Tab In/Tab out & Apocalypstick — Split

Here’s a C50/ digital split bringing together two US wall noise projects- each offering up a single twenty-five-minute track. We have here Settle’s Tab In/ Tab Out, and Pittsburgh’s Apocalypstick.

The release appears on Vancouver-based Bent Window Records. Cover artwork wise we get a crude painting of a pair of hands holding a bloody & severed heart. The physical version seemingly has a dark blood-red cassette with white labels on it- I’m reviewing the digital version- so can’t really comment beyond the above. The release can be streamed/ brought directly from here.

So first up we have Tab In/ Tab Out’s track- which is entitled “Her Heart In My Hands”. This ‘wall’ consists of a rapid blend of a swirling low and a rattle mid.  Together these create this maelstrom of searing and roasting sound- which feels akin to sailing on an ocean of laver and flame. There is quite an entrancing flow to the whole thing- and at points, you really do get nicely lost in the ‘wall’.

Next we of course have the Apocalypstick track- it’s entitled  “Take Me Apart”. Here we find a way more coarse/ bothersome ‘wall’ bringing together a galloping ‘n’ clunky low end, juddering static sub-tones, and this constant seared hiss. At points, it sounds like the elements stumble over each other- with sudden stops ‘n’ starts- not sure if these are real or not, but it most certainly makes for a most engaging ‘wall’.

As a split, this offers up two contrasting ‘walls’ from these two stateside acts- going from the dense and engulfing first track, to the course/ possible clipped second side. So all in all a worthy release.