Coda brings together twenty-plus minute examples of dense and at times detailed sound scaping that mixes space-bound synth scaping, spiralling harsh noise craft, and grandly simmer drone craft. The release appears on Bam Balam Records- with the CD out now, and the vinyl release coming in April 2023.

I’m guessing that neither of the key artists here will need little or no introduction, but just in case you are new to experimental/ noise in general here’s a rough bio of each. French composer, guitarist and synthesis Richard Pinhas has been active since the late 1970s, and is often quoted as the 'father' of French electronic music. In 1974 he founded Heldon, a band whose violent fusion of electronics and guitar in the 70s rivalled the German electronic school. He has also helped to define the Space music genre.  Merzbow aka Masami Akita is one of the most known harsh noise artists in the world- he also started in 1970, and has gone on to put out over five hundred releases, and helped define the Japanoise genre. Also adding into the album's very thick, and slowly shifting sound world we have the following Oren Ambarchi on Motor guitar, Florian Tatard on Accordion and Senza Testa on Synths.  

So first up we have “Coda” which runs at the 20.42 mark. The track slowly but surely fades in, with at first we find a blend of spacy ‘n’ gliding guitar hover- this is added to fairly soon by shredding ‘n’ scoldingly atmospheric noise textures, and as thing progresses layers of intergalactic ambient synth and grandly simmer drone matter are added to the mix, with the whole thing become such a densely heady mass which truly suck you in. As you can well imagine, this is totally a headphone must-release- so you capture every detail and tone within the mass.

Next, we have “Postcoda” which runs at 21.15 mark. It opens in a much more graceful and swooning manner, as we have a central string-like element. Around this we find lightly spiral noise tone pulls ‘n’ scrub- to start with there is a rather forlorn feel to the whole thing. But as we move on this is not so easily defined as we can hear weaves of atmospheric rising guitar tone, other layers of drone matter, and simmer synth glide ‘n’ hover added to the thick and slowly shifting mass of the track.

If you could use just one word to describe this album it’s ‘heady’. So if you enjoy ultra-dense, and slowly shifting sound craft which is rewarded by focused headphone playing/ submersion then Coda will be right down your space way. To find out more for yourself