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Here we have the third volume in the Sonkillage Series, and once again it’s another wacky & decidedly retro focused release bringing together a selection of eighteen tracks that mix together sonic collages, loops & lo-fi electronica into a heady & quirky brew. And I must say this release is carrying on the quality, variedness, and appeal of the last vol in the series.
Frank Bretschneider, whom I have known previously as Komet, released a number of cleverly constructed glitch beat compositions on the Raster Noton label, elaborate but logical arrangements of clicks and pops similar to labelmates CoH and Alva Noto. It would appear he has ceased to use the Komet alias in the last 6 years, but releases under his given name have continued. "Isolation" is one of two albums from 2015. Its sound is quite different from the output of Komet.
Legendary, defunct, German artists, Maeror Tri, are once again given the pleasure of having their older cassette releases reissued from Zoharum. This newest re-issue sees 1991's Sensuum Mendacia and Maeror Tri's side of 1990's split Somnia remastered and given the limited edition treatment. With much of Maeror Tri's catalog out of print, Zoharum is doing the music world a favor by bringing these older albums back into the light.
Laster are an atmospheric Black Metal band from the Netherlands. They released their acclaimed debut, “De Verste Verte is Hier”, in 2014 through Dunkelheit Produktoinen on vinyl and CD, however a limited edition cassette was also released via Broken Limbs Recordings.
Here we have a long-over due & much needed CD reissue of this soundtrack for one of the most classy, campy, & great horror films of the 1980’s Fright Night. The disc takes in just the original released soundtrack album, and not the films score. Featured here are the ten tracks( all but one written for the film), and these take in a good ‘n’ catchy blend of 80’s rock, New wave, and moody pop.
From 1980 Journey To An Imaginary Land is the first album from Gandalf ( aka Austrian multi-instrumentalist Heinz Strobl). And it’s a very pleasing, moody & memorable blend of light instrumental prog, folk elements, new wave music, & and spacey synth-scaping. Imagine a blend of Oldfield & more guitar based Popol Vuh, with hints of Tangerine Dream & Vangelis, and get an idea of what’s on offer here. Here we have a much deserved 2017 CD reissue of the album on Esoteric records.
Exquisite Corpse is a surreal, layered, shifting & often dense affair that blends together elements of throbbing ‘n’ buzzing synth craft, ritual plucks ‘n’darts, strange & esoteric samples, chants, and lo-key experimentation & atmosphere. It’s the first release from this four piece project, and appears as a CDR releases on the always worthy Reverb Worship.
Sonic Drawings is a four track album of found sounds, analogue and digital machines and self built instruments, and is designed to give the listener the feeling and effects of the world around us. The chasm between silence and noise and what fills that void. The musicality and richness of the machines in our world played out across the albums 50 minute span.
Red Tape is a C60 release that brings together two close to half-a-hour slice of noise craft themed around Burlesque. Featured here is Mexican based Wehrmacht Lombardo, who offers up a blend of spiralling guitar based drone, stark ambience & wall noise. And Frances RRR, who offers up a formal example of walled noise.
Border Of Nowhere is a C40 tape offering up two sides of taut, caustic, and oppressive wall-craft from French HNW project RRR. The release appeared in both physical & digital form- with tape getting at pressing of 20 copies, of which some are still available at present.
An odd numbered year generally means a record from The Necks and they have duly delivered, making a rare break from their own Fish of Milk label to appear via Stephen O'Malley's Ideologic Organ imprint. Unfold, which is lavishly presented as a gatefold double LP also breaks from the traditional Necks format by featuring four individual side length pieces instead of the familiar single hour-plus length meditation. Like the material that made up Chemist from 2006 and Mindset from 2011 all the tracks are around the 15-20 minute mark, a relative degree of brevity that allows the band to showcase a wider range of their technical and textural virtuosity.
Fire! is an improvisatory jazz rock trio which includes Mats Gustafsson, string bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin. "She Sleeps, She Sleeps" is their 5th album as a group, and one of countless albums conceived by its members.
I Am Not A Serial Killer is an 2016 genre blending film that attempts to bring together a dark tone, sly humour, come-of age drama, suspense & the supernatural. The films certainly a interesting proposition on paper, but in reality I found the whole thing rather uneven & mixed as a piece of cinema. I’m reviewing the recent Uk Blu Ray release of the film on Bulldog Films.
Well, here’s another sumptuous collection on Sub Rosa, centred on a name completely new to me. André Stordeur, as the booklet tells us, was a jazz drummer in the early 1970s, until he heard recordings by Morton Subotnick, and decided to devote himself to these strange, new, electronic sounds. He bought his first synthesizer in 1973, an EMS Synthi AKS, and also founded a small studio to nurture and promote the new electronics; his life hereafter this, was dedicated to this promotion, as well as teaching synthesis to students.
Merzbow these days seems to be met with equal parts praise and derision. He is undoubtedly one of thee most prolific artists ever to toil in the noise spectrum. I dare say his output dwarfs just about any comparable act that has as much longevity and profile.
Asphyxiating Synthetic Obsession is another worthy & consistently smothering collection Nylon/feet/leg fetish themed walled noise from this Swiss project. The release comes in form of a C90 & digital download on up & coming Russian label Reason Art Recordings- offering up four twenty two minutes slices of dense & rewardingly constricting wall-craft.
The provocatively named Demoicum is a four track CDR & digital download from this rather mysterious Russian HNW project. And what’s on offer here is four dense, seared, though fairly indistinctive slabs of walled noise.
Relicuum is the more experimental/atmosphere focused walled noise side project of Serbian noise maker Nemanja Nikoliæ- most known for his prolific & anti establishment HNW project Dosis Letalis. 2500 A.D is the projects first release, and it appears as both a C47 , and a digital download on Lurker Bias
Woods Devil is the most recent slice of Bigfoot themed walled-noise from US noise legend/ HNW originator Richard Ramirez. As a project Fouke has always stood as my favourite of Mr Ramirez many projects, due to its perfect blend of theme fitting & skilfully created wall-craft. And I’m happy to report Woods Devil is up to the projects normal high standards.
Song Over Ruins, the debut by Desiderii Marginis, was originally released by Swedish label Cold Meat Industry in 1996. This, long out of print, dark ambient classic is finally reissued by Cyclic Law.
Train To Busan is a recent Korean addition to the zombie movie genre. The film takes a more emotional, action- packed & character based tilt on the Zombie apocalypse. And I must say it’s one of the more original, memorable & captivating Zombie films I’ve seen in many a moon. I’m reviewing the DVD version of the film, but it’s also available on Blu Ray, Video-On-demand, and download
Concrete Mascara is a power electronics name I recognise, but this is the first time I’ve properly listened to them, and - as the artwork, and titles, suggest - this is filthy, unrelenting stuff.
Fade To Grey is a recent long form slice of deep ambience from US Ambient legend Steve Roach. The release comes in the form of a CD on his own label Timeroom editions, and offers up a single seventy three minute track that blends together deeper/ darker tones, with more space-bound & harmonic tones.
Ter Ack is a recent two CDR set from French HNW/ ANW project Black Matter Phantasm. This project has been active with-in the euro scene since 2013, & slowly but surely releasing a fairly large body of work. With a discography now moving towards 90 releases, taking in a fair few digital releases, splits, and stand alone physical releases. I’ve followed the project on & off since its beginnings, and I must say in recent years each release I’ve heard from the project has been both worthy in its blend of textures & general wall- enchantment, and Ter Ack is no exception.