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

Condo Horro - Bright Facades of Prosperity [Neon Wall Series /Lurker Bias - 2016]

Here’s another contribution to Lurker Bias’ ‘Neon Wall’ series of tapes; this time from Condo Horro - another new name to me. Again, I’m reviewing a digital version; with two tracks, both exactly sixteen minutes long.

The first piece, ‘Late Modern Brutalism’, slams straight through the speakers at a terrific pace - genuinely a real battering. It’s built around a fast, fizzing wall; underpinned by a rumbling, rampaging bass. However, amidst this skree, there lurk a couple of interesting elements: glass-like sounds, and odd vocalised sounds. The glass-like details, buried just under the surface, sound like tumbling pebbles - it’s an odd and unusual addition to a wall track, but it works really well. The same is true of the strange ‘vocal’ sounds that appear early on. They actually sound like slowed growls, or industrial scrapings, and again, they sound great. Around the halfway mark, the wall becomes agitated, with more glass and scrapings hiding in the mix; over time, though, the crackle rises up, and dominates until the track’s end.
The second piece, ‘Pied-a-terre’, is another very fast slice of HNW. Driven by a head-down, hurtling bass, it’s noticeably stronger than ‘Late Modern Brutality’. It’s also replete with submerged elements: some glassy sounds, junk sounds - even parts which sound like buried power electronics vocals. The effect of these in the wall, is perhaps less impressive than on the first track, but ‘Pied-a-terre’ still creates an unusual atmosphere; in places, it suggests what it might be like to be trapped in a burning house - all scourging flames and breaking glass.

These are a couple of good tracks, though I can imagine they might be too wayward for some. The use of non-traditional wall elements gives them an unusual flavour, particularly on ‘Late Modern Brutality’, which sounds like a fury of whirling knives. ‘Pied-a-terre’ is, I think, the equal of its companion track, but perhaps has its thunder stolen (or at least diminished) by being second in the queue. However, I’d definitely like to hear more from this project: I’ll be looking for more material out there. So far, both ‘Neon Wall’ releases that I’ve heard have been stretching HNW and playing with it, and whilst this isn’t always completely successful, it gets the thumbs-up here.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Martin P
Latest Reviews

Condo Horro - Bright Facades of P...
Here’s another contribution to Lurker Bias’ ‘Neon Wall’ series of tapes; this time from Condo Horro - another new name to me. Again, I’m reviewing a digital ...
190324   Pierre Jodlowski - Séries fo...
180324   José María Sánchez-Verdú - K...
180324   Celer - Cursory Asperses
180324   Burial Ground/ Nights of Terr...
150324   Uncodified - Erased People
150324   The Residents - Secret Show (...
130324   Dagr - Dagr (ltd-theatrical/ ...
130324   Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle...
120324   Math - Utterblight
120324   OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces
Latest Articles

Sutcliffe No More - Normal Everyd...
Sutcliffe No More are a British two-piece bringing together Kevin Tomkins & Paul Taylor. Formed in 2021, it’s the spin-off project/ next sonic step...
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...
050523   Bill Morroni - The Trials & ...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom