Uitgeschakeld & See Through Buildings — Split

Here’s a brutal ‘n’ searing wall of noise split, bringing together Holland's Uitgeschakeld and USA’s See Through Buildings. Both offer up a single thirty-minute wall, and each is as thick & punishing as the other.

This release appears on Ireland's Hibernian Leather- coming as either a C60 or a digital download. I’m reviewing the latter, so I can’t comment on the tape. But the cover art is a decidedly monochrome/ murky affair, which seemingly depicts a eerier/ odd picture of a figure hiding under some thrown-together/ ramshackle shelter.

So first up we have a track from Uitgeschakeld- this Utrecht-based project has been active since 2014, putting out around forty releases to date- taking in both physical & digital releases, mixing stand-alones and splits. Their track is entitled “Stormtij”, which is the Dutch word for Storm Tide, and it most certainly lives up to its title- as the ‘wall’ feels akin to being stuck in the eye of a sea lashing ‘n’ wind baying storm. It brings together rapidly baying lows & searing sways of static wash, with some nice scrubbing & rattling sub-tone detail. The whole thing wonderfully overwhelms the listener- nicely pinning you down from the start, and not letting you up till it’s all over- with its blend of back-snapping weight and subtle/ but rewarding sub-tone detail.

Next, we of course have a track from See Through Buildings- this Tennessee-based project has been active since 2015. Putting out nearly sixty albums and twenty ep’s/ splits. Their track is entitled “Low And Incensed”- here we find a blend of a rapid-if- oddly billowing & baying lows, mixed with vigorously sanding & rattling static washes. The whole ‘wall’ has a very effective bowing & bending quality to its foundations, which is wholly captivating. This, along with the intense yet engaging static detail, makes for a most-battering-yet-appealing ‘wall’.

If you enjoy your wall-noise dense and batter, with rewarding sub-tone detail, then this split will appeal. And it’s great to see these veterans of the scene still releasing impactful/ rewarding wall craft.