Converter - Exit Ritual (Ant-Zen)
I'm pretty specific when it comes to what I listen to in different genres. Harsh Noise, Power Electronics and Dark Ambient are my "industrial" music - I have virtually no interest in the classics, in various forms of cross-over or most other forms of industrial music. Converter's "power noise" is definitely outside my comfort zone, even if it reminds me somewhat of certain old Cold Meat bands. Either way, I have to say they made it work here. It sounds more like the score from one of the 80s Terminator movies than any kind of noise, and sometimes while listening I unwillingly see images of German goths clad in latex dancing at some club way out in the backwoods. It may be a bit too "cool" for me. Still, if I suspend the asshole cynic inside and just try to enjoy it - especially easy if I listen to it outside while walking or traveling by the disgusting and inhuman thing called "public transportation", this can work. Haven't tried it in the car yet, but I bet that's fine as well. Also, the album has a fucking hit: "Bloodsex". Silly name, and in order to have any credibility it would have to be done by someone like Bizarre Uproar (with Ravenlord on guest vocals), but it's beyond awesome. In fact, I got stuck on it and skipped through most of the rest of the album. I'm even listening to it now. Anyway, it makes me want to broaden my horizons, and maybe buy some album called something like "Power Fist - X320 Battleground"..
Revelation of the Dead Girl - Pranks and Revelation (Nihil Worship)
So, I went shopping on Bandcamp yesterday evening, and discovered this Russian label that mass produces HNW. It has a slogan boasting of "new release every day!!", but I'm not sure that is accurate, since I bought this yesterday, and it's still the latest release on the page. Anywhooo, after reading that, you can probably figure out what this is about. Harsh. Noise. Wall. Pretty much Vomir, maybe the bass rumbling goes a little off the track at times, but there will be no surprises here. Which I guess is the point. A woman's ass graces the "cover", a jpeg. No physical releases here. I'm not sure what I think about this thing where industrial/noise is devalued on purpose by mass production - it seems like consumerism in its most radical form, where art has been bereft of even monetary value. As far as I'm concerned, tape culture and noise is today more of a pre-capitalist thing, with artisan values, elitist taste and the economics of scarcity reaching an almost medieval (if somewhat artificial) level. Making shit available everywhere for almost-free used to feel like communism, but after the last 20 years of consumerism we know it's just postmodern capitalism. On the other hand, I guess there's some kind of artistic point to the mass production as well, and Revelation of the Dead Girl do produce a decent wall. If the label actually does produce a "new release every day", it would also say something about that person's dedication and fanaticism. I suppose.
Photay - Sadie EP (Astro Nautico)
Another download I bought on impulse. This is some kind of experimental dance/electronics. It's three tracks of nonsense and a summer hit, with the latter being the reason I bought it. The nonsense songs consist of some beats, some synthwork and some general feel-good ambient. Can't say I'm "feeling it", but then again, if I were prone to reacting strongly to this type of music I wouldn't be on this board. The hit song, "Monday" is a hip-hop-like electronic song which makes you think of fat, or perhaps black, people hanging out by a pool or beach in the summer, drinking. Now, I'm neither fat nor black, but I do intend to drink quite a lot this summer, so after a quick preview, this felt like an obvious buy. The only drawback is that once the soft beats and absurdly and annoyingly catchy melody have gone on for a while, for some reason they bring in vocals. And let me tell you, they sound like absolute shit. Luckily, since the music is somewhat stupid to begin with, the juvenile and largely inaudible mumbling about just waking up isn't as annoying as it could have been. If you have a few drinks in front of the computer in the evening after recording music, I suppose you could stream this just to understand what I'm on about, but from now on I'll try and stay on topic. And not just on this forum, either.
