Thursday, January 26, 2017

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

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

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/

Monday, January 23, 2017

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/




Friday, January 20, 2017

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/

Thursday, January 12, 2017

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