Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Johanna Went - Club Years(DVD & CD) [Soleilmoon Recordings - 2007]

Just when you thought your heard/seen some pretty bizarre and off kilter stuff, then some one like Johanna Went comes along with  her jagged musical mix of punk, no-wave, Jazz and Residents like oddness- all topped off with strange  acid tinged devil speaking in tongues vocals. But the real thing that makes her stand out from the odd and bizarre ground is her performance art, which is documented here in the hour and twenty minute long collection of her Performance art from late 70’s to late 80’s.

I guess as its called here Stream of consciousness performance art would be the best label, as you get throw so many strange ideas and costumes in each of her 8 performances on offer here. Each consisting of her either changing into a myriad of bizarre costumes and polystyrene structures. Or cover her self in reels and reels of paper or break through paper- all at a manic pace. She performs bizarre theatrics like attacking 8 foot men dolls, pulling their heads off, attacking and eating the genitals of bizarre sex doll/ voodoo dolls, putting huge fake blood soaked tampon on her head and genral throw her self around in a strange manic and demented manner as she scream, wails and talks in tongue - think a very deranged female Alice cooper on bad acid.  As the band behind her pull out jerky avant-garde mix of jazz, electronics, punk, no-wave, percussion chaos.

The second disk brings together an hours worth of her bizarre and chaotic musically crossbreed, which has some interesting ideas and  the feeling of not quite sure what she’ll and her mad band will throw at you next, but ultimately much of it seems a little flat and life-less with out her energetic and derange performances.

To see performance art at it’s most demented, disturbing and jar-droppingly odd, I don’t think you’ll find anyone as 100 % committed to throwing her body, soul and mind into her Work. And this double disk set is a wonderful and bizarre introduction and emersion in her world. And it’s the closet that most could or would want to get to her mad, mad world.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Johanna Went - Club Years(DVD & CD)
Just when you thought your heard/seen some pretty bizarre and off kilter stuff, then some one like Johanna Went comes along with  her jagged musical mix...
061125   Ms.45 - Ms.45(Blu Ray/ UHD)
051125   Marc Benner - Rejection Sens...
051125   Barrena and See Through Build...
051125   Please Don't Feed the Childre...
051125   Illustrious - Mesmerine 111
041125   Anton Lambert and Thanos Poly...
041125   Charles Bobuck, - GOD O: Musi...
041125   Etant Donnes - Les Cents Jou...
031125   Sluta Leta - Drift Dekoder
011125   Kleistwahr - Winter/Music for...
Latest Articles

Michael Hurst Interview - Unbalan...
One of the more creative & original horror films I’ve seen/ reviewed recently is Transmission, a 2023 film which, a few months ago, received a DVD ...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom