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!.
