Idee Collective ‎– Grand Gastrite (Craneal Fracture Records,2016)

This is the first time i heard of Idee Collective but in pile of tapes cover art caught my eye. It is a old school collage art - very tiny (its not covering whole cover) so its not fully visible but seemed like it will be more experimental dadaist stuff instead of pure harsh noise that i always pop in player first. Anyway i was baking cake so experimental stuff maybe will help my cake to be softer and more tasty... And yes i was right - first track is pretty minimal - it sounds like recording of a hiss - with sound of a stopping and starting the record button every few seconds, during the track various sounds appear so it becomes nice layered noise in the end. Second track is a lot of high pitched noise, not too loud - very controlled and balanced which mixes into some looped sequences (maybe its track three - i am not sure how big pauses they make between tracks) after few minutes loops of some improvised music start and fading away in echoes - very nice atmosphere here. I felt like i was approaching some post-apocalyptic concert in abandoned building with sounds coming through big abandoned hallways. Post-apocalyptic feeling was even more activated by space sounds that started to mix with music in the background. Hisses, beeps and bleeps coming and going, sounds of wind going through holes in the walls. And then suddenly we are alone with that peaceful repeating music. And then cake started to smell like burning so i will continue to listen to this in kitchen and leave the rest of album as a surprise for a listeners that decide to buy it. All in all - even if its not harsh - it brings some very good movie-like atmosphere. Certainly it is a good idea to take this tape if you need to spice up your noise collection with something different...
Get it here cranealfracturerecords.bandcamp.com/album/grand-gastrite

Délinquance Juvénile ‎– Avant-propos (Craneal Fracture Records,2016)

As soon as i got package with a lot of tapes inside i saw Délinquance Juvénile tape and just immediately dropped it in tape player. Guy behind this project is familiar to me through his great collage zines. You should really check out his tumblr page blame201.tumblr.com/
Quality of noise on this tape i never doubted - from first second we just get big pile of noise with no compromises, no fancy effects. Just as i like it - feeling like you are in some factory room with all machines plugged in in same time - just kicking the air out of you. There are some pattern audible in distance of this noise - like some synth line that repeats itself - but buried under so many layers that i don't even know if it even exists or i just imagine it... Side B is more rhythmic (not like real rhythm but some background metal beat) at least in beginning but very soon rhythm is lost in hiss and waves of noise hitting over and over and over until whole sound is flooded with insane amount of sounds.
In my opinion stuff like this should be called harsh noise wall because you have really a feeling of wall of noise coming at you. But who cares about genres and subgenres anyway - this is a must have tape for everyone who wants their noise harsh and loud!
grab it at cranealfracturerecords.bandcamp.com/album/avant-propos

Inbreeder - Errorland (Porcelain Editions, 2013)

One of my favorite projects out there in a noise part of the world, one of those i was really proud to collaborate with is Inbreeder. It's a project of a Joel Walter, a guy who not only make fine noise but great collage art as well (hopefully one day i will fulfill my dream of making a collage zine with his art). Inbreeder is a strange project - very minimal in sound - no powerful loud sound, just a lot of buzzes, hisses and synth type sounds but delivered in such a fine way that it is both noisy and musical. First side here is exactly that - lots of hiss and buzz and various sounds going all around you - while all that is followed with repeating bass synth tone in a very slow rhythm. Very dark track - in a way it reminds me of some dark church ritual, probably because of synth that repeats in a way as church bell when announcing a mass. Side B also continue this dark mass with same "bell" just now slightly more distorted and more sucked into background. Just now its not a call anymore - ritual has started - under all noises we have repetitive snare drum beating. All of that creates great suspense and leave you tense and sort of paranoid about what will happen next.
Only downside to this album is that its fairly short - total is 10 minutes, and i could listen this for hours probably (and this comes from a guy whose attention is crazy short - and get bored with anything longer than few minutes - so now you can imagine how good this one is...).
Its a pretty old release from 2013 on now defunct Porcelain Editions label , but thanks to this digital world we live in you can get your digital copy on bandcamp.
Go there and buy one INBREEDER - Errorland

Raven - Violence Begins With a Fork (Craneal Fracture Records,2016)

Here is our old friend Djordje with another brutal sound massacre. Like we are already used to, albums from this anarcho vegan harsh noise project always stand up against consumerism, capitalism, animal rights. This time titla and cover photo tells us all - very depressing photo of a pig ready for slaughter, in blood red color and sides are titled  a:Violence Begins With a Fork and b:Unleash the Cages. Raven is 99% of time loudest project out there (probably many will have different opinions, but i am not joking here guys, just take any project you think its loud and put it side by side with any Raven album and you will see what i am talking about...), and like always he stays firm in his loud aggressive position but with a twist. This album is loud and aggressive  but also depressive as hell. You have brutal layers of noise but also some deep muddy sounds in background. I can even recognize what it is - it could be screaming voices or animals suffering or anything, but you have really big feel of unease while listening to this one. Don't need much to describe here, Raven's noise is always on very high level, always real, no artsy shit... Only thing that bothers me is that Djordje slowed down his output a bit, after first few years with 100+ releases in total (and crazy long split series with almost every name from the scene on Shit Noise Records), now we have last few years with a bit less releases probably due to the fact that many noise labels started going more for aforementioned artsy noise stuff. So if any of you label owners read this - call Djordje and make some new albums (i will have to empty one more shelf to fit new wave of Raven's albums but who needs that much clothing anyway...)
So check Raven's stuff at http://www.ravennoise.co.nr/
This album at Raven - Violence Begins With a Fork
And this fine label you surely have to check - plenty of nice things there! Craneal Fracture Records

Gods Wil - De Ene Nachtmerrie Na De Andere (self-released ?, 2016)

Guy begind this project i knew and also met in person much before i heard his sounds-he is a host of very good noise radio show on Radio Patapoe. Every Tuesday i try to be home so i can tune in and find out about some new noise-you should stay home too - fuck social life! Also show before this one is by Peter Zincken from Stront label-so Tuesday evening can be very pleasant for a noishead or person with no friends... Oh wait - it is the same person!

So first track here is labeled intro and it is more in HNW style that slowly turns itself, through little bleeps and crashes, into something that i am much more into-harsh noise.. Probably first Nachtmerrie started (all tracks are labeled Nachtmerrie except Intro and Uittro). Probably nachtmerrie means nightmare - if not please dutch guys correct me... And its really deep sounding noise with piercing sounds. Not only nightmare feeling but ears have their nightmare too now. Since we move into very aggressive sound now-probably we are into next nightmare already (you see i use this nightmare word like i am 100% sure its a correct translation...) Since i am a great fan of Gods Wil sound i would just wrute superlatives - which would bore you to death so i will stop writing and listen to these in peace. Some nice contact mic banging is happening while i write this. Fucking perfect! 

his website: GODS WIL

Maläd / Dekonstruktor split (Freak Friendly DIY, 2016)

We have split here between Maläd from Ukraine and Dekonstruktor from Russia - full east Europe noisecore attack! Side A - starts with some slow rhythm and very distorted guitar - very depressing and fucked up sound. I saw Maläd few times live and they always had some crazy aggressive stuff - this showed me that they can do slow stuff with same skill. But toward end we get glimpse of Maläd style chaos - beat start to be faster and slower and chaotic, and guitar goes from feedback to buzz and back - total massacre!  If i can order a song for i next live - i would like this one please!
And on side B we have - baby chicken? That is what is pictured on Dekonstruktor side of tape. Some mean chicken are those - following the style of side A - slow beat and depressed overdistorted guitar. I have never been a guitar fan myself - but this kind of guitar i could listen any time of day (maybe night also - but neighbors wouldn't share my enthusiasm i think...).  Dekonstruktor also push the pedal to the metal toward the end of song - and we have some more screeching guitar before we drift into some riffs that sound like its from some "normal" guitar music (that part i didn't like much - it remind me too much that i don't like guitar - but its good as a contrast i think).
All in all very satisfying split. You can buy that for 5 eur or whole Freak Friendly DIY discography for only 8.70 eur here
So don't be cheap - add those 3.70 eur and get them all!

Zyrtax - Reflex Ultra (Stront, 2011)

Another old one from Stront label - but since its still available - why not to review.
First time i heard of Zyrtax project, and since cover is very minimal - just split in half with two concrete-like textures on both sides i expected some minimal/ambient/experimental sound.
But it started with loud space like pulsing and many high pitched sounds, and soon after start howling voice started. Some nice effects on voice so its totally integrated in these space sounds...
For a moment everything stops and we just here some frog-like pulsating sound, which lead us into second part of this track, with some constant high pitched sound and some interference in the background. Everything sounds very sci-fi but don't worry its very noisy, but is not usual typical harsh noise sound, since its more electronic and futuristic)
All of a sudden some distorted voice,like from some radio transmission, gave us some message and lead us into some noisy sounds with very disturbing screaming that also sound like coming from outer space. I believe whoever made this tape had whole sci-fi script in his head before making this because all sounds like there is some logic and flow to it.
i will now stop writing and and rewind so i can listen to a full tape - its a shame that this detailed piece of work just play in background of my writing process...
So all recommendations to this one - if you like more subtle noise and more artificial/spaceship sounds in compare to usual pedal noise set...
Ask Stront for copies...

Vulvax / Odal "No-Norit / Back to the Basics" (Stront, 2004)

Found this on a shelf, and since i traded tons of tapes with Peter from Stront label (Odal project also) i don't have a clue is this new or old release (later discogs search revealed its 2004...) But who cares it comes from Stront label, cover art is full of shit and frontal nudity, so what can go wrong. Print is perfect for a noise release also, very low resolution, muddy colors, all coming from cheap color home printer. Oh how i miss the days before my cartridges dried out and became impossible to refill... But let put nostalgia aside, Vulvax already started with slowed down chanting over buzzes and bleeps. After some time i start to have a feeling i am in the middle of some Ortodox christian liturgy gone wrong. Too bad it was so short, but we have second track here, high pitched beep (in first few seconds i thought its my alarm clock - obsession that i have to wake up early for job obviously left a mark on this review too...) But this beeping is not like an alarm clock, its never ending with just slight variations. It seems i was lucky i put this tape on a speakers instead through headphones (neighbors wouldn't call this luck probably). So third track is here, mumbling voice preaching something, it seems our priest is here again... Where can i baptize for this church? Since i was checking discogs while i write and listen to this i found out this:

https://www.discogs.com/Vulvax-Odal-No-norit-Back-To-The-Basics/release/5017907

Yes 25 short tracks on this side, and yes i love the sound, but no i cant write about 25 tracks, i am too lazy for it, so i will just let you be surprised with 22 more... 

45 minutes filled to the max - and quality didn't drop much (there was few parts here and there that were not so impressive like first tracks, but 45 mins is long for noise anyway - i don't think anyone can pull that out...)

Second side brings us Odal, behind that moniker is Peter Zincken also known as Dr. Bibber and former member of FCKN BSTRDS. Very big name in noise scene for last few decades, so not surprising we have impressive track in front of us: arrhythmic drums, harsh noise with chanting tribal-like vocals over it. If first side was Ortodox christian, this side is some Amazon tribe that was exposed to harsh noise that totally fucked up their brains never to return to normal... This track can easily put you in a trance state if you blast it loud on your speakers - you lose sense of time and 30 minutes passed like second - and since it sounds like gig recording, i can only imagine how good it would be to be present in that space that day...

Well you can try to track down some copies maybe directly from Stront - even if its not original tape, i am sure you can get some kind of cdr reissue.

https://www.facebook.com/Stront-215326391865287/

Agathocles / Raven (Centipede Farm,2016)

Hmmm it seems i review only Centipede Farm releases... Somehow they all ended up on my "to listen shelf"... I wanted to change label for this one, but then i saw Agathocles / Raven split!
Great projects, so fuck it, i'll do another Centipede!
Side A is Agathocles, inside tape is written that it is a recording from 1986 - so lets try this blast from past. Some crackling sounds and spoken word in background - very raw, very lo-fi, from there it fades into drone guitar sounds with very dirty drum sound and deep barking vocals. Occasional screams break a sound that almost pushed me in some kind of trance state of mind. Really love this one - very aggressive, very enjoyable...
Speaking of aggression... Side B brings us Raven, like always straight-to-point approach, loud, uncompromising sound. Crazy mash of hiss, feedback, pitch changes, buzzing of DIY synths, and white noise in the background. Be sure that if you play on speakers you wont hear anything in your house or surroundings. Total auditory deprivation! And try to use at least headphones that go over ear - if you put this on earphones - be ready for tinnitus for the rest of the day. Tinnitus - best recommendation for noise release!  I'm already half deaf so i dont care - lets play this once more!
This fine release can be found at https://centipedefarm.bandcamp.com/album/agathocles-raven-split

Contraktor / Kolaps systému (Centipede Farm, 2016)

Another one from Centipede Farm. Kolaps systému i heard years ago on a split with Raven, and theme of album were animal rights. Fast discogs check lead me to  realization that  Kolaps systému had made another animal right album with Contraktor in 2015. That made me very happy - i think it is of a great importance to always put those topics in spotlight. So i came very relaxed into listening to this one, because that attitude is enough for me to be happy. And cover also promised same direction...
So side A brings us Contraktor with track called Self Worthless. It starts with some bubbling noisy sound which goes into more noisy crackling sounds with some vocal sample repeated in loop. Very fine, very dynamic and fun to listen, length of all those parts where sample is looped is just right to keep listeners attention - not too short not too long, also it brings me some industrial vibe to this (which in my case is good thing - remind me on my pre-noise days when industrial was my main focus). From there we go to more chaotic parts, very good executed noise, not too harsh but very intense and old school. I was never fan of big powerful noise sounds, always was more on this lo-fi side - so this fits me very well.
On side B we have aforementioned Kolaps systému - "Breaking the Locks" noise style is pretty much similar to Contraktor but we here have some various samples of animals screaming and suffering. From there we get into some metallic repeating sound, kinda like a rail, which is replaced by some far away machine-like sound. A lot of samples, lot of field recording sound (at least i think its raw field recording in some places) and again lo-fi - just as i like noise to be. Everything is covered in radio like noise, glass shattering, dogs barking. Everything is really well done, there wasn't a second of these both sides where my attention roamed away from sound.
So all in all - perfect release, both sound-wise and theme-wise...
Check it out at https://centipedefarm.bandcamp.com/album/animal-liberation-split

Boar / Genital Stigmata (Centipede Farm,2016)

Since i have many releases from Centipede Farm i know i can always be sure that some fine sound will come out of speakers when i put anything from that label.
So on this split we have Boar on a side A - starts very calm with dripping, tapping sounds with a big echo - and it makes me feel like i am in some sort of cave. Which was not best place to be - because suddenly cave start to crash on you - everything is falling apart and there is nowhere to escape. Very fine harsh part of track from which we unexpectedly go into spaceship noises, kinda futuristic and cold, and then all that slowly blend together into harsh sound again. All that alien abduction stop all of a sudden and some ritualistic chanting is heard,better say some distorted ohm chant. And that would be all on side A - maybe a bit on a short side, but so many things happening, you have ambient parts, you have harsh parts.. All very well blended together - so its very enjoyable and could recommend even to people who are not so much into noise but more into experimental waters because all seems to be nicely thought out and composed.
On the other side we have Genital Stigmata, project i didn't have chance to hear before. It starts very harsh with chopped out sound coming probably from shortest setting on delay pedal and then we have more and more abuse of delay pedal and some tape player rewinding and forwarding with occasional screams and unrecognizable speech. It has exactly all the stuff i love most both to make and to listen. So i will just sit back and enjoy this barrage of dead cable sound, tape hiss, and delay overkill. Not much else to say but - perfect! Whoever this guy is - i want more of it!
Its 60 copies edition, and its still available on
https://centipedefarm.bandcamp.com/album/boar-genital-stigmata-split

Bear Bones, Lay Low / Superskin (Feathered Coyote Records,2015)

So from this Austrian label Feathered Coyote Records comes this experimental/noise split. First tape after very long time that is in my player and that isn't pure harsh noise or noisecore... Which is not so bad for this very frozen winter day.
So side A brings us Bear Bones, Lay Low project. Track starts with buzzing sounds and piano(?) echoing and moving from left to right in my speakers - very nice for this silent cold day. Very atmospheric eerie track, could easily be used as a soundtrack for some movie. Second track comes in with violin like sounds and drumming in background. Very folkish and ritualistic. I must say i am not often in possession of this type of folk/experimental tapes and i rarely search for something like this, but sound is not to blame - its just my ignorance and laziness... But when occasionally something come to my hands, i enjoy it as something exotic to my ears. It is obvious that a lot of effort is put into this, and that sound as a whole is very complex and surely has some deeper meaning. But i am just simple harsh noise head and search just for more direct sound. Now we are in third track that is mostly based around very nice piano melody with a lot of tiny bleeps and peeps all around me - very relaxing. Last one is very rhythmic with horn sound following the rhythm, almost danceable. And side is over! Very good job, even if its not the type of sound i usually listen to, i wanted more - so i think that is best mark of quality of this project...
Lest see what side B brings us.... Superskin - austrian project that i havent heard before, but fast google check show me that its the same guy that is behind Baba Vanga project. I heard that one before and i remember its also some sort of experimental sound and that it was pretty good. This starts with very dry beat, almost like tapping on some simple object and repeating it through some loop pedal with slight echo (it can be of course some simple drum machine) over it some synth melodies are played. Pretty romantic sounding, not disturbing at all - would be very good as a background while reading some book and drinking warm tea after cold day outside.... Next track is also very calm and kind of hypnotic, so i just drifted in thoughts and i just heard click of my walkman when tape was over.
So to sum it up - if you search for something more mind engaging, more instrument based noise more atmospheric and ambient and not so loud - this is a perfect release for you! Also i must mention that cover art is very fine collage art, with quality print, so this package as a whole is worth to have in physical form. Also you will get download code with it - so it will save you an effort of transferring tape into mp3.
Since its 2015 release i dont know if still there are some copies - bandcamp page says that there are still some available so go on and take some!
https://featheredcoyoterecords.bandcamp.com/album/bear-bones-lay-low-superskin

Melanocetus Murrayi - Entropy of the Universe / Megalodon Harsh Tones (Septic Aroma of Reeking Stench,2016)

This release i got from a friend from RAWNOISEAPES who also is a member in this one. So expectations were high - noisecore+greek guys+Maou from RAWNOISEAPES - that has to lead to some kickass sound. And it does - first track is very nice intro with very easy listening sounds, and that is the only easy thing here. We go straight into blasts and screams. But i must say - this is not just simple everyday noisecore - one can easily hear that there is a lot of experience behind these guys because they always sound like they are in control of situation and sound. Also their experience helps that album don't go into bring repetitive sound. Which can easily happen to noisecore release - you all have fun recording and dont think/dont care about outcome, and to listener it doesn't sound so fun because he was not with you in that surrounding and atmosphere. That is why, in my opinion, noisecore is best live, but this band make enough variety and changes so it succeeds in keeping attention of a listener (even mine, and i have shortest attention span ever...)
I also have to say that tape is very pro made (also in lovely yellow color with nicely printed titles on tape itself ) so thumbs up for this label who decided to put this much effort and money into noise - good to know that people like that still exist...
You can grab your copies (or something from their insanely large distro)
http://saors.blogspot.rs/
https://www.facebook.com/septicaromaofreekingstenchofficial/

Harsh Noise London #1:Parliament (Harsh Noise London, 2016)

This is first in Recycled series from Harsh Noise London label. Just by seeing four projects that are involved in this tape is enough to realize this will be very nice and loud release.

Tape starts with Animal Machine. Interestingly, i saw this project many times live in some festivals, and it was always kick ass performance - but this is first time i listened it on tape. (now i realize how stupid i was not to trade for some releases on those festivals) Both are typical Animal Machine track - no compromise, loud - pure harsh noise. Its 15 minutes of pure enjoyment (if you like nice and pure harsh noise like i do...)

Next project is PCRV - only project i didn't know about before this release (which is a shame because i see on discogs that it is active for 15 years already!), its just a bit less harsh probably because it has some interesting atmospheric elements along the noise, some high pitched sounds echoing in the background that is mixed with very harsh and loud rumble. All together it is fine combination of harsh noise and some more listenable elements. Quite enjoyable experience! Hope i get some full release of PCRV because it sounds very promising...

Side B starts with GEN 26. If someone don't know (if that is possible at all) behind this project is Matjaz - guy from Slovenia that made 10+ noise festivals in Ljubljana,Slovenia (it is real achievement - in this region even making noise gigs is very hard and number of people interested is more than low, and organisation of this festival was more than professional with always fine international lineup)

His sound on this one is very dense and not very dynamic - almost a borderline with HNW - but much more aggressive than any HNW - its literally ripping your ears (in my opinion 99% of HNW releases are more ambient than harsh, which one wouldn't expect from something that has harsh in its name).

Last one is NRYY - one of project that have special place in my mind - not only because of sound but because it was first CDr i got beside my copies after i made my first physical release on Smell the Stench label. Its typical Japanese harsh noise - very dynamic with scream like sounds and a lot of feedback. Very fine ending to this 4 way split!

So since there was an open call for participants for this series during Slovenian noise fest this summer, i suppose more releases are not far away. Cant wait to see whom will next ones bring!

Meanwhile - grab some copies on  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1753676681522146/

Suffering Profusion - Auditory Hallucinations Unkn. (self-released 2016)

I got this release on noiseguide forum from the guy behind this project who was offering some free copies. I couldn't judge much from cover art - simple xerox copy rolled into tape jacket. Very low-res text - so names of songs can barely be read - very good! (for me thats a fine start - i am fed up with all "i am so professional musician and very serious about sound" people - this is just straight to point "i make diy noise and don't give a fuck about presentation" attitude)
And yes! I was totally right - from the start just muddy rumbling sound is ripping my speakers all followed by screams in pain. This guy is not joking around - no pretending, no fancy sounds, no art shit - just noise at its best! Second track is not so deep in mud anymore - much more feedback and high pitched sounds - but still all so well integrated - sounds like one big fucked up organism. I saw somewhere on bandcamp that he did some mixing and editing, and even if i am not fan of editing anything in noise - this is very good. I dont have feeling something is added or changed - it sounds very natural and very much like all is recorded live... And while i type this side A is over - i need more of this! Again! Side B start with some throat scream and just go straight into noise - sound like some shake box through many pedals - everything out of control and painful - pure chaos! it just continued into last song, and... its all over..  Too bad - i need more of this! Hope this guy continue to do this and that he will make new release very soon!
As my copy is 15/54 i am sure he has some copies left so go to his bandcamp and grab some!
https://sufferingprofusion.bandcamp.com/

Sperrung - Son (Freak Friendly DIY, 2015)

At first glance i didn't know what to expect from this tape - it looked very mysterious - cyrillic letters and something looking like red cross reflection in dark room. Cover says that one guy is behind this project - Ilya Bilyga. I got this tape from the guy that is behind the label Freak Friendly DIY - Valentin (He also is one of two members of Malad - very fine noise core project i had honor to share stage with on few gigs around Serbia) So it was promising some dark sound just from looking at it. East Europe and especially Russia always have weird dark disturbing project - but this one.. It is something i didn't experienced until now. Pushing play and some higher pitch broom is coming from speakers with just painful suffering voice over it, occasionally you hear some dissonant guitar chords behind the voice and after few minutes of pain - all goes into silence... Just to get to next track which is starting pretty similar to first one but with some distant screams and more suffering... So with this descriptions one would think -well i heard many things like that - what this guy is writing - its nothing unique.. But believe me - yes many did it - but i never saw such sincere and emotional execution. you really have feeling like you are exposed to a person in deep suffering state of mind. but track 3 is coming.. Coming from the depths of mind it seems very minimal and slowly moving to total chaos and pain. I was totally sucked in it and side was already ended in one big painful crescendo.
Second side is here - i see from the cover its all in one track - hope it is long one. This sounds like a live recording - something like baby crying mixed with rumbling and guitar screams. Interestingly cover art says its all one person - but this guy execute all so well - he sounds like full noise band. Now we move to parts where this guitar (?) improv sound is dominant and broken from time to time with crying/screaming/mumbling voice somewhere from depths. Also its worth to notice that
inside cover you have lyrics for all the tracks - so for someone fluent in ukrainan it can be interesting to also understand what is all about...  I have to say - i would love so much to see this act live - since a long time i didn't hear so engaging and emotional project like this one. Since in some trade i got another album from Sperrung - i cant wait to pu it on now and hear where he is moving and developing.
Well done Ilya!
Also maybe Valentin have some more leftover copies - try your luck at ironcnt@gmail.com