[untitled]/Rien — Split

Here we have a C30 textured noise split. On the first side, we have an example seared Industrial droned-out HNW from USA’s [untitled]. And on the reverse side, extremely pared back-yet engrossing static texturing study from Sweden’s Rien.

The release appeared in a physical edition of twenty-six copies. The black shelled, ripped label on one side tape comes presented in a flipside poly case, with a red paper sleeve featuring minimal texts. As far as I can gather the label, Stockholm’s ominous recordings still have copies left- which can be purchased directly from here.

[untitled] is the project of Pennsylvania-based noise couple  Sean E. Matzus and Richard Ramirez- neither who will need much of an introduction if your are into walled/ textured noise, as they have multiple respected projects in the genre like Werewolf Jerusalem, theNIGHTproduct, and many others. [untitled] has been active since 2011, releasing just fourteen which by walled-noise standards is a fairly small discography. This split track is their first release in two years.
Both tracks here are untitled, and the first sides track is constructed around a muffled yet hovering air vent-like drone, and a more rapidly jitter static like chug. The drone has a rewarding feeling of circling purr ‘n’ light simmer, where the jitter creates a more busy contrast. Together the textures make an almost spectral 3D quality, like different directions/ types of air flowing around you- all to create a soothing, yet lightly oppressive example of droned-out wall craft. In its last five or so minutes both elements becoming seeming more pressing, yet at the same time blur into each other to create a most subtle unbalancing effect.

Flipping the tape over and after enveloping the hovering drone of the first side- things are stripped way, way back. Behind Rien is Stockholm-based Johan Strömvalll Hammarstedt- it’s been active since 2016, with to date twenty-six releases to its name. The track is built around an active, but extreme sparse 'n' spare static texturing- we find distant hisses, small grit-like snaps, and a few more pronounced pops. This is very much noise for a quiet place and concentration, so you can trace both the fairly complex details and the minimal pinprick-like sound map of the track. Though the track is very, very reduced & minimal, Hammarstedt manages to make the whole thing subtle and compelling, and one really feels your getting a brain work out as you follow the textures' paths.

All in all, this is a rewarding split, highlighting two very different sides of the textured noise coin- with [untitled} offering up more droned-out noise fair, and Rien more subtle nuanced and extremely sparse texturing.