PLAYLIST with COMMENTS/REVIEWS

[W.K.]

Listening to some stuff while working some collage stuffs.

The Cherry Point - Live Hell (CD, Troniks)
Phil Blankenship is about to make you his bitch. And I'm willing to be his.

Linecraft - Industrialized Criminals History (Digital, Hospital Productions)
Not sure what to make of this. It's no noise, and honestly I wouldn't even pass it as industrial. Sounds like either a very early "pre-industrial" cassette from the early 80's or an dungeon synth project trying to do industrial. It's not bad, and the amateurish sound has it's charm for sure, but I can't match it with the strong war-like theme in my head. I do like the tile track with it's dropouts quite a bit though, so it's okay I guess, but those drum patterns and melodies are really too easy and simplistic for my liking.

Ekman ‎– A Pastime For Semi Gods (2x12", Bedouin Records)
Great record from a fellow Dutchman! Somewhere between a more techno-y and colourful Demdike Stare and the raw acid from Bunker records, although if you like Tuning Circuits this might also be for you. Slowly evolving melodies, unpolished high-hats and thick acidy basslines, I like it. Now this is quite a clean record and nowhere hard or rugged, so nothing for the Berghain crowd, but more something you could play at a goth party in-between all the new-wave and post-punk.

Standout track is Margin of Error with its slow and overdriven Gabber beats, dark-wave melody and 80's synths to it. Epic!

[Andrew McIntosh]

The latest Subklinik release, "Neuroskizm", is four tracks of the usual, which is just what one wants from Subklinik, with the possible exception of "Pulverise", which is a stark, early Industrial drumachine beat with appropriate noises interspersed on top. The synth waves are dark and echo-y, more warm than cold to my ears but that's fine. Thick analog synth tones, Doom slow swells, Death always wins.

[host body]

Linecraft - Industrialized Criminals History (Digital, Hospital Productions)
Not sure what to make of this. It's no noise, and honestly I wouldn't even pass it as industrial. Sounds like either a very early "pre-industrial" cassette from the early 80's or an dungeon synth project trying to do industrial. It's not bad, and the amateurish sound has it's charm for sure, but I can't match it with the strong war-like theme in my head. I do like the tile track with it's dropouts quite a bit though, so it's okay I guess, but those drum patterns and melodies are really too easy and simplistic for my liking.

I hear enough of Chu Ishikawa in this release to think of it as straight up worship. Great release, possibly due to me totally not expecting anything so melodic.

[ConcreteMascara]

Moozzhead - Beyond Faith cassette - Freak Animal 2020
Exciting to see Mr. Moozz back at it again after 20 years. This is a delightful hit of semi-crunchy, semi-ripping harsh noise. lots of twin channel attack where it seems like two complimentary tracks are playing on either channel. nothing overly edited or complicated, just harsh distorted sounds. I like it! Need to grip the Satatuhatta tape asap.

[ConcreteMascara]

Autechre - NTS Sessions 8xCD - Warp, 2018 - I had certain ideas about what 8 hrs of Autechre might sound like. Assumptions that it might be impenetrable; overwhelming; aimless; even boring. These ideas were very wrong. Inspired by my recent review of Autechre's entire discography leading up to elseq, I decided to grab this 8 CD set and take the plunge. I'm going slowly, having listened to the first 4 discs over the last two weeks, trying to savor and really enjoy the experience. What I can say is this isn't the impenetrable mess of bleeps, bloops, and MAX/MSP nightmares I though it'd be. These songs are relatively accessible, even when they're constructed out of more "difficult" sounds and structures. And so far the first 4 discs have been very consistent, an impressive feat for the amount of music on offer. For those here who appreciate computer music and haven't heard this, it's definitely worth a listen. I think listening to a lot of Autechre before diving in helped, but like every Autechre album this one has a language all its own. Special mention to Four Of Seven from Session 1, Disc 2, which has got to be one of the funkiest and easily enjoyable tracks Autechre's done since 1998.

Techno Animal - Re-Entry 2xCD - Virgin, 1995 - kind of insane in retrospect that Virgin had an "ambient" series which featured two different albums by Kevin Martin and JK Broadrick as well as a shit load of double CD comps. The '90s weren't all bad! Anyway, this is an album that just finally clicked for me. I've never owned it, just had the files on the HD for ages, occasionally revisiting to see if I liked it any more. Well whatever mental block is gone and I'm just left with one fine album of dubby/breakbeat/illbient stuff that's chill but a little weird, and then an ever better album of dark ambient sounds that remain effortless engaging. Really good late night shit. And if anyone wants to sell me their physical copy drop me a PM.

Scorn - Ellipsis cassette - Scorn Recordings, 1995 - picked up this remix comp a few years ago cheap at a local record store and damn if it isn't some of the best $5 I've spent in ages. I love this era of 1995-1998 when drum 'n' bass wasn't so codified and you had a lot of producers fucking around with d'n'b elements but doing something not quite club ready. Meat Beat Manifesto shows up here to do just that, and P.C.M. and Germ approach things similarly. It's not quite downtempo or illbient or d'n'b. It's maybe half '90s vampire lounge music, half comedown highway driving stuff. But then Coil, Scanner and especially Bill Laswell show up to get really weird with it. It's like an effortless version of what Blackest Ever Black was trying to cultivate when it started a decade ago. Also, the Autechre remix is a great slice of Tri Repetae era funk. Absolute recommendation for this one if you're willing to entertain some tasteful breakbeats with your experimental music. Trust me, it's way better than you'd think.
Edit... meant to mention, if you like this I'd recommend The Perfect Drug remix CD by NIN. It doesn't get to the same experimental depths but it's a nice slice of '90s electronica going from weird drum & bass to a wide open reinterpretation of The Perfect Drug by NIN themselves into goopy ambient techno. Each remix is substantially different from the last so even though it's 5 versions of the same song it doesn't feel like a slog at all.

[MyrtleLake]

Is anyone else noticing that God Is War is beginning to sound like late-era Scorn (Mick Harris)? I mention it while listening to the latest release on No Rent.

[Eigen Bast]

Rogue State - Funeral for Music 2xCS - Hospital, 2021
New noise from the Lussuria homie. Between the bumper sticker, application, and paper test it fully realizes the RSU concept. Rock solid material all the way through; a varied mix of crunchy distortion, loops, near ambient distant sounds, indecipherable mechanical clanking, spattered with a handful of samples and everything coated in a thick sheen of tape hiss. The tracks meander between outright noise and industrial ambience with a sense of humor that is always appreciated. A very "realized" released and a project that I'm stoked to see more of...my application is in.

Haare - The Acid Realm CD - OEC, 2021
This release is 4 tracks of the psychedelic, near musical noise, closely aligned with the prior 2 releases (Brain & Tantric Noise). Maybe a bit more "delicate" than those releases, this one is an exercise in dynamic restraint, pulling up some heavy Kosmiche vibes from the lysergic depths.

[theworldisawarfilm]

Rogue State - Funeral for Music 2xCS - Hospital, 2021
New noise from the Lussuria homie. Between the bumper sticker, application, and paper test it fully realizes the RSU concept. Rock solid material all the way through; a varied mix of crunchy distortion, loops, near ambient distant sounds, indecipherable mechanical clanking, spattered with a handful of samples and everything coated in a thick sheen of tape hiss. The tracks meander between outright noise and industrial ambience with a sense of humor that is always appreciated. A very "realized" released and a project that I'm stoked to see more of...my application is in.

Physical version of this was prohibitively expensive for me, but I have been listening digital copy of it like once a day since it came out. Fucking loved it and found it to be a massive refinement of the material from the 'Computer Murder' box. Hope there is much more to come.

[Baglady]

K.M. TOEPFER - Undercut C30 (Absurd Exposition, 2019)
Now, this is two years old now, but it’s new to me. As I recall his stuff from around 2014-15 was clean, precise, glitchy sounding. Not bad, but this is something else. This sounds like The New Sadism but with more meat and a sense of someone in perfect control of the proceedings, and some joecolleyesque ear-tickling textures injected into the mix as well. An odd pair of references maybe, but that’s just how it is. Fucking superb tape! Are the rest of Toepfer’s later tapes in the same vein?

[Soloman Tump]

Autechre - NTS Sessions 8xCD - Warp, 2018 - I had certain ideas about what 8 hrs of Autechre might sound like. Assumptions that it might be impenetrable; overwhelming; aimless; even boring. These ideas were very wrong. Inspired by my recent review of Autechre's entire discography leading up to elseq, I decided to grab this 8 CD set and take the plunge. I'm going slowly, having listened to the first 4 discs over the last two weeks, trying to savor and really enjoy the experience. What I can say is this isn't the impenetrable mess of bleeps, bloops, and MAX/MSP nightmares I though it'd be. These songs are relatively accessible, even when they're constructed out of more "difficult" sounds and structures. And so far the first 4 discs have been very consistent, an impressive feat for the amount of music on offer. For those here who appreciate computer music and haven't heard this, it's definitely worth a listen. I think listening to a lot of Autechre before diving in helped, but like every Autechre album this one has a language all its own. Special mention to Four Of Seven from Session 1, Disc 2, which has got to be one of the funkiest and easily enjoyable tracks Autechre's done since 1998.

I have the 12xLP box set of this release.  It really took me a while to absorb the album - there is so much of it! It still feels quite distant to me; I have not connected to it like I have many other autechre albums.  There are definitely stand out tracks but overall I struggle since it is so huge.  I keep meaning to try and make a few condensed playlists.

SIGN/PLUS from last year feels like it was treading old ground a bit; the first time an autechre album has done that for me.  Lush sound design and constantly evolving structures as you would expect though.  They are still top tier producers for me.

[Duncan]

Autechre - NTS Sessions 8xCD - Warp, 2018 - I had certain ideas about what 8 hrs of Autechre might sound like. Assumptions that it might be impenetrable; overwhelming; aimless; even boring. These ideas were very wrong. Inspired by my recent review of Autechre's entire discography leading up to elseq, I decided to grab this 8 CD set and take the plunge. I'm going slowly, having listened to the first 4 discs over the last two weeks, trying to savor and really enjoy the experience. What I can say is this isn't the impenetrable mess of bleeps, bloops, and MAX/MSP nightmares I though it'd be. These songs are relatively accessible, even when they're constructed out of more "difficult" sounds and structures. And so far the first 4 discs have been very consistent, an impressive feat for the amount of music on offer. For those here who appreciate computer music and haven't heard this, it's definitely worth a listen. I think listening to a lot of Autechre before diving in helped, but like every Autechre album this one has a language all its own. Special mention to Four Of Seven from Session 1, Disc 2, which has got to be one of the funkiest and easily enjoyable tracks Autechre's done since 1998.

I have the 12xLP box set of this release.  It really took me a while to absorb the album - there is so much of it! It still feels quite distant to me; I have not connected to it like I have many other autechre albums.  There are definitely stand out tracks but overall I struggle since it is so huge.  I keep meaning to try and make a few condensed playlists.

SIGN/PLUS from last year feels like it was treading old ground a bit; the first time an autechre album has done that for me.  Lush sound design and constantly evolving structures as you would expect though.  They are still top tier producers for me.

I have the nts cd box and the lp box (I bought the cd one myself without knowing colleagues at an old job got me the lp one as an incredibly generous leaving gift.)

Despite having it this way I’ve easily spent more time listening to the mp3s than either box. I think with newer AE stuff listening to the purely digital versions without the time limitations of cd or vinyl is really how they intend for it to be heard. Not that their intent should be sacred or anything but I definitely find approaching it all as 4 long sessions feels like the best way to absorb it and it was really exciting and rewarding experiencing them like that when they were originally broadcast. Can especially recommend headphone listening with the NTS sessions. For me it’s just the greatest thing they have done and as the 2 new underwhelming albums show it’ll be tough to better it

[vomitgore]

Some more recent listens:

Kadaver / Sodomy from Beyond - Double Negative (Gutter Disease)
Sodomy from Beyond is a project which I have always really liked and this material is probably his best (or among the top 20%). Heavy atmosphere, brutal, well-treated Vocals and great composition. First time hearing Kadaver and the impression is also good. First track had a bit of a Masonna feel. Definitely worth picking up!

Hate Sermon - Steel Fortress (Gutter Disease)
Very good sounds reminicent of many Malignant artists. The highly treated bubbly "narration style" vocals arent really my bag in General, but still worked.

Heydrich - ASP Disorder (Nil by Mouth)
This project is crazy good. Weird that nobody is talking about it... heavy crunches, great texture, bit of chaotic 90ies HN approach mixed with some virtues ala the Rita. A bit hard to describe. Hoping for new material soon.

Scum - Life Sentence (Aussaat)
Another contemporary fav. I would dare say this has some of his absolute best material. Sublime cut up, very aggressive and with great sounds and best of all, it avoids that "ultra heavy edit" feel some lesser artists may conjure up. 1-2 of the slower tracks werent 100% up my alley, but that doesn't stop the album from being an absolute ripper.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Heydrich - ASP Disorder (Nil by Mouth)
This project is crazy good. Weird that nobody is talking about it... heavy crunches, great texture, bit of chaotic 90ies HN approach mixed with some virtues ala the Rita. A bit hard to describe. Hoping for new material soon.

Yeah, it was pretty decent. I got both the NBM version, and the band self released (with simple cover). First I didn't notice it was the same tape, so just concluded that pretty solid style of simple damaged and ripping electronic noise. There is room for improvement, but also good to hear this type of brutalism instead of synth heavy electronics.

[Eigen Bast]

Caligula031 - Veneralia C30 (Lake Shark Harsh Noise)
Another excellent addition to the Caligula031 discography....side A (Veneralia) is more of a pure textural harsh piece, very little dynamics but a thickness to the sound that is quite satisfying. Side B (Messalina) brings in nasty vocals...obvious comparison may be some of Marco Corbelli's raspier, sickened vocals (maybe I'm just listening to the recent 195 Melrose reissue too much...) and some rhythmic qualities, particularly towards the end as a loop is introduced, adding a nice mechanical rhythm to the track. Bleak and grinding PE built with restraint. Very good! Excellent layout and packaging via LSHN too.

Nathaniel Matthews - Satanicum Tenebrae - Til Helvete Remix (self released)
A bit of a novelty, but an enjoyable listen! Matthews takes the original Til Helvete tape, puts it in a 2 track, and adds a layer of 909 drums over it...and it works (mostly). There's a few moments where it almost loses the thread, but otherwise it's an enjoyable and realized experiment. Imagine an alternate reality where LLN take a sharp turn into necro acid house.

Zac Davis - The Land of Sinking Sand C62 (The Gift of Music)
Peculiar, damaged noise. Parts remind me of Hunting Lodge, or the 1993 EP by Crawl Unit; clipped vocals samples, bubbling electronics, samples drum breaks. Droney and throbbing sounds merge with early industrial clangor for a very well constructed release above and outside of what's hot "in the scene" right now - there's a real sense of meticulous construction beneath the sounds that is really engaging. I'll admit I'm not very familiar with Zac Davis' prior material, but this has made me interested in digging through some past releases. The packaging is quite nice on this one too..while I thought the aluminum foil wrap was a bit chintzy, it actually won me over given how weirdly thorough the wrap-job was hah. Once you get through that there's a few inserts and prints that really take full advantage of the j card format.

[Ashmonger]

Some more recent listens:

Kadaver / Sodomy from Beyond - Double Negative (Gutter Disease)
Sodomy from Beyond is a project which I have always really liked and this material is probably his best (or among the top 20%). Heavy atmosphere, brutal, well-treated Vocals and great composition. First time hearing Kadaver and the impression is also good. First track had a bit of a Masonna feel. Definitely worth picking up!

Hate Sermon - Steel Fortress (Gutter Disease)
Very good sounds reminicent of many Malignant artists. The highly treated bubbly "narration style" vocals arent really my bag in General, but still worked.

Thanks for the nice comments!

Caligula031/Rotat (tape, Daddy's Entertainment): Short, but nice tape. Layout is very minimalistic. A bit too much for my taste. I like the idea of having only the projectsymbols on the front of the cardboardbox, but there's literally nothing else. It was meant to be like that, but I guess just a small sticker inside with titles would have made sense.

Bizarre Uproar - Rarities Volumes 3 and 4 (tapes, Filth&Violence): I didn't get volumes 1 and 2, but these are really enjoyable tapes, filthy and aggressive noise, I like it!

Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps (tape-dub): I knew this album from YT and it's still on my wantlist, but a couple of years ago, I got an order from New Era Productions with some extra stuff thrown in, one of which was a dubbed tape that barely had any info on it, just Neubauten on the spine or something like that. So, I listened and recognized it. Good Industrial stuff, except for that track with the romantic popcover track or whatever it is (can't remember the title, want to forget), that's rather annoying. Told New Era about it and he didn't even know what was on the tape, he just threw it in the box to fill it, hahaha.