synth-keys. A very expressive soundscape here. 

And that is that. Just an EP, but a good one I think. Some minor corrections in the sound here and there, but overall I think it is a great EP, my personal favorite track is the first one if you should ask me. A great debut for this act. My wish is still to have this EP on some kind of physical media, cassette would be perfect for it. Do check it out and remember to ask yourself, is Denmark truly a happy place?! 

Facebook (band):

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenFormAudio

Bandcamp (band):

https://broken-form.bandcamp.com/releases

 Thirdorgan - Thirdorgan

Thirdorgan by...Thirdorgan. A new release from a veteran in japannoise! Started back in 1993, with over 60 albums released! All out on various (and noisy) cult labels. Of course, most of them are sought out rarities. This new has been released by a new and cool label called Abhorrent Creation Tapes. Based  in Noyelles Godault in France. I will review further releases from this excellent label, which so far has showcased an interest in japanoise. This one has come out as a limited 350 copies pro-CD, a cool white cover in a simply and good-old-fashioned jewel case. Love the cover artwork, once in a while a screaming white cover with black letters on it just does the trick. Beatles did it with the White Album, and Throbbing Gristle did it with their Second Annual Report as well. Kind of makes you ask a question (or two) what does this white and simple-looking album actually hides? The track has 6 untitled tracks on it, 60+ minutes in total. 

The first track sounds like a digital ghost trying to invade your television set. A mesh of various digital chopped-up liquid sounds pounds up and down while traveling between your speakers. It can also sound like a HUGE arcade hall with over 100 16-bit games, suffering from electronic glitches and power surges. It sounds INCREDIBLE, really does. Reminds me of a bit of the Gantz Graf release by Autechre, just way more complex and aggressive. Good to hear that new ideas for noise music are being developed, this is indeed a new sound we are dealing with here. Remember the digital sounds from the bad guy who was put inside a killer robot in Robocop 2?!...

The second track has a more organic, fluid, and heavily echoed sort of sound. Love the way the sounds... fucks up the mind ( in a good way ). There are people who love splatter effects in gory horror flicks, and there are those who love sound effects on albums like this... it´s absolutely filled with it so far. Incredible how so much action of sound there is on this! Really hard to describe, but good... really good!

The third track goes back to those mutated retro-gaming sounds. Lazer sounds, hints of 8-bit NES melodies, clicks... and cuts, 3d space invaders in virtual reality, and all that. Not only am I a lover of noisy stuff, but also a retro-gaming lover... so of course I bloody love this!                     

Jumping further to the sixth track (the last track on the album). Which is also the most distorted and noisy one. Imagine how all of these sounds would sound if they all... were spewed out of a steel pipeline. That´s exactly how this track works, kind of an outro for whatever you have just been through.

Thirdorgan by Thirdorgan is one bloody masterpiece and a unique one as well. Is it actually japanoise, or is it japanbitnoise?  Again, we might be dealing with a new sound here. When you are just fed up with the constant stream of information being flooded in your brain (on a daily basis), this album should do the trick to reset that digital-fxxxxx-up brain of yours. I want more of this... please!. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentcreationtapes.bandcamp.com/album/thirdorgan-st

Bandcamp (band):

https://thirdorgan.bandcamp.com/

 Neolithic Nation - Atavism

Another new act has had its debut out on Steinklang. Includes members from various Russian noise/power-electronics acts. It came out last year on a beautiful and limited digipack (100 copies). The band is called Neolithic Nation and the album is named Atavism. Neolithic means the age after the stone-age era, and Atavism is all about what we have genetically gained (or lost) through the various stages of our biological evolution. Quite a heavy theme right? Makes me think of Devo´s idea of D-Evolution something... whatever... Let´s get on with it now!.

The first track on the album is called Die Neu Zeit. The intro includes merry martial background music from the old days and the sound of whimpering dogs/wolves. All of this ends with a blast, and the power-electronics machine starts at this point. A lovely chunky and rhythmic noise sound, Grey-Wolves´ish vocals in German, and various distorted machine sound blend in very nicely.  

In the second track Materia I, we´re back to a basic and back-to-traditions industrial sound. Early Test Dept or Z´ev kind of. Rumbling and bashing industrial sounds of steel and machinery. 

The third track Spirit of Titanism has a really good intro. A cool and evil-sounding synth sound that pulsates and runs through your speaker like tiny waves of distorted sound. Some cool sounding and distorted spoken words here and there as well. Lots of stuff going on in the background, and lots of flesh on the soundscape here. 

The fourth track is... (surprise!) Materia II. Again, sort of old-school industrial mood vibe going on. Takes me back to SPK... you know. Evil hospital with evil doctors and so on. The cool soundtrack feels, I wouldn't mind if the track was a bit longer. 

The fifth track Flames Of Our Will is a basic (and modern) power-electronics thing with all the workings you might expect. Genocide Organ fans could dig this. It really helps with the field recordings going on, and puts extra flavor to it. 

I will jump over the materia track, and then further to the seventh track called Rabies. Death-industrial moods start the track. A thumping and slow track with a lot of heavy atmospheres attached to it.  Almost depressing and doom-laden piece. So far the best track on the album I think. Most unique if you ask me. 

The last track on the album which I will review would be the last track, simply called Atavus. The minimalistic dark ambiance and eerie sounding breathing sounds. The sounds and the mood jumps between your speakers. A very good ritualistic industrial track, not far from the likes of MZ.412 or Valefor.  

I can feel that a decent amount of work has been poured into this album. There are some good moments, and there are some bad moments. The bad moments would be the ones where you are thinking (as an old power-electronics/industrial nerd ) ´Ok... I have actually heard this before so why listen?´. A bit more of the think-new idea would/could help in this matter. The vocals would be a good example, the same kind of Grey Wolves/Genocide-Organ vocals of course. When so many have done it, it gets a bit boring in the end.   

The good thing about the album is moments when they do try to think about new ideas. I love the field recordings, and some of the distorted sounds are great too. Not to mention the overall quality of the sound recorded, which is done really good. But I would say, it´s a good and decent place to start for a new power-electronics fan. But for an old one?... 

Bandcamp (label):

https://steinklangindustries.bandcamp.com/album/neolithic-nation-atavism-2021

 

 Pete Swinton - Dronebience Vol.1

Ok, let us be honest. I didn´t know who Pete Swinton was. For some reason ( or another ) I took him as another one of those... highly-productive noise artists. I don´t know if it was the cover artwork itself, or just the color of his Bandcamp site. But then I took a look at his portrait photo, and then I got intrigued. A mysterious elderly chap with an almost kind of... Irish elf looks at him. It raised my curiosity, so I began surfing through his numerous Bandcamp releases. 

I loved the cover artwork for the Dronebience Vol.1, and I loved the first 10 seconds of the first track as well. So that is how I picked this one out. The photo of Pete Swinton and those first 10 seconds of Droncebience just made sense, we´re actually dealing with someone who... puts drops of hints of his soul here and there... within the recordings itself. He is a hidden treasure, what can I say?. 

The whole thing has been recorded (and made) this year, in Indonesia. 12 tracks, about 60 minutes total in length. Only available by digital means via Pete Swinton's official Bandcamp site (Link Below).

The first track B5 - One. Includes humming machine drones and dreamy synths. Floating over the city in Blade Runner. Very hypnotizing and seductive at the same time, and the sound quality is great. 

The second track B5 - Two continues the humming sensation, just not as heavy as the former track. The levitating sensation is more obvious here. I love the way how things are in the background, almost sounds like some sort of church organ. Time is slowing down at this moment... I mean really!.

The third track Drone One, makes you think of the cover artwork. Something being abandoned, and being left to its own device. Notice how the tree grows through the car itself, then try to imagine how much time a thing like that would require. The drone´ish church-like organs continue here with some excellent static drones. Exquisite material here kids!. So far, the drones are living and breathing things of sound. Not as static as you can imagine! 

Drone Two being the fourth track, makes me think of Boards of Canada. A semi-high pitched drone of melancholic and nostalgic attributes is there, with some interesting ritualistic undercurrents in there as well. So far I am in bloody heaven. Feels as if someone is opening a door to their world, and you can enter without any form of payment. It feels real and very sincere from the artist himself... so far. 

The fifth track is called Unruly Strings. Heavenly droned and multi-layered string sounds and angelic moods. Kind of reminds me of Swans in a way, one of those "pleasant" drone pieces from their Soundtracks of the Blind era. 

Ambient 3 is the sixth track, a track that enters a more kind of mellow sound. A multi-layered looped and reverbed synth-wall, with some stuff happening behind it... if you dare crawl up the wall and look what there is behind it. ´Endless shores and green pastures... as far as the eye can see.´ One point to Gandalf!

Ambient 4 reminds me of old-fashioned telephones, when you picked up the receiver and put it to your ear... it just gives you that one specific sound. Then try to imagine that sound through your stereo! Pleasant static stuff, an ambient wall without noise here! 

The eight-track The Spectral Gate sounds like something from an older episode of Doctor Who. The track works like a gate, with a gatekeeper asking ´Are you willing to go no?´... And the answer to that question would be...´Offcours I bloody will!.´ 

The ninth track is Dreamscape One. Imagine a deep cave with crystals, and then imagine how the moment of the earth would affect those crystals, in the sound which they would produce. Still good ambient music!

Droneambience Two starts with a humming sound from outer space. Love the metallic (and hidden) reverbed sounds in there as well. Very kind of early Klaus Schulze here, heavy cosmic stuff going on here.

The eleventh track Nightmare one... works as a sort of... parallel universe to the former track. Heavier drone to start with, eerie glitchy sounds some synth sounds. Weird and metallic sounds from a alien world creep in... and start repeating themselves. Not actually the journey which a certain character made in Lovecraft´s ´Whisperer In The Darkness, but more of a journey to another world that started as a nightmare but... ended as something quite else. Very surreal kind of adventurous track here kids. 

The very last track is simply called Dronebience (1). A flanged and psychedelic intro with some highly echoed sounds in there as well. Still maintaining the sound (and aesthetic) that we have already heard on the first track! Again, Pete manages to make the sounds sound like something which is living and breathing. It does sound sincere, no doubt about it. 

Dronebience Vol.1 might just be another indie-ambient album. But we´re still dealing with someone who does something extra to the ambient style, and that is the ability to reach beyond. Pete Swinton is an astronaut, who does have a desire to reach beyond... and he pulls it off... totally with Dronebience Vol.1. Need to drop in and drop out, do it with the company with Pete!

Bandcamp (band):

https://peteswinton.bandcamp.com/album/dronebience-vol-1

 

 

  

     

 Black Leather Jesus - A.N.T.I.

A new bunch of releases to review from one of my favorite noise labels, Swedish Ominous Recordings (based in Stockholm). The first one I will sink my teeth into is actually a re-issue, not many of those these days. We´re talking about the early days of Black Leather Jesus, and one of those early releases was the A.N.T.I. album which was originally released on tape back in 1993 on Richard Ramirez's own label Deadline Recordings. Now re-released in a 200-copy CD edition, in a nifty-looking blackened digipack. Interesting and historic liner-notes by Sam Mckinlay (from The Rita) and remastered by Grant Richardson (from Gnawed and Atrox Pestis). The entire album contains one track, almost 60 minutes long. I actually do think that we (just might) be dealing with one of the first releases to explore that sound... which we today have chosen to call harsh-noise-wall. This release was made in 1993, and the first Rita album was released in 1998.

The whole thing starts with a textured crackle, and another crackle follows, and then... time simply stops. Imagine yourself on one of those big rollercoaster rides, and all of a sudden it goes so fast that you´ll forget the concept of time entirely. Kind of the same way this thing works. It´s a pretty thick bass-driven thing, and a hard and static density of distorted sound is guaranteed. I will recommend listening to the album on your stereo, then on your Compact-Disc player! I did that once, and my inner ear just kept... well... thumping and vibrating. 

To many, recordings like these can seem kind of... beyond fucked? BUT, if one does give it time and some thought one will actually find a treasure chest at the end of the rainbow. There are dynamics within, and the is variation in the sound as well. I find the whole album thoroughly enjoyable, recommended listening after a stressful day for sure!.   

To end it all up...   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. 

Bandcamp (label):

https://ominousrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/a-n-t-i