D.S.W.A.C.V — Flora Series- Part 1 SARA

Here’s the first in a series of CDR releases from this Newcastle Upon Tyne based walled noise project. This project likes to often use quite thought provoking themes for its work, focusing in on works of literary, mythology, and legends etc. For the Flora Series the theme is feminism with-in mythology, and each of the three releases are themed around a certain goddess or female entity. For this first volume the focus is Saraswat (Sara for s-hort) which is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning.

The release came in two editions- An CDR version, which was ltd to just four copies. And an unlimited digital download from the projects bandcamp site- I’m reviewing the CDR version. The plain white labelled CDR comes in a clear plastic sleeve, and  features a folded PC printed. This sleeve takes in a picture of a female hand picking flowers, and it looks like its being cropped from romantic classical painting.

Moving onto the sonics with-in and featured here is a single sixty nine minute track. The ‘wall’ on offer here is of the very dense & set variety, and it’s built around a mix of the following noise elements: a locked ‘n’ short billowing/ buffeting tone,  three or four layers of tumbling lower-to-mid range jittering, and a slightly dipped rapid rattle. The whole thing is clearly  trying to create a  deep  feeling hypnotic meshed wall-matter, but I’m afraid to say that for me the ‘wall’ just didn’t capture my imagination or  interest for it’s length.  The thing with wall noise, and in particular fixed walled noise, is that the textures have to effect you on some level, and I’m afraid the ones here did little or nothing for me. Sure it’s clear that D.S.W.A.C.V knows who to build a ‘wall’ well, and I’ve enjoyed many of the projects pasts releases- but for some reason this just didn’t grab me.

So in summing up another interestingly themed release from this project, and the ‘wall’ it’s self is well enough tooled & put together- but sadly the whole thing didn’t do it for me, but that’s not to say it won’t do it for you!. The CDR version is sold, but head over to D.S.W.A.C.V  band camp to check out the digital download here