Where Is This — Elegant Domesticity

Bored Bear Recordings presents Elegant Domesticity, a CD-R release by Dublin-based noise act Where is This. The moniker of Mark Ward, WIT performs a caustic blend of harsh noise flirting with HNW. A few months back I had my first brush with WIT, reviewing Ward’s split with Sleep of Ages. I enjoyed the split thoroughly, so I was thrilled to go another round with Mr. Ward.

Elegant Domesticity is a collection of 2 previously released EPs that were intended to be released as a single album. This repress presents the recordings as originally conceived with the proper artwork, track titles, and running order. The CD-R was created to celebrate WIT’s first home gig.

As with other releases I have from Bored Bear, Elegant Domesticity is simply presented. The cover is a simple black and white, paper fold-over depicting a 1950’s era family photo. The disc itself is plain white with no markings. No frills, but I suspect the sound will speak for itself.

Elegant Domesticity consists of 4 tracks of blistering harsh noise meets HNW meets heavy drone. The disc starts off with “Broken Beer Bottle Behind His Back.” It’s a caustic, vigorous wall track that combines a suppressed low-end judder with a brighter layer, that can best be described as radio static channeled through a lead pipe. As the piece progresses it develops a buzzier tone as it’s other components duke it out. The next track “My Response To Your Hangover” features a throbbing electronic pulse blanketed in a mass of static wash. The static rabidly builds to the point of sizzle and the pulse focuses into a steady drone.

My least favorite track on the disc is “Church Organ Panegyric.” The piece starts with a high-pitched buzz that quickly hits its pinnacle and just hangs there….and hangs there...and hangs there. It was a bit much for my liking. As the track progresses, guitar-esque fuzz fills in the piece. The final track on the disc “When Men Were Men And Women Were Machinery” is a heavy and low end affair combining deep bassy drone and vigorously churning static. It makes a fitting end piece to this worthy effort.

In conclusion, I still prefer Ward’s work on the Sleep of Ages split, but Elegant Domesticity is still a force to be reckoned with. 3 out of 4 isn’t bad. It isn’t bad at all.