Minamata - Niigata 1964-1965
Kalteldur will review releases from the French industrial cult label Nuit Et Brouillard! If you don´t know the label, then I HIGHLY suggest that you should go and check it out! Alongside similar labels like Old Europa Cafe, CMI, Tesco, Dark Vinyl, etc. And has been in existence since the early 90s. The first album is a release from a side-label called Zone De Confusion, and with a band called Minamata. A really old French industrial/power-electronics act that started back in 1984. This one is from 1986, and it is a re-issue on CD. Let me just be honest here! The graphics/cover artwork is... well... let us just say that you shouldn't let it get you. Just put it away, and put the CD in your CD player. The stuff inside (Which I can already reveal) is pretty massive, really good stuff. Anyway, before we go on with the tracks inside, here is a bit of information.
"Interesting" tragic name for the band indeed. The concept of the album works around... something that just might be one of the biggest industrial catastrophes... if you ask me (besides the likes of Bhopal in India). Minamata is a town (In Japan) with a chemical factory being built, providing work and prosperity for the town. Little did they know that the wastewater was being poured straight into the town´s river. It became much worse when mercury sulfate was going into the river as well. And the sad thing, the town ate the fish from the river offcourse. The result? Something we call the Minamata disease includes severe convulsion, coma, and death. Go and do Wikipedia research and read all about it.
The first track is called Niigata 1965. A chopped-up and pulsating buzzing mechanic sound starts the album. Rhythmic scrap metal and devastating distorted vocals. Kind of like a power-electronics version of the early Test Dept with a touch of Hunting Lodge. The thing is a pure early industrial fix for the fans of the extreme stuff. A really nasty, harsh, brutal, and desperate sound here, but disturbingly controlled and focused as well! I am already sold here!
The second track Niigata Part I continues the industrial onslaught. The sound of grinding factory machines, torturous screaming voices, punctuating tribal beatings, and throbbing mechanical pumps pulsates into emptiness. I still follow that classic industrial sound, which I REALLY dig. Why have this act evaded my eyes and ears?
The third track Niigata Part II might just sound a bit like early Esplendor Geometrico. The feeling and the fear of gruesome industrial factories are really being felt here. Electronic drums sound like... underground explosions! Love the way they have added vocals here. Sort of really atmospheric vocals with a religious touch attached. The devasting stuff here is truly devastating!
The fourth track Es Ist Schwer Zu Leben includes a monotone synthy (kind-of) melody with added female vocals. I actually love those female vocals in the early industrial sound (SPK, Attrition, Hunting Lodge). When that ritualistic part ends, it runs directly into a devastating electronic rhythmic soundscape. Feels like a smack in the face!
The fifth track Niigata Fetal Case includes some kind of string work, guitar strings maybe? A simple distorted drum rhythm, and some subtle male vocals! The darkness so far, is quite overwhelming... but I guess that is the point of the whole idea. I (still) am quite convinced at this point of this release. Really excellent use of reverbed sound effects here, old school analog at it´s best!
I could continue with reviewing each track, but then the review wound up/could be too long. Let me just say this, every second on this album is a second spent with god. It´s bloody amazing. The darkness equals the darkness on SPK´s Leichenshrei, the brutality even equals Genocide Organ´s Leichenlinie! Why this act ( or this album ) hasn´t been recognized is beyond my understanding! And again we return to the artwork... don´t let it scare you!
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