Loading
Sleeping Above The Dry Grassland is a nearing three-hour sonic journey into brutal searing- yet unmoving & terminal suffocating walled noise, which has as its title suggests a fairly primal nature-based feel to it. The release appears on British label Void Singularity Recordings- as either a double CDR or digital download- the physical release appeared in an edition of fifteen copies, and as of this review the label still has copies.
With-in Doom metal there is a sub-genre, characterized by a very slow pace. And this is Funeral Doom. As a style is not particularly monolithic, but, there are a few different sounding bands with in it. Starting from the brutality of the Rigor Sardonicous and the gloomy rawness of Nortt, onto the epic of Shape Of Despair and the psychedelic experiments of Esoteric. The only facet that remains unchanged though-out the sub-genre is the very slow tempo of the compositions.
Spójrzcie Пожалуйста, Jakie Piękne Macie Gęby is the latest release in Zoharum’s ongoing GT Archive Series, where they reissue albums from the band’s back catalogue.
1979’s Eskimo still stands one of the more heady and unique releases from long term Us experimental/ avant pop collective The Residents. It was the projects sixth album to be released, appearing when The Residents where really at the height of their popularity in the UK & Europe, and rather surprisingly it was one of the projects less approachable/commercial releases. Been a six-track album that blended together chilling ambient synth-scaping, weird home-made instrumentation, bizarre tribal chants, and subtle ethnic percussion. From Cherry Red/ MVD audio here is the next in the series of double-disc 'Preserved Series' which sees the labels releasing the ultimate edition of Resident albums- with each album getting a classy new remastering, and a second disc of rare related recordings- many which have never been widely heard before.
Facedown is a sixty-minute slab of cluttering, scuzzy, rough-hewed- yet cleverly detailed walled noise. This pro pressed CD releases appears on New Jersey noise label Uninvited Records, and it certainly stands as one of the more brutally enchanting & involving releases to appear from the pretty constant flowing discography of French wall-noise legend Vomir.
Marabout is the second release from French project Abysse- whose sound sits somewhere between taunt-to-brooding electro-improv, textured noise, & sparse–to-abstract electronica. It appeared late last year as a self-released single side C30- that featured a hand made fabric sleeve,inner baggy & a few inlay papers.
The Fifth Cord is one of more moody, at times bleak & largely blood-less variety of Italian Giallo. The 1971 film brings together often overly talky moments, with lots of brooding architecture shots, and some effectively eerier stalking scenes. From Arrow Video here’s a new Blu Ray reissue of the film- offering up a new 2K scan, and a good selection of new extras.
Unexplained Sounds Group presents Active Noise Area- an international compilation showcasing many of the various permutations found within the noise underground. It’s available as a digital download via the label's bandcamp site here, & features 18 tracks of varying lengths and styles.
Runway Mask in C90/ digital wall-noise release that is themed around the vapidity & gender blanking of the fashion industry. The two-track release presents two walls, which are built around cleverly detailed-yet-numbing examples of HNW- that perfectly encapsulate the releases themes.
This C30/ digital release severs up two fifteen minute slabs of crude, crushing & particularly nasty walled noise from long-running German HNW project Cannibal Ritual. La Montagna Del Dio Cannibale Part 2, appeared in September of last year on Australian wall label Needle And Knife Records- and as of writing this review, there are still copies of the tape left in stock with the label.
As many readers will know Bob Pegg along with his wife Carole were well established figures on the UK folk circuit, when in 1969 they began working with Ashley Hutchings who had left Fairport Convention to form his own project. This collaboration was sadly short lived and provided no recordings, and whilst Hutchings went off to found Steeleye Span, Bob and Carole formed the band Mr Fox. After two excellent but underappreciated albums Mr Fox split, Carole enjoyed a brief solo career and Bob went on to record two albums with Nick Strutt and followed that up with a solo album of his own in 1975, Ancient Maps. After that Pegg moved into composing for stage and screen and became an author.
Sound artist Matt Nish-Lapidus returns as New Tendencies for his latest, Batch0008 from SM-LL. Built around sound experiments with his newly constructed Serge system, Batch0008 is the end result of him learning this new system and tweaking it and refining it until it reached his desired goal. Modular synthesis through and through, this latest from New Tendencies fits the bill for those looking for a somewhat minimal synthesized experience.
Black metal can come in many different variants. It makes no sense to list them all here for this review, but atmospheric Black Metal has always stood out for me. I always felt this particular variety allowed composer abilities to truly shine, and talents of musicians to be fully revealed. Added to this a good sound engineer can create a unique atmosphere on a great atmospheric black metal record- and that’s what happens with the record to hand.
Appearing fourteen years after the original Gator Bait- this Hicksploitation sequel does what every effective follow should do- up’s everything!. So we get more action-packed & decidedly cheesy speed boat races, more scantily dressed to completely undressed female flesh, more revenge killings, and a great selection of more swamp-bound hick characters. From French cult film label Artus Films, as part of their 'Redneck Series'- here is a region two DVD reissue of the film- featuring both English & French languages cuts of the film, and a few extras.
Songs Of The Wild Cave brings together the joint talents of Saxophonists Larry Orchs and percussionist Gerhard Clever- for a seven-track album that moves between primal-yet- lively interplays, darting tribalism with angular wailings, onto more moody & building dramatic moments.
Felipe Otondo is a Chilean composer of electro-acoustic music who studied composition in England and is currently teaching at the Universidad Austral in Chile. Most of his previous output has involved performances of music theatre. This relatively short CD, his first recorded collection according to the sleeve notes, is constructed as an aural journey through real and imaginary nocturnal soundscapes. The sound palette is formed of sampled percussion (Javanese gamelan orchestra) and field recordings made at several global locations. As if to emphasise the meeting of cultures and locations, each of the three studies is prefaced in the sleeve with a short literary quote on the subject of night. The first from Chilean poet and novelist Roberto Bolano, the second from Carmelite friar John of the Cross and finally the well-known English author Virginia Woolf.
Austria's only active power electronics outfit, Institution DOL, is back with its newest and most crushing release, Our Love Can Destroy the Whole Fucking World. Spending three years recording and perfecting this release, Institution DOL is finally ready to unleash this album on the world. Available on both CD and LP from TORM ent, this well put together release should please all fans of grim electronics.
Appearing in the early 1980’s- the golden age of the Slasher film- The Incubus is a cross-breed between supernatural horror & gory stalk ‘n’ slash action with a gothic setting/ tone. On Vinegar Syndrome here is a duel Blu Ray & DVD release of the film- and as we’ve come to expect from VS company we get a classy 4k scan of the film, some neat new interviews & a commentary track from the always informative & entertaining slasher loving collective The Hysteria Continues.
Without is a forty-three-minute composition for violin & percussion. The piece is an episodic example of often seared –to-shrill modern composition, that flirts on the edges of noise, sparse organic industrial texturing, and penetration drone matter. The release comes in the form of CD release on Elsewhere, & is the fourth release on this up 'n' coming modern composition label.
Neure Alhimii is a collaborative release that sits somewhere between dark industrialized ambience & pared back noise-making- the CDR album brings together two Russian projects 16P17R15O19T15O19T23Y16P & Light Collapse, who each jointly built the six tracks within.
Moral Order is a power electronics project of Spanish musician Fernando O. Paino, who has another rather interesting project Da-Sein, which focuses in on combining Power Electronics, Industrial and quite soft (sometimes almost dance) rhythms.
Breakout is a 1975 action/adventure film with an all-star cast featuring Charles Bronson, Randy Quaid, Jill Ireland, Robert Duvall and John Huston. The film is directed by Tom Gries who would go on to direct the following year’s Charles Manson biopic Helter Skelter.The film is based on the true story of Joe Kaplan, who was framed for murder, and managed to escape from the Mexican prison inwhich he was being held.
Originally released in 1980 The Commercial Album was both one the most approachable, yet still highly creative releases to appear from the decidedly arty-yet playful US cult project The Residents. Here from Cherry Red/ MVD Audio, is the ninth in 'Preserved series' which sees the labels releasing the ultimate edition of Resident albums- which find the releases getting classy new remixes, and a second disc of rare related recordings- many which have never been widely heard before.
This 1992 re-issue compiles the little known first two releases of synth ambient pioneer Steve Roach, the EP "Now" and first full length album "Traveler". While containing many synth tones and textures which would appear in Roach's noted later works, these recordings have a strikingly bold style which is indeed less 'ambient', and denser with melodic composition. With strident lead playing, punctuated notes and frequent changes, it is active listening music with intense dramatic flair. It is quite soundtrack-like and borrows heavily from Tangerine Dream, particularly pieces like Phaedra.