Smell & Quim — Jesus Christ/ The Jisom Killers
The release comes in a fold-out mini gatefold, and this takes in recreations of the inner & outer artwork for both releases. The whole thing is in stark monochrome- which of course fits the originally releases look, and the more bleaker/ lo-fi feel of these two releases. Compared to the projects later work, which saw them increase the more playful/ comic elements of their sound. Both albums here have got a recent remastering from the original master-tapes, so while it’s still very crude/lo-fi you can make out more sonic detail & layers.
Both albums are from the early 1990’s, the first was self-released on the bands own label, the wonderfully named Stinky Horse Fuck, the other on long running German Noise/ experimental label Tesco Organisation. And on the whole they are both enjoyable & often creative noise albums.
First up on disc one we have Jesus Christ- this originally appeared in an edition of a 1000 hand number copies in 1991. And of the two releases I’d say it’s my favorite- as throughout there’s a nice blend of sleazed atmosphere, seared-yet- compelling noise craft, subtle humor, and the odd more stripped back moment.
The album with the just over eleven minutes of “Skunk Pussy”. To start with this brings together a blend of sawing low-end guitar drone uneven-ness, looped & speed-up manic laughter, a slicing ‘n’ swinging high pitched element, and this odd weird human gurgling sound. From time-to-time, you can hear a male voice semi-singing words like 'come-on Baby'- but it’s really difficult to discern what exactly is been said, as it’s fair sporadic & buried. At around the midway point we get this strange & off-kilter carnival-like keyboard element, and this really adds a bizarre & eerier edge to the track. As this elements takes hold more the gargling dies back, and so do the other elements save for whining & wonky guitar feedback trails. The whole track has such a perversely surreal feel to it, and it’s certainly a great- yet unsettling opening to the album.
Next we have two around five minutes tracks, and these are “Old Enough To Bleed, Old Enough To Butcher” & “Bum Clever”( what a great title!)- the first track blends together smarting ‘n’ manic guitar wanderings, layers of bashing metal, and forking mass of feedback- all to create a very deranged & noisy feel. The second track features this strange buzzing-though- slightly comic texture, slow crashing percussion, and a male voice yelling & ranting about cauterizing wounds & perverse/ psychotic play.
After this we have “Beaver Full Of Spunk”- this is a just under two-minute mix of overloaded male nightclub singer warbling singing, swinging & sweetly sour feedback- all fed together into a muddled yet wonderful mess.
Next we have another longer track, and this is entitled “Eight Fuckers”. This twenty-minute track opens with a low-grade like darting ‘n’ bobbing 80’s horror keyboard repetition. With-in under the two-minutes this groaning –to- scoring guitar seesawing element pretty much blows out the moody start, and this is fairly soon added to by this weird scuttling elements- though under it all you can still just make out the brooding & slowly bobbing keyboard. At around the 8th minute we get two shouting & baying male voices- and at the same time the slow keyboard plod breaks-down, and we get forking, bluntly hovering, and feedback buzzing guitar elements brought into play. The rest of the track carries on this unbalanced-yet- enraged vibe, though again there is something perversely surreal about the whole thing.
The first album is topped off with another quick track- it’s a just under two-minute affair entitled “Beaver (Second Coming)”. And once again it brings together warbling-yet- mangled male nightclub crooning & sour feedback trails.
Disc two takes in the 1992 release The Jissom Killers- this was originally put out in another hand numbered edition of 1000 copies. This album is still rewarding, though to my ears not quite as much as Jesus Christ. I think it’s down to the more stripped-back and often bleak, though still noise-bound sound pallet- also for much of the album there seems less humor/ surreal sear present.
The album opens up with the longest track here, the rather charmingly entitled “Sucking A Dead Man’s Cock”- this twenty-four minute track starts with pared back & bleak collection of distant rumbles & slow-mo forks. At around the third minute, this lumbering ‘n’ sinister bouncing/ knocking electro beat element appears, and as time goes on we get subtle extra ebbs of feedback & cable crackle. From around the six minute, we get sudden & often jarring piles up of skittering guitar feed back & buried moaning. It’s a rather moody- yet-unsettling opening track, which I guess fits its title.
After this we have the just less than four minutes of "Nags"- this carries on the bleak & unsettling feel of the first track, bring together blunt feedback churn & slowed metal hits.
Next, we have another long track, and this comes in the shape of the just under eighteen minute title track. To start with this once again features a fairly spaced-out & bleak sound-picture. Bringing together this slurred ‘n’ wonky synth bass semi-rhythmic pattern, skittering ‘n’ sawing string work, distant rants & shouts, weird male moans, and this turning wheel or cog like element. The whole thing really sounds like the recording of some bizarre torture machine, twisting & groaning away in a surreal yet bleak landscape. Later on we get more depth and noise detail added, this takes in lots of chains of hitting ‘n’ banging textures. Forking feedback rolls, and the simmering yet wonky guitar elements. I’d say this stands as my favorite track of this second album.
Lastly on disc two, we have the just nine & a half minutes of "Anatomy Shatterme"- this brings together repetitive & doomed piano stabs, slides & swipes of sour feedback, and scuttling textures. It’s ok, and fits the mood of the rest of the album- it just feels a little predictable, and I miss the more scatter-brain/ perversely dada elements.
Over the years I’ve heard bits & pieces of Smell & Quim’s discography, and I’ve often enjoyed what I’ve heard. So it’s great to finally hear these two early releases- as mentioned early I’d say that both of these albums are a lot less playful & quirky than their later work, but both are well-executed noise releases. Of the two albums here the first is certainly my favorite, and one of now my top S&Q releases- that I can see myself returning to again & again. The second is not bad by any means, I just found it a little more bleak & stripped-back. Anyway enough of my ranting- if this sounds your cup-of-noise, I’d act fast as there were only 250 of these released…so act now or regret later!