Marc Benner — Rejection Sensitive

Rejection Sensitive is the second physical album released from Illinois-based noise maker Marc Benner, who also runs the noise/ experimental sound label Oxidation. It’s a four-track CDR, which focuses on textured noise manipulation.

The CDR comes presented in a panel digipak- this features red-tinged black & white pictures of a demolished building with a huge pile of rubble in front of it- this is on the front and gatefold of the release. On the back, we have minimal text, where we find out the material within originates from various sound recordings and microphone play, which is all digitally manipulated.

We open up with the nearing six-and-a-half-minute title track. After a few more moments of subtle slice/ scape, we move into a detailed sound map of fairly similarly patterned jittering rip-bound static textures and distant scape/ knock/ hiss. With moments of very faint warbling like flute tones, and possibly a whispered/ mumbled voice element appearing. The track is both taut and rather mysterious in its feel- at times it sounds almost ritual-like, and there is certainly a feeling of unease/ unsureness.

Next is “Shutdown” which is the longest track here at just shy of the fourteen-minute mark. It opens up with a mix of this uneven steam-like chugging sound, and this wet squealing meets cluttering rubbing tone. As we progress, the chugging tones drift in & out, as the wet sound takes on a more ramming in & out of something feel- before later adding dragging/ pulling apart tones. The track is very visceral, though at the same time quite surreal- it gave me images of something strange, twitching and alien being slowly pulled, stretched, and ripped apart inside a steam-run factory.

“Interlude” runs at just over the three-minute mark- it’s built around a rather malevolent selection of hiss/swirling tones, which are played over by a selection of distant on/off radio recordings/ bird song/ road noises. Finally, we have the nearing eight minutes of “Recovery” which opens up with what sounds like weird throat-like rumbles/ knocks- as if a series of things are being slowly pushed/fed into a fleshy food pipe. As the track progresses, more detailed pushing, stretching, and lightly knocking tones are added- and in my mind I’m getting images of some white, saggy, and stretch mark sack of flesh that’s getting slow but sure filled up.

As an album, Rejection Sensitive shows Benner as an expressive, at times unsettling sound maker. Each of the four tracks tells its own story, but together they make  for a compelling and creative trip into textured noise making.