
Zeitkratzer - Whitehouse [Karlrecords - 2014]Here’s the second Whitehouse themed release from this noisy German chamber orchestra. It offers up a selection of five tracks taken from through the infamous Power electronics project career, and as with the first collaboration(2010’s Whitehouse Electroincs) Zeitkratzer have managed to create creative reinterpretations of Whitehouse’s sound. Opening up the album we have “Daddo”(originally from 1998’s Mummy & Daddy). The nearing twelve & half minute track opens with Bennett grimly intoning the tracks lyrics over an uneasy & searing back drop of rapid screeching violin textures, double bass sawing, and compressed baying horn work. Bennett only hangs around for a few minutes, then the Zeitkratzer are left alone to weaving out their intense yet careful crafted & dense noisy chaos. In the last minute or so , as the mesh of chaotic sound fades back to swirl thinness, Bennett reappears once again to nicely end the track in chilling manner. Next up we have “White Whip”( originally from 1992’s Twice Is Not Enough). This just nearing five & a half minute track is built around a mixture of tense horn drones, & a building/ intensifying weave piecing string simmers & reduced down neck sawings. Later on we Zeitkratzer’s taunt & very un-nerving take on “Incest”( originally from 1983’s Buchenwald). This track is built a continual circling & extremely swirling matt of string work, which is underfed by pained human wails & distant mumbles. On the whole Whitehouse is another worthy reinterpretation of the infamous Power electronics work. The only slight criticism is would it might have been nice if it had been maybe a little longer, as the whole only has a running time of around thirty three minutes- but maybe if it had been longer it would have distilled the taut & un-nerving urgency of it all.      Roger Batty
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