Niks — Textures Of Slag

Textures Of Slag is a two track walled noise release themed around the industrial processes of melting elements- the release appeared late summer of this year, and appeared as either a art CDR edition, or a digital download.  The two thirty minute tracks are suitable dense & roasting, which of course is prefect for the tracks themes.

The release appears on Bangkok based Perpetual Abjection, who speclizsers in wall noise art editions.  The CDR features sprayed on black paint, this comes in a white jewel case  that’s flecked with black arctic paint- inside it is a double side & numbered card,. three blue magnesite beads and circular acrylic paint splattered pattern on the front cover. The release came in an edition of sixteen copies, and as of writing the label have a few left.

Niks is one of the projects of  Bradford UK based Tom Rushton- of E.E.E.E., Ligyrophobia, Smog Cloud, True Romance, he also runs the excellent british walled noise label Void Singularity Recordings. Niks  project  began in 2016, and has thus far put out six releases- taking in full lengths, splits, and shorts.  Textures Of Slag is the second releases I’ve heard from the project, the first been Fall Into The Abyss- a C60 which Tom put out on his own label.

Both the tracks here are named after elements used in the smelting of steel so we "Quicklime" and "Magnesite".  The first ‘wall’ brings together a tight, taut  and rapid mesh of crisp judders and thinner hacking splutters, clutters and nervy twitches. Together these elements create a wonderfully attention holding & urgent example of the ‘wall-noise’ form- with ones mind full images of spiting & spotting slag. I found over the pieces thirty minute runtime that my mind switched between following the two textured paths, with great reward been gained from the subtle differences between the juddering & hacking splutters.

The second track notches up the urgency & rapidity, with a ‘wall’ that finds a weave of constantly cascading downward clutters, with smaller jittering splutters. This ‘wall’ feels a little more simplistic & unforgiving than the first track; once again the whole thing nicely conjure up images of splattering & sputtering industrial process. Of the  two I’d say this track is the lesser, as the textural weave is not as entrancing- though as unforgiving wall battering it’s most effective.

In finishing this release has a fairy original theme/ concept behind it- and both of the ‘walls’ are worthy- so I look forward to seeing what Niks project has to offer in the near future, and it’s certainly great to have a more active project on the british wall scene, as sadly for the last year or so this has been fairly quiet. To pick up a copy/ hear samples head here.