Stalk Market — Pleasurehead

Pleasurehead is a just shy of twenty-minute example of searing ‘n’ rushing walled noise from this Ohio project. The theme here is shooting up heroin, and the ‘wall’ has a bass purring meets static feasting quality to it. 

This is a digital download appearing on the British wall noise label Death To Dynamics. With the release's cover been a simple, yet effective monochrome picture of a hand with a syringe lying next to it. The release can be checked out here 

Stalk Market is the project of Huber Heights, Ohio based Chris Brooks( Carbon Son, Conviction Notice). It seemingly started in 2020, and going from both the projects bandcamp and discogs they’ve put out around thirty plus releases- though these seem to be mostly digital downloads. 

The single self-titled track featured here comes in at the 19.59 mark. It’s a nicely constrict and tight ‘wall’, which is built around a blend of purring-to-chuggingly beaded bass tone, tautly hacking mids, and slightly dusty subtones- which take in both lows and mids. At around 4.40 minute mark, I’m making a more wormy and wiry tone joining the other elements. And towards the end of the track, we get rewarding moments of sudden pared-back bassy chugg, and more urgently choppy static detail.  The whole ‘wall’ has a very slowing, thickening, and heavy vibe about it- which from what I've read about injecting heroin is close to the effect on one's body when on it. The track is nicely balanced in its layers, with the layers pulled together to create a compellingly weighty and rewardingly consisting ‘wall’. 

As far as I recall this is the first I’ve heard of Stalk Market's output. And I’ll have to say I was impressed by what I heard here. Pleasurehead features a good & well-balanced selection of layers- with the ‘wall’ as a whole having an entrancing yet pressing quality that nicely ties into the release's theme of shooting up heroin. So, I’ll certainly be checking out more of the project's work, and will keep an eye out for upcoming releases.