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

Sissy Spacek - Grisp [Gilgongo - 2011]

John Wiese, an artist who has collaborated with such legends of the noise/improv scene as Merzbow, Wolf Eyes and Smegma returns along with fellow cohort Corydon Ronnau as part of the long running project Sissy Spacek. Previous works under this alias have heralded an onslaught of ultra cut-up digital grindcore, huge swathes and layers of undiluted and uncompromising noise, and submersion   in improv- noise bound & other wise. For this effort the majority of the album could be lumped into the 'sound collage' category, non descript interference and spatial noise clash with weird murmurings and more non-linear distractions.

'Real Trash' pretty much nails the whole concept with the song title alone, bits and pieces of discarded audio snippets are salvaged and stitched together in non-sensical random patterns, like tape loops interspersed with random glitches and moaning instrumentation that sound like they are being stangled within an inch of their life. 'Lipstick' and 'Tribulation' are basically a continuation of 'Real Trash' in that the two fall into each other seamlessly, the berated and discordant guitar tones seeping through to the fore a little more prominently this time, as the other parts of the audio collage start to fall into place. The rest of the violent scree builds around these base parts as the feedback from the guitar builds into a crescendo of harsh brilliance with the occasional whisper of mental anguish and delirium. 'Jerk Loose' knocks the experimentation up a notch with improvised drum hits and flurries of guitar and sax(?) which are in turn electronically manipulated and twisted with maddening vocal murmurings drifting through the psychedelic noise haze. It’s no surprise to find out that the bass parts for 'Jerk Loose' and the following piece 'Fontellabass' were provided by improv/noise legends Smegma, Sissy Spacek serving only as a conduit, to twist their originally mutated musical vision even further.

The final three tracks dive further into pure noise territory, harking back to their earlier output minus the frantic grindcore influence typified by these former releases. Two of these tracks ('Teenage Kicks (Anti-Anxiety)' and 'Mono No Aware 2') pass the ten minute mark, marking the longest pieces on this album. However these tracks, for me personally, don’t hold the interest too long, relying more on random chance rather than well thought out and layered aesthetics, bringing nothing new to the table and ultimately begins to feel like filler more than anything else.

Overall this release will be of interest to Smegma fans given the relation of the project to that particular seminal band, but aside from that, noise aficionados will no doubt feel that this release falls a little short of their expectations.

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

Todd Robinson
Latest Reviews

Sissy Spacek - Grisp
John Wiese, an artist who has collaborated with such legends of the noise/improv scene as Merzbow, Wolf Eyes and Smegma returns along with fellow cohort Cory...
030725   Yann Novak - Continuity
030725   Tourist Trap - Tourist Trap( ...
030725   Palindromes - Palindromes( Bl...
020725   Noise Trail Immersion - Tutt...
010725   Atomic Rooster - Atomic Roos...
010725   Con Funk Shun - Organized
010725   Various Artists - Heatwave- T...
010725   The Good, The Bad, The Weird ...
270625   Murder Rock - Murder Rock( Bl...
270625   The Black Torment - The Blac...
Latest Articles

Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sharp t...
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do some...
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...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
191224   Splintered - Somewhere Betwee...
031224   Shane Ryan-Reid - Coerced and...
221024   Whore’s Breath - life’s h...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom