Fukte — The Last 86

The Last 86 is the first release in a few years from Italian noise project Fukte. It’s a CDR, which takes in two around nineteen minutes examples of shifting, at times texturally dwelling harsh noise craft.

The plain CDR comes present in a folded monochrome sleeve. On its front we get a stark picture of a snowbound wood, with the project name & release title at the top & the bottom of it. On the reverse, we have what looks like a close-up picture of snow, with black text over the top- detailing the tracks recording/ editing (25-31 Dec 2021). And the labels web site address  https://www.toxicindustries.net/.

Fukte is the project of one Fabrizio De Bon- it started in around 2009, though in the last five or so years it’s been less active. I came aware of the project & De Bon’s label Toxic Industries, due to its connection with the wall noise scene-Fukte did some wall releases early in its career, and Toxic Industries run the Irritant series, which between 2011 & 2016 put out thirty-six HNW releases- taking in both known scenester, and less know projects- a great series that really needs reissuing, or maybe some form a boxset…anyway onto the release to hand. 

So first up we have “session 1” which slides in at the 19.40 mark. It opens with around a minute of fairly focused mid-ranged meets static grained noise, as this moves on a hack buzzer and higher-pitched spacey swoops appear. Fairly soon a shifting mix of choppy laser meets mid-range searing roast appears, with various other shifts taking place. Around the fifth minute, we drop down for just a few light textural knocks, before we dive into full and thick blend of galloping-to-boiling lows and forking mids to high. As the track progresses it seesaws back and forth between thick & densely sustained dwells, swooping to forking mid & high shifts, flows of bubbling spacy noise tone, and blends of the three. De Bon keeps the pace shifting and varied, making for an eventful slice of harsh noise form.

Next, we have “Session 2”- this comes in at the 19.19 mark. Once again it starts with a fixed dense blend, which this time is a low-end churn & slightly bucking static crackle. Within a minute or so we get juddering & malfunctioning hard drive tones moving through the textures, and these are fairly soon added to by swarming billows. By the six-minute mark a more rattling mid-range pipe like tone has taken over, and this features some great more hazed purrs & slicing shifts. At the ninth minute, we have a sudden high pitch sustained before we drop into careering and manic blend of juddering & malfunctioning hard drive tones  & mid-range swipes, with junk like clattering appearing later. This track feels more even in its flow/ blend of mainly low & mids- yes, it’s still shifting varied but features some enjoyable revisited elements.

The Last 86 is a welcome return from Fukte- with two nicely shifting, but often texturally dense tracks on offer. Lets' hope this will be the first of a few new releases, and I’m hoping De Bon will also may be considering doing some more wall noise focused stuff- as I've always enjoyed his take on walling- if you enjoy active and shifting harsh noise this CDR is worth a look.