
Various Artists - LA Noisescape [Bastardized - 2006]The La noise scene seems to growing day by day, with varied and inventive takes on the noise genre. This excellent compilation brings together 36 tracks, from 36 artists. Making an ideal primer for the scene or as a tool to investigate further into this varied sound landscape. We have instantly recognisable names like John Wiese who offers up a minute fifty nine of shredding static tentacle attack that seems to lash into your ears, with sadistic indent. A Cherry point track which finds Mr Blankenship building up another wonderful impenetrable wall of noise, sliding under the surface with macabre vibes. As for the stuff I’d either heard the name of ,or never heard of before there's lots to chose from, as each tracks a killer in its own right. A few of my favourites are: Circuit wound's The smog monster- which bombards the listener with bent tape like stop start loops of noise, mixing in jabbing half heard dialogue about going to church. Mitchell Brown’s the tiny tulips first word, weeps a sour piecing pitch that builds and builds, it almost seems to smell of sickly decaying and the slow feasting of flies. The last ptyeronadon by Bastard noise starts of with a low sinister purring drone, and wiry rhythmic like elements, as the track develops the air seems to become constricted as the crowding of drilling and static piecing sounds build up, it’s like been inside a glass box that’s slowly been filled up with dead snakes, you hold you breath and close your eyes try to block it out, but all you can feel is there cold skins. Brain Castandeda & Peter Lagrosso White, offers up a strange tropical half formed dreamy air, that’s alive with odd bird sounds and scoping and rustlings that builds up to a Piercing and chilling end. From begin to end a captivating rollercoaster sound ride, that works well as a brutal whole, or just as a few random burst. The other handy thing is each artist website or email is listed, so if there’s something you really like you can track down more. A really unmissable compilation- to buy direct go here.
     Roger Batty
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