
Koobaatoo Asparagus - Pain And Betrayal [No Skinny Jeans - 2023]Pain And Betrayal severs up two thirty-seven-minute ‘wall’s from this prolific California project. Both tracks are as unrelenting as each other, and both focus on battering ‘n’ baying textured sound craft- which is simple, yet effective in its attack. This is a self-released digital affair- cover artwork wise we get a monochrome illustration of a serpent in a tree with a small nude fairy-like figure in its mouth. And off in the distance, there is head down forlorn looking figure sitting with their head down. The release can be found here.
Both tracks are self-titled- with each hitting dead on the thirty-seven-minute mark. The first track is a thick blend of rumbling bass drone, tensely jitter, and a distant windswept tonal sweep/ billow. The whole ‘wall’ remains taunt & battering throughout, brutalizing from the start to its finish.
Onto the second/ final track, and this feels a little looser/ more weighty in its attack. The pace has been reduced somewhat to the lumbering & choppy mid-range level. Bringing together a steadily galloping-if- a little muddy bass tone clutter, with jittering ‘n’ judder static grain. The whole thing nicely piles on you like slow-drying cerement- it's crushing, yet kind of appealing sonic weight/depth.
Pain And Betrayal is another workman-like/ consistent release from Koobaatoo Asparagus. Nothing fancy, clever, or mould-breaking- just plain & simple walled noise.      Roger Batty
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