Fouke — Yeren
The Fouke project is another Ramirez solo affaid, and it’s been active since 2009. The project takes it’s name from the small US town of Fouke which is located on the Arkansas/Texas Border. The town is most know for sightings of its Bigfoot like monster which was made famous by the 1970’s film Legend of 'Boggy Creek'. This release takes it's title from the name of the Chinese big foot which has been seen in mainland Asia, and is described to be covered in reddish hair and stands between six to eight foot tall. Sound wise this project is best described as searing yet atmospheric HNW, that often does summon up creepy, violent and lumbering images of the mighty Bigfoot.
The 3inch cdr offers up three tracks, and first up we have “Location: China” which is longest of the three tracks here at spot on the ten minute mark. The tracks built around a hypnotic & deep drill noise tone that over step by these slow at times dragging static stepping like textures. Ramirez unfolds these two element in a slow, considered and atmospheric manner, yet the texture weave is dense and brutal. The track really does bring to mind the feeling of something very large, hairy and slow treading through dense jungle. The tracks instense, creepy,very rewarding and a great opener.
Track number two is entitled “Xing Xing” and this is shortist of the three tracks at 4.27 mark. This tracks a taut and tense mixture of locked jittering static tone that’s underscored by this distant, slightly hollow and slow ripping electro static cattle prod like loop. Track threes entitled “Yeh ren” and this is nicely sequence in after the 2nd track so you get a nice jump when the textures changed. This track is a very full & rolling mixture of churning ‘n’ locked crushing walled noise which has a slightly cut jittering feel running through it. To me it brings to mind a panicked run through a forest or jungle as your trying to get away from a lumbering, panting and vegetation tear bigfoot. This track hits spot on the seven minute mark, and ends the 3inch cdr nicely.
The Fouke project is one of my favourite of Richard Ramirez projects, as I'm very much interested in the many bigfoot legends, and I think the projects nicely balances it’s sound between atmosphere & pummelling brutality. “Yeren” is another great addition to the projects discography, and it offers up three great examples of atmospheric HNW