Grim - Magnolia´s Dream

A new album from one of the veterans of industrial and power electronics. Grim has only one member, Jun Konagaya who also started the cult act called White Hospital. If you don´t know White Hospital, then I would highly recommend their album Holocaust from 1984. Sort of like SPKs Information Overload Unit! But anyways, after White Hospital then Jun Konagaya started Grim in 1986 with the debut Folk Music. And the act is still going strong, this one is the latest and is the 13th album by this act.

The album has been released by Steinklang, and has come out on limited vinyl, tape, and CD. My copy is on CD, and the CD is limited to 200 copies. A really nice and solid digipack with tons of intriguing artwork inside. Now the album has been named Magnolia´s Dream, not sure who Magnolia is (any help?). What you get (and see) on the artwork, is some ghostly (and creepy) looking humanoid-figure on various locations/photos. Looks like a child in some vintage Halloween costume of some sort. On the CD tray itself, there is a photo showing dolls (or cakes?) showing the same figure. Strangely disturbing, I have a feeling that the concept of the album smells of Japanese ghost-folk-lore of some sort. I think that each track has been represented in the booklet, with a photo/picture for each track. There are 10 tracks on the album, the first five tracks are called the Opium tracks, and the last 5 tracks are called the Syan tracks. It all looks pretty interesting so far! 

The first track Opium I has a kind of weird and surreal nursery rhyme that meets dungeon synth sort of vibe. Some highly altered spoken words are being added, not sure of the language... maybe Japanese. Some cool and haunting noisy soundscapes in the background as well. Love the intro, really weird and a good ear-opener if you ask me.

The second track Opium II jumps straight into a kind of rhythmic industrial noise-scape. Really love how the vocals have been done here, love the way the voice has been altered beyond recognition. I think there are vocals of some sort, sounds like a demon screaming from some other dimension. There is also a simple melody in all this. Very epic sounding, and very ritualistic piece.

The third track gets even weirder! Some Asian shaman guy chants the demons away, while a technoid techno-house rhythm is being added to raise the tension. I know it sounds kind of off, but for some reason, it actually sounds cool. Excellent rhythm with some added noise here and there, chopped up and all that... strangely catchy. 

From here we jump straight into the first Cyan track VI. Further into the surreal landscape of Japanese ghost tales. Monotone organ synths and chanting vocals with lots of cool echoes. Some extra soundscapes layers are in there as well. Another track with a slightly dungeon-synth vibe, or am I thinking funeral-synth vibe here? It sounds very good and has a cool atmosphere and everything.

The next track Cyan VII starts as a complete mess of surreal noisescapes and rhythmic noise being mixed together. After some seconds you are starting to realize that the chaos is actually pretty well organized, and then comes the cool disturbed (screaming) vocals. Some of this stuff could actually remind me of stuff like early Dive and Synapscape. 

Cyan VIII the next track, is a more... minimalistic sort of a track. Thumping and primitive electronic-based barbaric rhythms with some really cool noisy sounds follow the rhythm quite nicely. Some intense (extra) layers are added later on, with a more screaming sort of effect. Hard to describe this simple track and the effect it is having on me, give it a listen and expect your jaw to drop! 

I am just gonna reveal to you that all the other tracks which I have not reviewed are also very good tracks! An untraditional thing in the world of industrial and power electronics. Lots of elements/styles on this album, and I love the variation incredibly much. Not really power electronics, but closer to primal and raw industrial. You could compare it to the early recordings by MZ.412 (Malfeitor) and Dissecting Table as well. But then again, you also have those interesting synth melodies in there as well... which makes the release quite unique and interesting. It´s Japanese, but not Japanoise. It´s Grim, one of a kind! 

Bandcamp(label):

https://steinklangindustries.bandcamp.com/album/grim-magnolias-dream-2022 

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/208262-Grim

      

  

 Madrelarva - Sol Interior

Sol Interior by Madrelarva from Marbre Negre. A Spanish experimental industrial/techno project which was started back in 2015. Highly productive act with lots of releases on different underground labels, the artist himself Julio Tornero has also recorded and released albums under his own name as well. Believe it or not, but this limited cassette is actually his 21st album released! It was released on the 10th of April 2022, with 3 tracks and almost 40 minutes long in total.

Interesting and eye-catching sort of artwork, with a strange and archaic-looking print/image. Black print on a purple background, very nice. The album title is translated as Inner Sun and the act's name is translated as Motherlarva. Not actually sure what the image is showing, I can see two females and some characters in the background with a kind of skull-like visage. The first female is laying down on something, while a blad-clad female is dragging her on some sort of cart (I think). If it has anything to do with an Inner Sun, then I guess that there is only one way to find out!

The first track Mecánica Celeste (Celestial Mechanics) starts on the spot. Surreal and rhythmic technoid industrial drums kick in, with some eerie warbling drones and sound effects adding extra to the otherworldly retro sci-fi experience. Very similar to early Deutch Nepal if you ask me, which is a VERY good thing! Absolutely love the strange rhythmic thumping going on, very addictive material here so far! The more focused you are, the more likely you´ll get completely hypnotized! The bass thumps stop and some distorted low-bit sounds are added while some ritualistic beatings continue the track. Almost a kind of storytelling approach here. There is a hi-hat kind of rhythm that has been with us from the start, a kind of bossa-nova feel over it. A very cool, mechanic, and technoid mood start after the ritualistic beatings. Coil with a techno feel? A perfect hypnotic track that u can listen to over and over again, excellent aesthetic rhythms and moods here... very excellent! 

We continue with the second track on the B-side. Called Bajo Superfecie (Under Surface). At the very start, I am already aware that we are dealing with the best track on this album! Mechanical tribal rhythms and mysterious esoteric vibes move the body and mind. Should attract listeners of Esplendor Geometrico, Muslimgauze, and even The Orbital here! It´s just done absolutely right, love the organic feel of both the rhythms and sounds here, everything just melts right into your mind. Not even halfway through yet! All the cool monotonously just continues (and thank god for that!) with excellent subtle changes. The whole mechanical process/rhythm then glitches and turns into a machine going haywire, but your head keeps on thumping after the addictive rhythms! Another rhythm section gets into the hardwired mess and succeeds in hacking a rhythm into it, at that point, there is no return for the listener! I mean wow!

Sadly, we get to the last track of the album called Extension Inabarcable De Materia Muerta (Endless Expanse of Dead Matter). Obviously, we are in some kind of subway, with the sound of something rhythmic happening further down the sub. Kind of a track that works as a sort of, chilling down after the other two tracks. Looped and monotonous track, that ends the album in total perfection!

A strange, unique technoid industrial being with a lot of eerie moods. An act (Which I think in my humble opinion) could need some attention. Underrated? Yes, it is... Why?... Because I have not heard about this act before! Be quick and buy the physical copy from Marbre Negre, you will not regret it!

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/sol-interior

Bandcamp (band):

https://madrelarva.bandcamp.com/

 

        

 Icanus - Long Gone Leisures

A new solo project by David López Saludes (Barrera, Soma) on the Polish label Antenna Non Grata. A limited cassette release, how many?... I cannot tell though. A nice looking transparent tape, with a very greenish looking cover-artwork. Showcasing some wild vegetation of some sort. 

There are also some detailed written words about this project as well, here goes : 

Incanus is David López Salude’s (Soma, Barrera, Asylum Symphonies, etc.) Experimental/Noise/Drone project born in 2021 in the Mutan Monkey Lab in Barcelona. The project found its origins in an improvised recording session with gear that the artist never used before.

Incanus serves as the counterpart of Soma focusing on 100% improvised sets without further edition or mastering, but treating personal themes and thoughts in a more contemplative way and avoiding aggressiveness, unlike Soma.

And so it seems. Already the first track El Cant De La Tempesta (The Song of the Storm) starts with some vintage analog drone sounds. Much closer to the electronic sounds of early Tangerine Dream than the Rita! Cosmic surreal sounds set the mood, while additional high-pitched squeaks puncture the density of the soundscape. Sounds like the making of a lifeform, or could be used as a soundtrack for something similar. If you already have heard Asylym Symphonies, then there are similar vintage sounds that can be recognized here. Just has more of a Berlin-School vibe, than an industrial one. Very adventurous and inspiring sort of journey through the body kind of soundscape, almost 30 minutes long! Very intense and long experience, but well worth it if you give the track some patience. 

We flip the cassette and continue on the B-side with the second track called Eolo (Aeolus). See Greek mythology, the island kingdom of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. Very kind of windy-themed conception here! More of an ANW-inspired moment in the beginning, with similar analog vintage sounds in the background. There is also a very high-pitched sound in there as well, which works as a kind of ear opener if you ask me. Fans of early power electronics (and proto) might approve of this, kind of takes me back to early minimal Whitehouse and NON. Not hard and noisy, but very chilled-out psychedelic noise.

The third and last track on the album Timor Surgers, is a lot more of a mystery track than the former two tracks. Heavily distorted bass drones with the sound of multi-layered strings (of some sort) being heavily manipulated, through various reverbed sound effects. Interesting looped orchestral sounds here as well give the track a nifty ritualistic and esoteric feeling. Sudden eruptions of high-pitched harsh noise wake the listener up from a pleasant slumber, and then it ends while the monotonous soundscape rolls on. Really love the combination of noise acoustic strings and looped orchestral sounds. Working like pure sound alchemy.

A windy-themed esoteric concept called Long Gone Leisures does create a couple of questions. And the answers can be found within the recordings. Regarding the greenish wild growth of vegetation on the cover artwork, I am not sure. But, you are still having one heck of an album. All are made on the spot, 100% improvised through not-used equipment. Good evidence that David knows what he is doing, both subconsciously and consciously as well! Heavy chill-out noise for fans of early kraut-rock and industrial!

Bandcamp (label):

https://antennanongrata.bandcamp.com/album/incanus-long-gone-leisures

                   

 

 Depression Embrace / Vladkon - The Distance

Not a release from E.C.T Recordings but a release from a sub-label of E.C.T. Simply called S.E.C.T. An act called Depression Embrace and an act called Vladkon, with their album called The Distance. Each act delivers its ideas and visions of how depression and bleakness can be expressed through 21 minutes, which means that the entire split is about 42 minutes long. The beautiful physical release comes as a double 3"mini CDR, with cute and small jewel cases all bound into a cool-looking sleeve (and plastic bag as well). Second time I have come across a double 3"mini CDR release with small jewel cases, they are just soo damn adorable!  

But let us not get too sentimental about the cute jewel cases. Nothing cute and adorable here! The first thing I am getting into here will be the track by Depression Embrace called Сенке Праскозорја, which means Shadows of a Breaking Dawn. It starts with a cold and deep humming drone, the sort of sound one might expect to hear (or feel) in that dark forest that the cover artwork shows. There is the sound of something dripping here, and there is also the sound of a storm... brewing outside. There is something distant in the background, voices, and noises. I am not sure. Cannot help thinking about that flick called The Road with Viggo Mortensen or John Carpenter's The Thing, there is something about this recording that get´s you under the skin. Like walking through a forest in springtime, and there isn't the sound of birds or wildlife, or you just know all about the upcoming day of judgment. That kind of feeling, and for some strange reason... it´s actually incredibly enjoyable to listen to. I don´t know if that was the artist's intent, but hell... I like depressive and cold stuff, makes me happy! Excellent recording and excellent dark ambient here, totally raw, minimal, and heavy.

The next mini CD-R with Vladkon has an interesting (and rather esoteric-looking) kind of... Blair Witch project symbol. Kind of fits nicely if you again will consider the artwork. The track by Vladkon is called Bleakness Of Hope, which means that there is no hope. But is there hope in the recording itself? The whole starts as a synth-driven atmospheric soundtrack. Again with a nod or two to classic background music to the X-Files (or even Boards of Canada!). Cool and repetitive retro-synths with some distant screaming in the background don't sound like much... do give it a shot! Kind of slow-moving classical music being performed on a synth. With the cool retro synths and the tortured screams in the background, it basically sounds like someone in need of some kind of deliverance. A cool and horrific piece of retro-atmospheric and soundtrack-based ambient!

I absolutely love this double CD-R mini-release. Love the artwork and love the sounds within. It delivers what you see and feel, and doesn´t disappoint you at all. Raw dark ambient stuff without sounding like the boring (and polished) stuff! It´s absolutely magnificent! And again, either S.E.C.T or E.C.T doesn´t have a Bandcamp page, just read my review and then buy it (links below). 

Discogs (S.E.C.T):

https://www.discogs.com/label/1536361-SECT

Discogs (E.C.T):

https://www.discogs.com/label/1264202-ECT

Facebook (E.C.T):

https://www.facebook.com/ectrecs/

 Asylym Symphonies - Mental Disturbances

As some of you might have noticed (Via Facebook), we have a new label to do reviews from. A true underground label from Athens, Greece. E.C.T. stands for Electro Convulsive Therapy and has been in action as a label since 2017, and as a distributor since 2019. The first one we are going to review from E.C.T. is actually a copy I received from the Spanish label Mabre Negre. And why is that you might ask? It´s simply because this act Asylym Symphonies contains members who more or less have strong ties to Marbre Negre. First of we have the founder and owner of Margre Negre, who also is responsible for such acts as Gyakusatsu and Urge To Kill. And then we have the guy behind the fierce HNW-act Barrera and Soma, who also have had several releases out on Marbre Negre. I don´t know who the last member though, a good friend maybe. Nevertheless, we´re talking a 3-men group! 

This release is their debut. A live recording during a rehearsal session. No master, no mixing, and no post-production. The release has come out as a cassette and as a CD-R edition. Each physical format has come out in 50 copies. The album contains 3 long tracks, 57 minutes in total! Each track is simply named Mental Disturbance I, II, and III. 

The first track Mental Disturbance I welcomes the listener into some kind of huge machine room. Echoed, screaming industrial noise and drones submerge the listener straight into it. Excellent multi-layered industrial with tons of psychedelic reverbed mood. Sort of like a mix between harsh noise and early Italian industrial (MB, Mauthausen Orchestra) if you ask me. I dig it, totally! Atmospheric intense recording, lots of stuff and action going on so far. Hard for me to describe all the sounds and stuff going on, but I'm trying my best! Already with this first track, you get that live-recording feeling. These guys improvise something together (not planned), and it actually ends up with something that sounds great!   

Track two and track three continue the same route. But again, with ALOT of sound dynamics and variation. Moving from moods being calm to truly aggressive noisy ideas! It´s not a head-on noise thing like Japanoise but works more as a kind of subtle industrial background noise for your local mental asylum. Look at the cover artwork for SPKs Information Overload Unit while listening to this, it actually does makes sense!

Another thing that I really like about this release is that you can feel (and sense) how these 3 people manage to connect and create a new language of sound on the spot. It´s a purely magickal moment of creativity, which (luckily) was recorded! 

Last thing kids. E.C.T. is a strictly obscure underground label. Wanna buy the album? Get in touch with them via the links below, no Bandcamp here folks!

Facebook (label):

https://www.facebook.com/ectrecs

Discogs (band):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/11252651-Asylum-Symphonies

    

Deprivation - Keep My Grave Open 

Deprivation hails from Italy, and behind this project hides a Mauro Sciaccaluga. An industrial/noise veteran who has been responsible for several projects (Saturnik Sektor, Shiver, Spasmo), as well as running his own label Diazepam. This project seems to be his main project since it has the most releases compared to his other projects. Started in 2012 with several releases from his own label and other labels as well (check the Discogs link below). A cool-looking jewel-case CD containing 6 tracks, about 40 minutes in total.

So what is Deprivation and how can u describe the sound within (just to give a quick introduction). I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, classic Italian death-industrial! Namedrop the likes of Atrax Morgue, Morder Machine, Today I´m Dead, and proto stuff like Mauthausen Orchestra and MB of course. Looking forward to hearing this album!

The first track They Don´t Have To Know starts with the iconic Whitehouse sound, monotonous high-pitched feedback with a hypnotic texture attached to it. Joined up with a kind of morbid mood with clinical echoed sound effects, almost giving the listener an impression of being buried alive. Additional atmospheric sounds give the track some extra layers, and some really great (and horrific) distorted vocal screams from the world of the dead! I really love this, fans of Lille Roger and early BDN will understand!

The second track Everything On This Earth contains some kind of heavily distorted guitar sounds (I think) with some intriguing samples in the background. Very old-school 90s sound here, not that far away from Deathpile (If you remember). A very simple and highly atmospheric piece, offering brutal, brooding, complex, and intense psychedelic noise-scapes. 

The third track Hatefuck starts with a high-pitched electronic looped sound, another thumping rhythmic sound gives the track a kind of ... hospital feel ( Hamburger Lady?). Eerie distorted sounds with some fantastic Genocide Organ kind of vocals as well. 

The fourth track In The Folds Of The Flesh is a moody and nasty piece of flesh scraping harsh noise. Really love the primitive sort of bass sounds here, and I love how the layers of noise bury the listener like bricks. It does sound kind of chaotic, but there is a kind of structure here. 

The fifth track Cold At The Touch enters the-soundtrack kind of territory. Expressive guitar-based distortions with that classic and ominous humming bass sound, an excellent sample from some kind of catholic rite/hymn in the background give the track an extra paranormal edge. A real field recording between some guy and a paramedic, discussing the find of some dead girl (Overdose?)... Who is (As you can guess)... Cold At The Touch. A track with a paranormal almost spiritual ritualistic touch, an absolutely beautiful track.

The sixth track (and last) track The Shape Of Fear is something else. A thumping electronic rhythm and thick layers of primal harsh noise. Probably the most maniacal piece on the album, unpredictable and less structured. A nice way of ending the album. 

A truly bad-ass slice of retro 90s industrial-noise sound here. Great (and lovely) to hear that there are some still pursuing a sound that time almost has forgotten. Every track here is a good track, and every track on this album has a story to tell. Kind of like, bruising through some hard-boiled detective scrapbook (if you please). Need your power-electronics, death-industrial fix then check this one out!     

Bandcamp (label):

https://nekrogoatheresyproductions.bandcamp.com/album/keep-my-grave-open

Discogs (artist):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1166807-Mauro-Sciaccaluga

 

    

   

 

 Sokushinbutsu Project - Kristu

Third physical release from this enigma act from Italian. A small EP/mini-album with only 3 tracks. The theme for this EP? Something about Christ I think, gonna do a google translate on some of the Italian spoken words here. The whole thing comes beautifully packaged in a sort of thick parchment paper with some great-looking print, sealed shut by the iconic Industrial Ölocaust Recordings seal! I also managed to locate some info regarding the background graphics of the cover artwork itself: 

 

A detail of cross engravings left over the centuries by pilgrims at the sanctuary of La Verna, in Tuscany (Italy).

The physical release is of course a limited release, how many? I don't know... not much info on either Discogs or the website of the record label. But who cares, get it while it´s hot people!

The first track is simply called Kristu. Starts with a thumping and reverbed metallic sound while fades away into silence, followed up with a religious-sounding spoken word about well... Kristu (I think)... Some heavily distorted bass loops in the background, while some highly distorted clicks override the sound. Kind of hard to accept these distorted clicking sounds, but I do think that they are meant to be there.

The second track Seconddo Kristu continues the spoken words, while some highly distorted guitar sounds add further texture to the clicking sounds. Kind of like a trashy noise version of Ain Soph. The layers of screaming guitar distortion actually sound cool. 

The third and last track Mantralantico (Ancient Mantra) adds more of the over-distorted sounds with some ritualistic dark-ambient sounds in the background. Also, some distant spoken words are in there somewhere, hidden behind the walls of distortion. The track ends with a more dramatic and aggressive harsh-noise sound, imagine dark-ambient with someone pushing the distortion button. Again, the distortion bugs me, but it intrigues me because... I can actually hear that there is some other stuff, going on in the background? The best track is the last track here if you ask me. 

And that is that. Makes me think that this short (and mysterious) release serves a specific esoteric function in some way. To chant to maybe? A short chant to Kristu, morning and evening maybe? I don´t know. It´s an interesting release without a question, and it does leave a lot of questions for the listener as well. Although (I must admit) a bit disappointed with the release, their masterpiece of an album about the Sokushinbutsu rite totally blew me away (and took my breath away!)... and I am still waiting for the follow-up to that album. Maybe this EP was just a small appetizer, something for us to kill time until the second full-length album hits the streets? Nevertheless, since being a sucker for this act I will still cherish this release nonetheless. U can hear some excerpts from the album on Youtube, see the links below!

Official website (label):

https://cardinium.com/

Discogs (label):

https://www.discogs.com/label/64495-Industrial-%C3%96locaust-Recordings

Facebook (label):

https://www.facebook.com/iorecs/

      

   

 Noise Cluster - Medusa, Who Else?

Another cool and interesting act from Italy. The first time I met Noise Cluster, was when I was reviewing the collaboration cassette album they did with Lyke Wake. Noise Cluster is Flavio Derbekannte (Also known as DBPIT) and Arianna Degni Lombardo (XxeNa). And this album is their fourth album. This album has been released as a digital release with a physical sleeve attached to it... quite a new thing right?. The sleeve is a great-looking poster/sleeve printed on recycled high-quality (thick) paper... it really looks awesome! An album containing 6 tracks, almost 30 minutes in total.

As you might have noticed, then yes... this is a concept album about the mythical being known as Medusa. The whole idea/concept is beautifully written on the Bandcamp site, here goes : 

Medusa, who else? - Noise Cluster (and friends)'s latest music project - looks afresh at the ancient myth from the modern perspective which depicts the only attractive Gorgon not as the evil creature she is traditionally portrayed to be, but as a victim whose narrative was twisted to better serve a patriarchal culture.

Those who dared to look into her eyes were turned to stone because

of the coldness in their own hearts, but Medusa was blamed for the stony fortress constructed around their own souls.

Her hair was turned into magical snakes by the goddess Athena as a punishment for having been raped by the god Poseidon in her temple.

Her gaze was known to turn men into stone and only by a cunning trick did Perseus manage to behead her, during a supposed suicide mission the king Polydectes had sent him on, in order to get rid of him and have a free hand with his mother.

In other words, the story of Medusa is a story of a witch-hunt, where the hero is reality the perpetrator, and the victim is a symbol of sexual abuse. Interesting perspective if you consider the time we live in. Looking forward to hearing this album!

The first track is called Meet Medusa. Soundwise undercurrents of ritualistic ambiance start the track, with a cool and atmospheric-sounding hornet as well. We really need more industrial acts using a hornet/trumpet, like Throbbing Gristle and Klinik did! A spoken word revelation by Medusa herself starts, later on. An awesome rhythmic industrial ritual beat rises the moody tension of the spoken words. Great sounding voice (regarding the spoken word), slightly altered voice with a thick southern European accent (speaking English btw). 

The second track Walled-in continues the great-sounding trumpets with some eerie cosmic sounds. A barbaric Conan the barbarian rhythm starts up with some spoken words, again... love how they have altered the voices! Really sounds great how the spoken voices (and effects) jump between your speakers! 

The third track The Gorgons is an instrumental track without the vocals/spoken words. More cool trumpets ( I love them) and some ghosty sound effects, voices, and creepy piano parts. The ambient part stops and gets into a cold technoid rhythmic thump? Something new on the album for sure, but it sounds great nonetheless.

The fourth track Death By Stone has some interesting xylophone-sounding sounds, and some really great female vocals parts as well. For some reason, I am reminded of that Norwegian cult act Aghast, if they ever do something with In Controlled Bleeding! Very ritualistic and has lots of moods here, might be the best track on the album so far. 

The fifth track Perseus Not A Hero truly marks my ability to understand the beauty of the German language, I cannot understand the bloody language. But it sounds great. Lots of cool industrial sounds with some nice esoteric moods (plenty of it).

The last track Pegasus is a full-blown techno beast of a horse. Thumping fusion between psychedelic dark ambient and cold industrial techno! Great way to end the album.

A great mini-album with lots of new thinking ideas inside. A fusion of various ideas has created something very unique. Old mythical tales were brought into a modern perspective, and into modern experimental electronic music. And I simply love the idea of only having the beautiful booklet/poster, while the album/music itself can be located (and heard) on my Bandcamp account. Highly recommend this album! Do seek the poster out, limited to 100 copies! 

Bandcamp (band)):

https://noisecluster.bandcamp.com/album/medusa-who-else

             

  

 Emerge and Re-Drum - Svart1 and Lefterna

Another collab album was released between two interesting labels called Grubenwehr Freiburg and Attenuation Circuit. This time we´re dealing with a kind of double split release by four acts called Emerge, Re-Drum, Svart1, and Lefterna (which sort of makes it a compilation). 

The Emerge project is an experimental/ambient solo project by Sascha Stadlmeier (Owner of the Attenuation Circuit label), a label that had a release that I reviewed some years ago. Re-Drum on the other hand is a project which goes as far back as 2002! With numerous experimental releases, also with some connections to Sasha Stadlmeier´s label. Svart1 is Raimondo Gaviano who deals in such styles as ambient, industrial, and techno (Also with an extensive discography!). And last Lefterna deals in minimalism and abstraction in sound, again with a huge discography. So yes, we´re dealing with a release containing some very hard veterans in the field of experimental electronic ambient and noise.  

The first track on the album is by Emerge and the track is called Empty Seat.  A roaring and heavy sound of the wind begins the track, with some metallic and ear-triggering sounds going in the background. There is a certain kind of fluid-like quality to the sounds so far. I am also sensing a kind of strange human presence in the recordings as well, very quiet and VERY eerie. So far, it works as a track to raise the curiosity of the listener. So far I am pretty curious! By the way, the track is a live recording from Moskva 2018.

The second track is by Emerge and Re-Drum, and it's called Einfarbiger Dom (also A live recording from the same location). Recordings/samples of birds and the flapping of their tiny wings. Really cool sounds of metal scraping against metal here, not made in an aggressive matter but more with a minimal sort of approach. Human voices warp in and out here as well, like from some surreal dream. So far you can put it alongside the likes of Nurse With Wound and the Hafler Trio. Very experimental avant-garde stuff with an industrial touch to it. Lovely post-apocalyptic moods here, almost 30 minutes long! 

The third (and last track) on the A-side is called Zum Verlust der Muttersprache and it´s by Re-Drum. A clinical sort of gas-furnace sound starts the track. Additional layers of ritualistic ambient-textured drones are added in a beautiful (and patient) fashion.

  

I flip the cassette and continue with the B-side, in good company with Svart1 and Lefterna. All 4 tracks on the B-side have been made between the two acts. Three tracks here, all called I, II, and III. 

The first track 1 continues with the sound of gas, and the sound of something... dripping inside some underground bunker. Surreal and subtle layers of warped recordings are added in the background, further enhancing the psychedelic state of mind. Cool effects (Flangers, etc) with some cool layers. Interesting thumping rhythms at the end as well. 

The second track II has more of a noise and industrial-based sort of sound in the beginning. Minimal noise and ambient merge together like two circuits of pure energy. Still being kind of thunderous epic without the drama sort of sound. The calmness before the storm of you, please! Not sure if there are radio recordings here, but if they are... I really don´t wanna know where they come from. Pretty scary stuff here kids!

The third (and last track) III starts like a bloody bubbling nightmare! Like being caught inside the digestion systems of Yog-Sothoth himself! You also get the sensation of something... breathing!... so you definitely are inside some sort of body! You also get the idea that the storm has finally appeared now, showing its might over a frozen landscape.

I guess that this release is a VERY good release, although being a very abstract one as well at the same time. But, I love it cause u can sense the sound concept (whatever it is) throughout the entire album. The whole bloody compilation almost works out as a soundtrack for something great, I mean... I have never heard anything quite like this. How am I feeling now? I... Numb, but in a good way! The depths of this thing are hard to describe, which in my words gives it a certain kind of Lovecraftian cosmic-horror sort of feel (Couldn´t help it!). Depressing yes, but filled with enlightenment! 

Bandcamp (label):

https://grubenwehrfreiburg.bandcamp.com/album/split

     

K2 - Lost Land Of Chiba 

K2 is one of those legendary Japanese noise acts that I’d expect every noise head to have some kind of relationship with. Active since the early ‘80s, K2 has been a stable on the global noise scene. I personally never consciously collected K2 releases, but have a bunch of them anyway. It’s just one of those bands whose records you end up buying every now and then because they never really let you down. 

I guess most people know them mainly for their unrelenting junk metal assaults of the 90s, and that is certainly my favourite part of their vast discography, but the current phase is pretty interesting too on its own terms if you like the wondrous world of modular synthesis. 

Lost Land Of Chiba is a concept album dealing with the typhoon that hit east Japan in 2019. I was not overly familiar with the current phase of K2’s sound, but going into it I expected a kind of digital noise sound based on the cover art which (to me) is kind of reminiscent of techno releases of the early 2000s. This expectation was partly honed, as the album consists mainly of modular synthesis and mixer feedback manipulations.

Though split into three separate tracks, two very long pieces surrounding a shorter one in the middle, the sounds and atmospheres blend into each other and create a whole experience, making it pointless to describe the tracks individually. The overall atmosphere is controlled and subdued compared to earlier stuff. You get some howling and screeching feedbacks for sure and some pounding rhythmic parts as well, but the overall atmosphere is more bleak, cold and clinical. It reminds me of the cold and monotonous blips and echoes you hear at a hospital. 

Mixing the noisy cut-up feedback with rhythmic parts and even some more “empty” echoing parts, Lost Land Of Chiba balances the thin line between chaos and structure perfectly. At one time feedbacks are cut up and randomly put together with cacophonic results, at another sharp rhythmic structures interlace to create pounding almost industrial sounds – at times the beats are even almost danceable (but just almost). 

This way of letting the music zone in and out of chaos creates a dynamic album which may not be super noisy compared to older stuff by K2, but which is an enjoyable and complex listen. There is never a dull moment and the soundscape is ever-evolving and dynamic without ever really cascading into pure chaos. In sum, Lost Land Of Chiba is a mature noise record from one of the Japanese masters. It is the sound of someone who has mastered his craft over almost four decades and is now in complete control. If you like modern noise and enjoy cold and bleak atmospheres, be sure to check this one out.

Bandcamp (label):

https://abhorrentcreationtapes.bandcamp.com/album/k2-lost-land-of-chiba

 Krister Bergman - Last Entertainmnt

With the latest bunch of stuff I received from Marbre Negre, one such artist (Unknown to me) was Krister Bergman. Not much info to find about this enigmatic artist, no website, and not much to read about him on Discogs. I can say a couple of things though, we´re dealing with a HIGHLY productive artist (presumably from Scandinavian), working within the fields of power electronics, industrial, and dark ambient. I have reviewed one of his releases some years ago, the Earthly Thoughts Be Silent Now album... a split between his project called V.O.E.R and another called P.O.V. 

This latest release/album from him called Last Entertainment gives a hint or two of the style to be found within (when looking at the cover artwork). Some kind of mysterious golden human skull, and when you take a look at the name for the tracks on the back cover then yes... you are probably dealing with something highly atmospheric and ritualistic. A limited 50-copies  full-length CD in a nice and cool-looking slim-lined digipack. So let us get on with it. 

The first track called Purification (Step 1) works as a long first track/introduction to the album. A deep ritualistic, looped, and melodic hum starts the track, and additional ambient sounds are added... and still, the simple and minimalistic aesthetic is maintained. Less is more... right?! Beautiful satanic dark-ambient for fans of Inanna (Archon Satani-related project, Organisation Toth and Jarl. So far a perfect intro/first track for the album! 

The second track Purification (Step 2) is a slightly more sinister one. The clattering of metal, an eerie drum pattern, evocative synth-melody, and a hint or two of distorted strings in the background? Moments here that remind me of early Lycia here. Later on, a haunting piano melody shows its presence. A beautiful (and simple) orchestral ambient piece here, the eerieness of this track just makes it way more interesting and mysterious. 

The third track Purification (Step 3) moves further away from the darkness and closer to the light. From a hellish hole of despair to a holy temple of angelic beings. Love the contrast when the aesthetic is still maintained! There is more than meets the eye in this album! Another track on the album worth the time. 

The fourth track is called the Awakening (Part 1), and yes... it does sound like some sort of awakening. An epic fusion of dungeon synth, ritual music, and harsh noisy ambient music. Harsh music can also be beautiful music!

The fifth track The Awakening (Part 2) moves away from the melodies, and further into glitch and noise. Not 100% sure what kind of awakening we are dealing with here, something of a cosmic origin for sure. Strange radio voices can also be located here...from distant stars. As if someone is trying to pull open a secret dimensional door into our world. 

The sixth track (666?) is called Coming Of The Anti-God. A VERY industrial-sounding track. Lots of grinding metal are being cut by a huge buzzsaw, obviously, everything is being controlled by this big, evil, and humming machine... from hell itself. Again, fans of Inanna should take notice here. 

The seventh track No Prison Can Hold Him Now starts as a purely minimalistic ambient piece, a good 2 minutes soundtrack for 100% isolation. Looped sound-harshness is added here, giving the track a rhythmic sense/vibe. Some interesting vocal-based recordings later on, love the various effects on the vocal parts. The ending here is very enigmatic.  

The eighth (and LAST) track is called A Storm Will Cleanse. Rhythmic pink noise, ritualistic sounds, voices being looped, and dynamic sounds in the background. It does feel like a cleansing, and it also sounds like one as well. 

And finally! ... That was the so-called Last Entertainment. Not with a whimper... or a bang... but with the moaning sound of pleasure. I loved this album. Not because that it was technically well-made, not produced or mastered probably either. But because (of the opportunities available) the artist succeeded in getting the expression through to the listener, despite all the various challenges that the challenge contained. It´s a very honest and simple album with a lot of strength within, and it does require a couple of listening before it will seep into your mind and soul.

Bandcamp (label):

https://marbrenegre.bandcamp.com/album/last-entertainment