Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Pig Heart Transplant - For Mass Consumption [20 Buck Spin - 2014]

Seattle (by way of Oakland by way of Reno) artist Jon Kortland, known best for being one half of powerviolence act Iron Lung, is back with his second solo release as Pig Heart Transplant. Song length and aggression are all that PHT shares with Iron Lung, though, as synths and other distorted sources are the main attacking force on For Mass Consumption. However, with 28 songs running at 44 seconds each, does Kortland allow himself enough time for his songs to take hold?

Distortion is the name of the game for Pig Heart Transplant's sophomore effort. Cranked volume and amped up crunch almost hide the fact that 90% of the loops and beats sound quickly slapped together and haphazard. Having experimented with sound for fifteen or so years, I understand discovering new sounds, but appreciate when they're played with until they work. Tracks like "Film,"Gift,"Male," and "Pigs" (to name a few) have that quickly constructed, thrown against the wall and see what sticks type of feel. Awkward beats looped and heavily distorted, although easy to create are seen through just as easily. 44 seconds is definitely an adequate amount of time for these tracks, and one can see how PHT was able to come up with that many different songs.

That's not to say that it's all lackluster, though. Considering that all the songs are short and different, the distortion manages to keep them together pretty well. There are a couple of synthy respites, too, that, although simple, work well in breaking up the album. These moments of restraint show that there's something to PHT that, with proper restraint and self-review, could be of note. Until then, though, despite comparisons to well respected acts, Pig Heart Transplant can remain on one's back burner.

Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

Paul Casey
Latest Reviews

Pig Heart Transplant - For Mass C...
Seattle (by way of Oakland by way of Reno) artist Jon Kortland, known best for being one half of powerviolence act Iron Lung, is back with his second solo re...
290324   Stuart Argabright & AfterAfte...
290324   Piranha - Piranha(DVD)
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom