Reaching Needles/ SALT — Hate For Purity

Hate For Purity is an international walled noise split bringing together Ottawa, Ontario’s Reaching Needles and Pert Australia’s SALT. Both ‘walls’ feature creative at points woozily atmospheric take on the genre- all making for a most satisfying split.

This is a self-released digital affair- which can be downloaded here. It takes in two around twenty-minute tracks. Cover artwork wise we have a serviceable murky monochrome affair, featuring the two projects' logos set over a sliced and pulled apart portrait image. 

First up we have the Reaching Needles track- this is entitled “The Hand That Feeds You Can Be Food Too”. It runs at the 20.40 mark, and is a wonderful example of subtle shifting and building wall noise craft. It opens with this decidedly hazed blend of faint ‘n’ locked wowing modal drone, constantly feasting aquatic judder, and skittering static grain. As the track progress we can make out great, yet subtly sub-tone additions/ shifts- like a swirling off in the distant grate,  cluttering hiss,  glamouring rumble, wiry ‘n’ skittering static shreds, etc. The balance between the original elements, and the additions is kept even- so as you can still hear the original tones, but equally the new textures can be largely well defined- which both pulls you in and rewards with its detail. With the whole thing playing out in a decidedly fraught yet glum manner, as the drone wavers out this forlorn melody as the spinning cross-hatch elements fade.

Next up we of course have the SALT track- this is entitled “A Cleft Ropes Dust”, and comes in at the 21.30 mark. The track opens with a blend of slightly glitching 'n' slurred mid-range clutter, floating ‘n’ hovering tone simmer, and gentle woozy accelerations. To start with I’m getting an almost sourly waving Black Metal feel, but as it progresses the tones nicely start to sour and lulling pull. And by around the four-and-a-half minute mark the clutter has become more rapid and over-layering in its clamouring haze- though still underneath you can hear the wonderfully effective and woozy tone hovers. I’d say at this point in the track the whole thing has a slightly blurred industrial quality to its attack, which is most rewarding. In its last quarter, we have this baying tone whine drifting into the 'wall', which really creates the feel of building and gaining speed- which nicely shifts up the intensity.

I was previously aware of Reaching Needles before this split, and once more they impress with their side of the split. But this is my first play of SALT’s output, and I was equally impressed with their side of things. So Hate For Purity really is a damn great split, which will certainly be enjoyed by those who enjoy their ‘walls’ with more layered and shifting tendencies.