Norfolk Trotter — SW4 9.4

SW4 9.4 is a new release from UK wall noise project Norfolk Trotter- aka long-term scenester Michael Ridge. It features a single near-on-hour slab of densely punishing HNW, which mixes rapid bass grind with a jittering static bound texturing- really giving one the feeling of going headfirst through a huge rubbish grinder.

The album is a self-released affair- either coming as a CDR or digital download- I’m reviewing the latter on these. The white rubberstamped CDR comes presented in a thin plastic CD case- this takes in monochrome collage artwork of what looks like some form of 70’s/ 80’s recording equipment, and inside we get an inlay card featuring an inversed picture of an old portable radio. The CDR is ltd to fifteen copies, and as of writing, there are a few copies left. Drop by here to find out more 

Norfolk Trotter has been active since 2017- putting out to date around twenty releases. In the past, I think most( if not all) of the project's releases have used stone/ flint for its source, but on this release, the source is an old radio- which I believe is pictured on the release inlay.

The single untitled track rolls in at the fifty-eight minute and nineteen-second mark, and Boy is a thick, skull-crushing & unrelenting example of HNW.  The ‘wall’ brings together a dense purring bass grind, with a mid-range jitter- which is static bound & relatively blunt in its attack. These elements are set & fixed together in a rather pressing & intense manner- which as I mentioned in my intro feels like you are been ground down by a huge industrial grinder.

Over the nearing hour-long ‘wall’ I am pretty sure it all remains relatively set/although as it goes on it does feel like it’s getting thick & thick, muddier & generally more crushing- but I think this is an illusion.

All told it’s great to hear Ridge going back to his thick and grinding old-school HNW roots with SW4 9.4. Most certainly one for long-term fans of the scene.