Snuff Prom is one of the many projects respected US noisemaker in Richard Ramirez is involved in, it also features Melanie Riehle(See Six) and William Cast(Black Eyed Bored Housewife). I'd listened to their self-titled cassette (on Room 2A in 2017) countless times before, and it's an in-your-face harsh noise wall release, so I was expecting Espiritu Sagrado to be something similar. It‘s not. As we find field recordings and sample-based ambient-ish noise, extended in the harsh noise wall territory, maybe not as harsh as other Ramirez work, but with the same attributes and aesthetics, the artist is known and loved for. Claustrophobic, dark and even minimal. 

My initial thoughts while listening to this new release, is that the noise is implied, and not straightforward. It’s somehow concealed under layers of none harsh sounds, even plain field recordings. A discrete form of noise manipulation, that at points can even be described as serene. 

The album consists of two pieces. The first is based on a massive, middle to high-frequency sonic foundation, with a static nature. This is saturated with all sorts of sonic details; where little melodies are crumbling along with the other elements, forming an ambient noise wall construction. The second piece starts with a field recording which evolves into a -once again- static sonic structure, harsh noise wall this time, in dialogue with the natural elements of the said field recording. The noise is merging equally and beautifully with everything around it, with a tendency to remain with the harsh noise wall margin, with its frequencies residing in the middle to low spectrum. 

Espiritu Sagrado is in fact an experimental fusion of harsh noise and ambient noise wall. It moves away from a purist approach, creating a release that works marvellously. A venture that yielded quite interesting results and a remarkable bouquet of -otherwise- contradicting materials, which all deliver the desired psychoacoustic experience. To be honest, it was a very pleasant surprise. 

Ramirez's work is largely monolithic, but he often dares to experiment, the trait of a  veteran who isn’t afraid the break away from the noise rule-book. Espiritu Sagrado is another splendid example of his fine sonic craftsmanship, and a progression for Snuff Prom sound too. Grab the disk from here.