There are possibly people out there in the real world who believe that techno consists simply of Moby, Orbital, or (even worse) Paul Oakenfold. Yet, amidst all of the generic cookie-cutter techno bands out there, there are a few that stand out that neither delve into single-loop inanity nor burrow into freakishly complex Aphex-Twinian compositions (not that it is a bad thing to experience every once in a while).
Granted, this is still "dance" music, yet it retains only the absolutely essential cliches. One of the greatest aspects Of "Bible Of Dream", and Juno Reactor in general, is the variation within an album: a diversity that manages to remain thematically connected throughout the songs. Each song features the basics: a steady drum beat and strong bass lines. The additional ornamentation is what makes each song unique. Two of the most atypical songs on the album, "Conga Fury" (featuring "Nelson Mandela's favorite traditional South African percussion act") and "God Is God" (featuring strange female vocals and religious samples), contain various instances of live tribal drumming and singing/chanting (which would be explored in greater depth in their later albums). Thankfully, it is still recognizable techno/trance, but it manages to evoke images other than a crowded dance floor or cityscape. A few other tracks, "Kaguya Hime" and "Children Of The Night", are much more synthetic and darker in nature, containing foreboding industrial-esque ambiences (the "Children Of The Night" track reminds me of the Front 242 "Off" album, though I do not know if that is a common sentiment or if it is just me) and sound effects. Finally, the two best songs, "Komit" and "High Energy Protons (Orion Mix)", are simply excellent trance-techno. "Komit", with it's phased string introduction, addictive bass line, extremely mobile synth leads, and breaks including chorused choirs, is quite simply one of the best electronic songs I have ever heard that is good for any listening occasion or mood. Period. "High Energy Protons" (a remix of one of their earlier singles) is also quite intriguing, though the updated remix, while improving upon the original song, paradoxically also reveals how dated the song is in comparison to how much the band had progressed since their original debut in 1993.
If you only buy one fast-paced techno album ever, buy this album. Or (worst-case scenario), if you only listen to one techno song in your entire lifetime (unlikely, but possible), listen to "Komit". It's that good. After all, they would later go on to create two more highly-regarded albums and score two Matrix movies, so they must have been doing something right.
P.S. Took a quick glance at the comments on the You Tube page for the Juno Reactor video: those people must be some of the most quarrelsome and kverulant people in the world. :)
While I am far from considering myself a "fan" of Nurse With Wound, I do hold a certain appreciation for some of their albums. Though a few of them are just too "far out" (even for me, which is impressive), many of their earlier albums (specifically "Merzbild Schwet" and "Chance Meeting...") are brave and commendable presentations of dadist avant-garde experimentalism.
"The Sylvie And Babs High-Thigh Companion" is atypical, even for Nurse With Wound. Consisting of two LONG (both tracks a little over twenty minutes each) tracks, titled "You Walrus Hurt The One You Love" and "Great Balls Of Fur", the albums is a long, meandering expedition into strangeness. Seemingly dozens of vocal samples soon give way to clanking metallic sounds (a jackhammer is included, pre-dating Sunn O)))'s use of one by years). Featuring over forty different contributors (reading like a who's who of interesting people in music's underground), it is definitely possible that the majority of this album was created, rather than sampled (although there are a few places where you can hear easily recognizable TV segments, such as the intros to cop shows and a very short segment of "the Monster Mash"). Insturments also come and go with an alarming speed: electric bass, horns, various synthesized elements, many different percussive insturments (including many that sound like soup or garbage cans). Vocals should technically be counted as an insturment too, as they are often edited to pieces (literally) or plied with several different sound effects and/or distortions.
I would give individual track descriptions, but that would spoil the suprise. In addition, with the thousands of sounds packed into each song, it is almost ridiculous to even begin to attempt a simplification of what is, in the end, to expansive to simplifiy into textual description. The best way to summarize this album is that, while it has been promoted as a spoof of "easy listening", it would be best to claim that this is exactly opposite of that: "uneasy listening". Not that it is overly uncomfortable or non-conformist, just strange and highly unusual.
Unfortunatly, while the tracks themselves are quite good in individual segments, they are too scattershot and wandering to be completely effective. And, at twenty minutes, they are way too long, with certain sections feeling underdeveloped at the expense of needlessly repetitive motifs elsewhere. That is not to say that the album is not good; it could merely have been much stronger with a shorter, more contentrated and "unified" presentation/concept. Nevertheless, for a forty-three minute of the aural equivalent of having a radio and television set turned on, whilst randomly changing the channels as aliens and electromagnetic waves further distort the percieved message, this will certainly do the trick.
How could you possibly not appreciate pirate hip-hop from "the only rap group with buccaneer technique"? No, really. Basically, the premise for this group sells itself: a multi-faceted exploration of various aspects of pirate life through well-constructed hip-hop. The production of the music is one of the best aspects of this album, as every song is much more intricate and detailed than the average hip-hop song (these days), in some regards reflecting the various band member's involvement in several other bands (mostly smaller industrial-metal bands). The lyrics, while joyously indulgent in cliches in many regards, there are also many clever and original ideas and concepts floating around as well (the best one being the sales pitch for "sea weed").
I could write further on how awesome this album is, but few words need to be said. Instead, go check out their Myspace page for a few songs from the album. It includes the two songs which ended up being made into music videos, as well as two others of a similar nature. While all of the songs are good, some of the best songs are not featured; all the more reason to buy their CD.
Finally, the chorus from "Blackbeard's Treasure", which sums up the mood of the album:
I'm a bilgerat, mateys: I'm a serious sailor
I don't need two hands just to rob from my neighbor
Hitting you with rhymes like a nine-tailed cat
We are off to sing and dig where the treasure is at
As an electronic musician who initially got his start by creating songs in which the backbone usually consisted of a few repeating sound loops with various permutations throughout the song, "Formula" has a special place in my heart (and subsequent music collection). While this is far from the album typically thought of first when thinking of "O.L.D.", it is unique in that it marked the end of "O.L.D." and was clearly an influence in his solo album "The Joy Of Disease" (created two years later).
Old Lady Drivers (O.L.D.) began in the late 1980s, as a juvenile grindcore band, one with plenty of talent, yet could never be accused of taking itself too seriously. From then until 1995, they released three more albums, each noticeably different from both their 1988 debut and the album that immediately preceded it. "Lo Flux Tube", released three years later, was a dramatic departure from their previous self-titled. Gone was the elderly jokes and scatological humor. Instead, listeners experienced a blitz of high-octane guitar experimentation, highly distorted vocals screaming nihilistic proclamations to an unknown audience, and an especially intense guest appearance by John Zorn (who makes his saxophone sound as if it is trying to escape from drowning. "The Musical Dimensions Of Sleastak", released a short time later, continues the development of the "pysch-freak-out" industrial-grindcore, with an increased amount of guitar synths and effects (and a strange remix called "Backwards Through The Greedo Compressor").
While both of these albums enjoyed a small cult following, it is commonly assumed that the band floundered due to the lack of commitment Earache (the band's label) had towards promoting them. When the "Formula" album arrived four years later, it would be the last for "O.L.D." as Plotkin bid the record label adieu.
"Formula" is the end-result of O.L.D.'s progression: an album so alluring and compelling as their debut was frenetic and immature. Composed of cyclical guitar rhythms, steady drum beats (provided by a rhythm machine), half-spoken/half-sung vocoded vocals, and a very few amount of synthesizers, "Formula" is an interesting album, to say the least. While there is no guitar heroics to be seen, the strength in the songs is that they are structured to be very catchy, in their own way. The guitars, for lack of a better term, shimmer and glow (sometimes immensely, such is the case for "Break (You" and the beautiful "Under Glass"). Far from "mainstream" (as has been claimed), there is definitely an "accessibility" to the record that was willfully absent from previous records. But do not mistake "accessibility" for "friendliness". Alan Dubin, though not performing with nearly as much manic energy, instead has a very robotic and/or alien delivery in his words. This is especially apparent in the pitch-shifted introduction to "Devolve", as he tonelessly states: "Under a rock/ We call it a home/ Me and myself/ We're never alone/ Reaching for things/ That never stay/ Me and myself/ We scare them away". Imagine your answering machine (male voice). Now imagine that this answering machine is at an alien corporation, powered by a robot with a massive case of depression, existential angst, and societal disconnection/alienation (which must be pretty intense, seeing is that it is amongst aliens). Although the vocal treatment changes on every song, it manages to fit with the song perfectly, almost as if the spoken words are trying to bleed into the music. Finally, while there is nothing incredibly unique about the drums and bass of the songs, they commendably serve their intended purpose, in propelling the songs along (although, in all honestly, they need little prompting).
Ironically, though the album is called "Formula', it also has several instances of random occurrences as well. Most notable of these are the orchestral tune-up sample in the first song "Last Look", and the multiple samples in "Thug". For the latter, Plotkin inserted various clips from his first hardcore band, which recorded back in 1983. Though this lo-fi song, abrasive and primitive, is obviously not meant to jel completely with the song, it nevertheless manages to maintain a strange harmony with the main segments of the song.
In the end, O.L.D. would be terminated (though both Plotkin and Dubin would later find a greater degree of recognition in the influential doom-metal band Khanate), an apparent casualty of label indifference. While this album is not for those new to "O.L.D" (that distinction, arguably, goes to "Lo Flux Tube"), it is a fascinating glimpse into the final days of "O.L.D." as well as the early evolution of James Plotkin's solo career. He would later go on and refine the methods and techniques of "Formula" for his solo album "The Joy Of Disease", which has all of the beauty of "Formula", but, ironically, is not constrained by the need to adhere to a "formula" or pre-conceived expectation.
PS Thank you for the heads-up on the album cover pic! :D
The totality of David Tibet's work as Current 93 on one album, consisting of one hour-long track. For the average band, this would be for somewhat awkward proposition at best. For Current 93, however, the end result is mind-boggling. For the recording is supposedly every song out of every album in his 20+ album back catalogue, plus every unreleased song he has created (including alternate mixes, both b-side and compilation track inclusions). Thus, for sixty minutes, a veritable flood of noise rushes past your ears, with absolutely no rhyme or reason. Over a hundred guitar rhythms rub elbows with David Tibet's hissed and half-sung vocals as an astonishing amount of "proto-industrial" sound effects rise up all over the place. While it is possible to isolate a single song and listen in it in it's entirety, who would want to, given the immense amount of concentration to make it out amidst the dozens of other songs around it? Kudos must be givent to Stephen Stapleton, for managing to keep this album a bewildering curiousity rather than the absolute failure it could have been. This is musique concrete, taken to the extreme, then shoved off of the edge of sanity's plateau.
Those new to Current 93 definitely should NOT start with this album. In fact, fans of Current 93 in general should approach this album with caution. Because, while the aural assault may at times lessen in it's intensity, there is no stopping this train once it starts. It is an hour-long journey, and you either ride it for the duration of the trip or jump off beforehand. I must admit, that while I have a great deal of patience (cultivated over the years), I have only been able to listen to the entire track straight through once. People who are well-aquainted with Current 93's formidable back catalogue may find it interesting to identify the individual elements in the album, it is not enough to reconcile the fact that you have basically wasted an hour of your life with the one album in which David Tibet does not have a concrete message to give to the listener.
To my knowledge, The Great In The Small remains out-of-print, but it should be available on Amazon.com, E-Bay, and other vendors.
Stephen O'Malley and Peter Rehberg joined together to create background music for the theatrical production "Kindertotenlieder". One contributed guitars and the other contributed electronics. While these songs were not actually used in the production itself, they are supposedly created from those aesthetic elements.
Strangely enough, the best song is also the first: the lengthy "Estranged". To me, the many elements within the song: the buzzing electronics (reminiscent of insects), the underlying drone and synthetic washes of sound (which could be anything from the silence of the forest to the underlying menace and mysteriousness any larger forest naturally exudes) very naturally conjure up images of a dark forest. O'Malley's sparse guitar improvisation, by contrast, could represent the "estrangement" of the listener. Wandering through the forest aimlessly, making sudden turns and detours because there is no clear way of keeping track of where you have been. The clear guitar tone is also a welcome change, as it portrays melencholic overtones as well as sounding vaguely mournful. It is, in short, one of the best "ambient" songs I have heard in a long time, and (in my opinion) is a large part of why some will claim that this is akin to "ambient offshoot isolationism" (though I confess that I am unfamiliar with Lull or Final's early work).
The majority of the album is taken up by the four-part "Forest Floor" suite (this is also where the "new form of black metal" is to be found)."Forestfloor 1" opens with O'Malley's patented low-end guitar with dischordant mid-range guitar riffing pulsing in the center of the mix. Just as quickly, however, comes Peter Rehburg's hissing electronics, flittering back and forth throughout both speaker channels. The lo-fi guitars do not change much beyond the initial pattern played, though the low-end guitars slowly evolve as the electronic elements wax and wane in intensity, with occasional guitar feedback squealing like a dying animal (or machine) towards the end.
"Forestfloor 2" see Rehburg's industrial machinery take on a more rhythmic nature (almost sounding like mechanical frogs or boars). Sonically similar to the first track (and the two after this one), it distinguishes itself by having a feeling of malice and menace to it (as opposed to the foreboding nature of the first track). The mid-range guitars are also pushed much further back in the mix, as opposed to being very noticeable in the first track. Less variation on the electronics, though. Thankfully, creepy organic noises are introduced ten minutes in (along with more guitar feedback), saving the song from musical stagnation (although it could be argued that by then it's too little, too late). A break at 11:00 minutes is a nice transition from the previous homogenous cacaphony. Eventually, all that remains is broken riffing and a half-hearted buzzing, as if the song itself is dying from the inside.
The third section of the "Forestfloor" begins with an amplified version of the buzz originally heard at the end of the second song, along with drone guitars that seem to be even further detuned and low-pitch than the first two sections. This track appears to have a bit more echoing involved, and the electronics sound like animals, clouds, wind, and insects (often at the same time). But these are not pleasant elements of nature; instead, they are enraged and violent, both at each other and at any individual foolish enough to stumble into their domain.
Finally, "Forestfloor 4" features a blazing black metal riff (with actual progression) prominently towards the beginning of the song. Rehburg slowly creeps in with digitized (and slightly understated) growls which pan back and forth.
KTL lets the listener down gently with "Snow". Opening with echoing clanking and strange whistling, along with the occasional bass hum. Insect chatter slowly crawls up after six minutes. It swiftly builds in intensity, while various guitar FX are used (while it sounds like O'Malley is physically striking the guitar). On the whole, it is peculiar, unobtrusive, and somewhat unremarkable.
Is this really black metal? Well, in my opinion I would classify this as something else altogether. Although I will give credit for O'Malley for inadvertently pointing out a painfully clear fact: that far too much self-parody exists within the black metal genre for it to be taken seriously. In a sense, black metal needs avant-garde productions like this in order to keep the more discenring listeners around for more than just a cursory listen (although it is important to note that, while black metal may need KTL, KTL in no way needs the 'black label' moniker). While I somewhat chafed at the lack of variation at certain points in the album, it thankfully never became more than a minor nagging point.
While at first I was somewhat unimpressed, a few more times listening to the entire album and I began to appreciate some of the subtle nuances in KTL. Peter Rehberg, in my mind, is the star of the show. While O'Malley obviously provides the meat and potatoes in most of the songs, it is Rehberg's various electronic and industrial elements which provide that special flair to the songs. While sometimes they are more effective than others (comparing "Forestfloor 3" to "Forestfloor 2"), they always, somehow, perfectly complement the elements O'Malley is adding. Given the satisfactory nature of this album, I look forward to someday hearing "KTL 2". Although I am not the biggest fan of (what could be argued as) Stephen O'Malley's posturing on many of his more recent releases (such as that of the just-released Grave Temple Trio album: "Me and Greg and a few other guys played in Israel even though our families told us not to!"), it is the unavoidable truth that he (along with his collaborators) are slowly making waves within their respective subgenres, changing them radically (hopefully for the better).
...then there are some bands that willfully defy catagorization, yet simultaneously tempting you to try to label them, only to fail miserably. Many of these bands also tend to through musicality out of the window, either for the sake of experimentalism, dischordance, or the presentation of severe auditory trauma. Gang Gang Dance is none of these things; instead, it takes musical conventions, but instead of adopting them, it instead dances around them. What exactly do I mean by this? Read further and discover...
Gang Gang Dance, a recently (within the last few years) formed band, which, within the context of their second album, mixes at least a dozen musical genres in a blender and creates an end-result that is quite unique (while somehow retaining distinct characteristics of the genres the music is portraying). Upbeat drums play an integral part to the album, providing the "tribal" backbone to the expansive and beautifully expressive songs. Yet there is also a gentle hailstorm of electronics floating around the mixes, often providing backdrops to the song but then interacting with the percussion in equal measure. Piano, guitar, chimes, xylaphone, marimba, and various keyboards/synthesizers also make their presence known. Finally, the vocals provided by Liz Bougatsos are as equally expressive as the various insturments are, and perhaps even more passionate. Though it is sometimes hard to understand what exactly she is saying (when she is even singing words), her delivery paints a very vivid (and abstract) mental picture of the possible visual representations of the songs. Assertive yet gentle, basic yet complicated, open yet cryptic and esoteric are just a few of the paradoxes encountered when trying to describe Bougatsos' sound.
I was going to write a song-by-song description, but with five Google server errors occuring at 4:00 AM in the morning, I finally got tired of writing and re-writing the same thing over and over again. So, long story short, "God's Money" is all good, especially the songs "Before My Voice Fails" and "Egowar". So go check them out; they are much better than the silly "neo-primitivist" or "avant-garde post-rock" labels would imply.
How do you define 'absolute misery'? Is it something you experience only once in your lifetime (such as the death of one's father, receiving the news that you have a terminal disease that has yet to develop a name or support group, or witnessing your entire town disappear into a previously uncharted sinkhole) or is it a gradual descent into a 'contaminated' state of mind? Perhaps it is something so insidiously slow that the individual does not even realize that he or she is living in the absolute worst period of their life, and that the situation does not look hopeful. Yet one thing is certain: it cannot be mistaken for any other emotion or thought process. Neither momentary suffering or temporary setbacks can masquerade as this overpowering emotion and experience. Instead, it slowly stomps through the foliage and treeline. You can hear it, both the thunderous reverberations of it's massive hooves and the anguished squawks of disturbed birds, yet the terrifying realization sets in that, perhaps, you might never escape it.
If 'absolute misery' had a soundtrack, it would be hard to not recommend "Things Viral" to receive that distinction.
Khanate was one of the most recognizable acts performing "extreme doom", and with good reason: in the five years of their existence, they managed to produce three highly regarded albums (although, each one had their fair share of detractors as well). Things Viral is their second album, after their generally well-received self-titled album. While that album had a basic structure about it (albeit in a much harsher and slower form than your average doom metal band), Things Viral takes convention and stomps it to pieces; taking the dissolution of traditional "musical" structures to an (il)logical extreme. In this set-up, sound is not used as a paint brush, illustrating the message the artist wishes to portray. Instead, it is a hammer, utilized to attack the listener. Whether the listener "gets the message or not" is almost besides the point.
Throughout four "movements", Khanate drops minor-chord riffs and bass notes with the the plodding force of purpose, letting the resulting echoes and ambience hang painfully between spaces (with various electronic bursts as various points in the album). Vicious drum hits are added as punishing staccato punctuation marks (obviously exclamation points), as Alan Dubin, Khanate's lead singer, presents a truly chilling vocal presentation.
Much can be written about the vocals on this record, as they are one of the main reasons why this album is so effective in what it attempts (and succeeds) in creating: a palatable sense of unease. Previously in Alan Dubin's career (mainly with the pseudo-grindcore band O.L.D.), his voice was usually treated with various vocal FXs, making him seem more of a robot or manic-depressive alien than human. Yet here, his presentation is human. Horribly so. In four songs, a diverse range of ranting, tortured hypothetical questions, violent threats (wrapped in metaphor), and many instances of out-and-out screaming and yelling are witnessed, as Dubin ponders murder, suicide, depression, futility, paranoia, frustration, and death. There is no logic behind his ranting: it is instead with the anguished force of extreme depression. With such lines as "instead of reading, talking, laughing just feeling / now we're here / pieces of us in my hands, on the floor, in my pockets / RED GLORY", it is obvious that the individual being presented here is beyond redemption (either by himself or by society). By the fourth song, Dubin's vocals have moved galaxies beyond feebly attempting to express misery, and have moved into the nebulous realm of twisted/negative adjectives, in an attempt to show his utter distaste and disapproval of the outside world. "outside: things ugly, things viral / inside: ugly, dismal, safe, nothing more needed". It is clear that, ultimately the concept of absolute misery fuels a loathing that is equally directed internally as it is externally.
As for the music...well, it is not really music as commonly defined. Each of the four tracks at least nine minutes long, with the first two passing slightly over the nineteen minute mark. The space between sound is as important as the chords and percussion themselves, and while the songs themselves are slow to evolve, with relatively few obviously noticeable changes, those that do occur make themselves known immediately: a head-jerk reaction. The music, for the most part, perfectly describes (musically) what Dubin is screeching out at the given period of time. However, even the guitar and drums eventually fade away into the album's ultimate conclusion: a high-pitched hum begins as Dubin randomly rasps out words such as "sicken/ugly/envy/can't get past/dismal/safe", gasping for breath between each phrase. The sound suddenly increases exponentially, as industrial-esque generator noises and rumbling slowly intensifies, along with Dubin's labored delivery, until a distorted drum solo kicks up the claustrophobia factor to nearly the breaking point. And then the album ends.
Upon it's release, two factions emerged: one that absolutely loved "Things Viral", and another which condemned it for being either too boring or too dark. While I can readily agree that it would be easy to believe that this record would be above many listener's comfort levels, I cannot comprehend how anyone can find this album "boring". Granted, the pacing of the album is slow almost to the point of stasis, yet that is what makes it so effective. But there is enough variation within the album to keep interest up. After "Things Viral", Khanate would release one more album, "Capture And Release", that while improving on a few aspects of the band's sound, also retrogresses on many other's (namely the slightly muddier mix and the reduction of James Plotkin's electronic elements in the mix). Shortly thereafter, Khanate broke up, with James Plotkin accusing "other members" of the band of being more concerned with day jobs than being fully committed to music. With only three other members, and Plotkin continuing onward in several projects with Tim Wyskida (Khanate's drummer), it is not difficult to deduce who is partially to blame [given the fact that Stephen O'Malley is noted for his design work and various other side-proejcts in addition to Sunn O)))]. Although there were some who also believed Alan Dubin contributed to Khanate's dissolution, he was believed to have been surprised at the band's break-up (although, tellingly, he was quick to announce that he had begun to provide vocals for a newly-developed project and he also was noted by James Plotkin as having commitment problems towards the last O.L.D. album).
While a fourth album has been hinted at, and a sample (in which the music takes an intriguing move from the realm of slower-than-dirt doom to mid-paced improvisation), it has been up in the air for some time when (if ever) it will be released (although, frustratingly, Dubin's vocals seem to have recovered from the abstract third-person tale-telling seen on Capture & Release to embrace a style reminiscent of the first-person viewpoint expressed on "Things Viral").
Nevertheless, regardless of Khanate's untimely end (and the possible internal politics within the band which possibly contributed to it), "Things Viral" is a shining star in Khanate's small body of work. It stands as a masterpiece of music which transcends the genres of experimental doom metal, into something completely indescribable. It is, in short, an experience...one that is highly recommended. In short, as one Internet commenter noted: "This would affect even the most blithe". Truer words were never spoken.
One of copyright law's most visible opponents, Negativland presents a sound collages of bewildering perplexity on a variety of topics and situations. Some of the scenarios involved are serious (such as the physical and emotional remnants of car crashes), yet many of them are tongue-in-cheek (lampooning the early Pepsi ad campaigns). Recently, Negativland's most notable accomplishment was the creation of an album that was 100% sampled from other musicians/personalities material (although it must be stated that their album "No Business" is definitely not the first album to be constructed in this manner). While mainstream DJs bemoan the increasing costs of legitimate sampling, Negativland instead throws caution and convention to the winds as they create unique musique concrete pieces to the music industry and the modern consumer, as they champion "free use" policies and other issues regarding intellectual property concerns. Their most publicized creation was a parody of a classic U2 song, although "Escape From Noise" is one of their most consistent and straight-forward statements.
"Escape From Noise" is one of Negativland's most acclaimed albums. The concept that loosely intertwines the highly divergent songs is the continual escape from noise: from blind consumerism, fundamentalism, white noise, commercialism, and other nagging (yet perpetual) intangibilities. However, the album does not always hold itself to this concept, as it will just as often make wild right-turns into seemingly unrelated places of interest (although closer examinations can reveal similar aspects between the topics). Simplistic drum tracks with funky synth bass lines and infrequent electric guitar often accompany these songs, as samples narrate the direction of the song title. Occasionaly, a nasal-monotone man will explain along with the song (and, in an amusingly half-hearted attempt, singing), most often with various sound effects popping up at specific intervals.
Many of the songs directly deal with the "escape from noise" motif, often using the actual phrase as a chorus, in songs that present the shadier side of radio broadcasting, white noise desensitation, Christian fundamentalism's occasional targeting of rock music in "moral crusades", the possible physical consequences of white noise oversaturation, and the various non-beneficial ways sound can be utilized. They all share a similar vibe to a certain degree, and many of them utilize the same set of samples, though they may be radically altered from track to track. Also, all of the tracks present "noise", in all of it's various manifestations, as a fundamentally undesirable situation, one in which escape may be impossible (hence the repeated hypothetical query "Is there any escape from noise?").
Much like a town with main attractions, the out-of-the-way antique shops and ice cream parlors that are not associated with the larger establishments are often as interesting (if not more so) than the regular institutions. Thus, so it is with the albums "non-thematic related" songs. Included in the collection is an interesting tale of frustration caused by failures on the Playboy channel, a song about Lime Soda, a toddler singing "Over The Rainbow" (with hiccups), a somewhat long explanation of the extra-second inclusion in universal time zones, a mental health examination, and (resulting in what is unarguably Negativland's most controversial song) a song featuring the lyrics: "The loudspeaker spoke up and said: Christianity is stupid, Communism is good. Did you hear that? Give up! About five o'clock in the morning...til' ten o'clock at night!" (which meaning becomes even more indecipherable when considering that the samples apparently came from a Christian fundamentalist minister). Finally, the album ends with what it was fleeing and dreading the entire time: a short burst of unidentifiable static noise.
In many cases where music is designed to portray a specific message to the listener (in other words, it is not supposed to be open to interpretation), it often falls on it's face because the seriousness of the message will often turn off many listeners. Negativland overcomes this by masking the message in humorous appeals to the mundane aspects of life while interspersing their seriousness with various presentations of the surreal and bizarre. Granted, some of the songs now appear to be more controversial now than when the album was first released in 1987, yet they still have the same urgency and sense of relevance now as they did back then.
Hopefully, with this well-constructed work of re-constructed sampling, you can finally answer the question of: "Is there any escape from noise?".
Medieval techno-industrial. At first glance, this would seem like a rather overblown description for any band, yet this is precisely what Will is. Consisting of the trio of Rhys Fulber and Chris Peterson (both Front Line Assembly members currently and at various intervals in the past) with John McRae (who would later become the first vocalist for the Decree project), Will is “electro-Wagnerian” (to use the band’s self-description) music, mostly comprised of “martial” drums (both natural and electronic), church organ samples, harpsichord, horns, various melodic percussion, industrial synth backgrounds, a kitchen sink worth of choral samples, guitar (rarely), piano (rarely) and John McRae’s singing. Excuse me, I mean shouting. In a humorous anecdote, I once read that Will’s vocalist was promoted as “the most violent voice you have ever heard”. While this usually can be taken as a tongue-in-cheek comment from any band, this especially holds true for Will. Why? Mainly because McRae’s voice, while far from being completely ineffective, is laughably far from being the “most violent voice”. His “proclamations” (as it were), are one of the few negatives of the album, and while I do not hold them in contempt as other reviewers may have done, I will concede the fact that they are a bit of a weakness.
The album I reviewed, “Déjà vu”, collects the entirety of the band’s discography, omitting only two songs in the retrospective (although the band only released one LP and one EP during it’s lifetime). Songs are, for the most part, very similar in terms of overall feel and execution, yet thankfully there are subtle differences and instrumentation changes throughout the pieces , in order to keep them fresh and interesting (though, as typified by many bands which focus on atmospheric and emotional effect, the song structure is quite repetitive and cyclical). The choral touches often add a bit of majesty to the songs, which would be much less captivating without them. In addition, the various “electro-harpsichord” (?) melodies found throughout are also generally interesting as well (especially on the songs “Father Forgive (Remixed Version” and the ending of “Epilogue”). The lyrics, while not included with the CD, are somewhat obtuse medieval poetic “statements” (for lack of a readily available better term). While they do not always make an immediate impact on the listener during the music, they are, intriguingly, somewhat more interesting to read on their own.
This is a unique band and release. The band released their LP and EP during 1991-1992, then were inactive until the release of the compilation in 1997, which was when Decree was created, featuring Chris Peterson, John McRae (again on vocal duties), and guitarist Jeff Stoddard. While the idea to re-activate the band has been considered, it would be difficult to determine exactly how this type of music would be received by today’s listening audience. My fear would be that current trends would not support this type of music (although the individual musician’s development since the inception of Will would promise a greatly enhanced experience).
Obviously, the end result is that this album is a bit of an acquired taste, yet if the concept sounds interesting to you, then you will probably not be disappointed in purchasing “Déjà vu”. I can claim from personal experience that I wasn’t.
Edit: It appears that COP International has removed their info page they used to have regarding Will. Phooey.
Most people, when they think of guitarist Justin Broadrick, usually think back to the days of industrial metal giants Godflesh, or perhaps the drone-ish, shoegaze-ish post-Godflesh project Jesu, or even his early work with the first LP of Napalm Death. They usually, however, do not think of Final, his first project, created (apparently) when he was thirteen. Initially consisting of noise/power electronics tracks, it slowly shifted over the years to a more psychedelic bent. The most recent version of Final is mainly composed of cyclical guitar manipulations. Although I have yet to remember where I saw it written, I am fairly positive that the material recorded for his last two albums in recent years were created mostly using electric guitars and various distortions/effects (whereas previous records had more synthesizers and samples being featured).
With material spanning from 2000-2005 (with the dissolution of Godflesh allowing for more time to be devoted to both Final and his new project Jesu), "3" is a rather lengthy set of tracks: twenty-seven to be exact, spanning roughly two and a half hours. The majority of the tracks range from about three to six minutes, with a ten to twelve minute track appear every eight to ten tracks. Most of the tracks are diverse excursions in guitar ambience, with many appearing to have an icy digital haze and echo about them (giving some credence to Allmusic's rather strange band description of Final specializing in "malevolent space music"). Others are more direct in their approach, with abstract chords and subdued industrial elements. Finally, a scattered few songs have repetitive melodies in them, although they are usually rather distorted or pitch-shifted. The mixes used in the songs themselves also vary greatly, from crystal-clear production to rather garbled lo-fi sound quality (although it usually matches the overall feel and effect of any given song).
Twenty-seven songs is quite a large presentation. Also, with material ranging over a period of five years, it is quite understandable that the quality will vary somewhat. Therein lies the one of the few main weaknesses of this double-record set: while there are many captivating and interesting sections in "3", there are also quite a few periods of aimlessness and misdirection. Thankfully, none of the songs are ever completely terrible (with the sole exception being the obnoxious "Eden" piece), and the better songs more than make up for the weaker ones.
If you are looking for actual songs, then you may wish to look elsewhere. This is best described as electronic guitar ambience, fortified with various synthetic structures. Thus, the emphasis is on mood and feelings, rather than melody (although the few melodic pieces in the album, such as "Trees" and "Golden" are interesting in their own way), with general album standouts being "The Light Orchestra", "Trees", and the moody "Confusion".
This album is my first exposure to Final, as I understand that his previous album "Solaris" was also quite good as well. Given that this is a compilation of sorts, I eagerly await his next Final effort as a unified presentation. It is best not to listen to "3" all the way through, but to find and play which song you are in the mood to listen to. Lucky for us, there are plenty of good choices to choose from in "3".
EDIT: I am in the process of slowly cleaning up the blog, mainly in fixing the links to hyperlinks, but also polishing up various bits and pieces. Also will probably fix the first two posts to get rid of some of the excess detritus. As always, thank you all for your continued interest/support.
One Eyed God Prophecy was a Canadian hardcore/"post-emo hardcore/crust band active for a very short time during the mid 1990's. They could also, arguably, be classified as "proto-screamo" as well, given that their music has been claimed to have heavily influenced Orchid and June Paik. During their short lifespan, they only managed to release one 12" on the indie label "The Great American Steak Religion" (which also released several vinyl releases by His Hero Is Gone). Later, a fan made "discography" CD was created in 2001, featuring the original LP tracks and two live sets.
Their quick and thundering guitar and drum attack is reminiscent of many other hardcore bands, they also incorporate slower, somber interludes, including acoustic guitar segments, strange spoken word samples, and menacing synth passages. Unfortunately, while the vocals are quite expressive and emotional, they are occasionally buried deep within the mix, one of the few negatives of the album in general.
While not incredibly groundbreaking, it is by no means unrewarding either. It is an interesting glimpse into the formation of the 'screamo' sound found in many other bands in the late Nineties. Of course, one can always wonder what would have happened had they managed to stick around longer....
Special thanks to "john" for the timely info/correction. Included below is the original article link and several additional sites of interest found when re-researching the band. Also, got rid of the "placeholder" picture and put up the proper LP graphic. ---
In many respects, the group Ain Soph is very similar to the more popular Current 93. They both began in the early 1980's as proto-industrial groups creating music for ritual use. Also, both groups made major shifts in their musical vision relatively early in their careers (with both exploring folk music, with Ain Soph also pursing "sacral-hymns" and psychedelic hard rock).
The first song is a meandering industrial haze, with murky industrial hums underlying metallic percussion (gongs?) in addition to strange tapping noises and warbling spoken word (apparently "reciting the Enochian First Key" formula, although I imagine it would be hard for anyone who wasn't immediately familiar with it to know it as such). At various times, barely discernable whispers float in the distance, far removed from the main vocals, as the music slowly builds in intensity. Eventually, what might be random guitar strumming (although that is far from certain) is added, as the whispered voice now becomes as prominent as the original distorted one, chanting the four words printed on the front of the album cover. While the overall presentation is relatively well-constructed, I am neither impressed nor disenchanted so far. Instead, I find myself curiously ambivalent. This is partially due to my admitted ignorance regarding anything Enochian in nature, thus I cannot tell if this is effective or not in a ritual sense (apparently one of the main appealing features most of the listeners found when this was first released). Ironically enough, this is also similar to my feelings towards Current 93's earliest work Lashtal (which was supposed to be an invocation for a demon or celestial being of some sort). However, in this instance, my ambivalence towards (unfortunately) to boredom, as the first track is just over thirty minutes. I can appreciate it being repetitive in the sense of being 'ritualistic', but since I am not familiar with how it is supposed to be experienced, it is hard for it to keep my attention more than short periods of time.
The second track is a bit more assertive than the first one, as a pounded (but slightly blurred) gong in the background accompanies a spoken word narrative (which is somewhat hard to understand due to the slight accent of the speaker and the clanging in the background). Once again, it's hard to understand exactly what the vocals are getting at, but what I can understand involves the speaker referring to very esoteric terminology and heavily symbolic phrases, the most common one being: "Be ready to fly or to smite(?)". Other notably weird phrases included: "...and a voice said: Stay outside" and "This is my kingdom...my sister, my lover".
A rumbling rhythm starts off the calmer third track, followed quickly by male/female vocals and whispers. Occasional bass hums and industrial noises punctuate the song at various locations. Also notable is that the lyrics are in Italian, making the inability to understand the subject matter somewhat easier to digest.
Finally, a strange buzzing synth levitates directly beneath somber male choir vocalizations. Quasi-operatic tenor (or alto) female vocalists soon join. It is significant to note that, while being the shortest segment of the group, it is also the track I am most excited and engage about when listening to it (which is somewhat tragic, given that it is the shortest at seven minutes). Why this theme is not pursued further on this recording is beyond me, given that the singing on this song is quite inspiring and genuinely moving during some sections (invariably reminding me of similarly styled vocals inserted at the end of Ocean Machine's "Voices In The Fan" song).
Overall, this is a good (if not terribly impressive) album, more important in a historical context rather than a musical context. Ain Soph would later abandon this experimental music form in favor of hard rock, avant-garde and folk music (not in that order). Judging from the compelling nature of the last track (easily the album's standout), I would be interested in hearing their album of "sacral-hymns". However, for fan's curious of industrial's/dark ambient 'ritual/cult' beginnings, independent from Throbbing Gristle, might find in Ain Soph's "II" album much of interest (especially if they are familiar with the theology represented behind the music). If, on the other hand, you have explored such avenues as Current 93's "Nature Unveiled" or "Dogs Blood Rising" or perhaps even the earlier Lustmord, Controlled Bleeding, or Nocturnal Emissions recordings, there is precious little here that is substantially different any of the similar artists during that time period (despite claims that they were one of the 'originators'...a somewhat sketchy claim at best).
EDIT: Also, just found out that the last track reviewed was a bonus track...apparently the original only included the first three. What a pity.
Picture a sloth. Now, imagine that the sloth has just awoken from a deep sleep…cryogenic fugue, to be exact. He takes his first steps to find that he has stepped into an endless field of molasses, one that is quickly turning to ice in the frigid weather. All of this is taking place…underwater, by the way.
Is Slomo really that slow? No. But curiously, it comes close.
Featuring an hour long improvisational piece, consisting of a pulsating synth bass line, high pitched guitar manipulations (though it’s hard to tell that it is actually a guitar and not feedback, etc), random metallic clattering, and the frequently mentioned “zero eye-contact” feature (whatever that means, if it actually means anything). That is basically the extent that I can comment on the recording. Highly touted by such doom notables as Julian Cope and Stephen O’Malley, this is a “love-it-or-hate-it” type of recording. There is very little variation on the track besides the various guitar feedback, but then again, it was meant to be that way. On the positive side, the “music” at times does invoke a genuinely creepy feeling, mainly in that the music is very understated, yet consistent and unsettling. In short, this is doom that has been reduced down to the absolute minimum components: the line in which doom and dark ambience is purposefully blurred. Yet it also manages to hold your attention quite effectively, and before you know it, sixteen to thirty-five minutes have passed and you did not realize it. Such is the power of Slomo.
Apparently, Chris McGrail and Howard Marsden (the duo in charge of Slomo) are eventually going to produce a follow-up to “The Creep”. That would be quite an experience to listen to, for how can they possibly develop the near cult-like precision they apply to their sound? In a description in Aquarius Records, I found an appropriate line taken from the Slomo booklet:
“Whose detractors call static…but whose champions call Ecstasis?”
This applies to dark ambient and doom metal in general, but is also very particular to Slomo specifically. If you are a fan of dark ambient, doom metal, or slower-than-slow music, you can compare various bands claims, or you can go straight to the source with Slomo.
First words: this is an intimidating release. With thirty tracks, a number that many grindcore bands will not reach on any given release, Sadness Will Prevail clocks in at 145 minutes. Today Is The Day became famous for playing a vicious variety of jagged metal-hardcore, most notable on seminal albums "Willpower", "In The Eyes Of God", and "Temple Of The Morning Star" (the latter frequently featuring in many musicians' list of influences). However, frontman Steve Austin widely expands his musical vision on this release, by including various noise passages, acoustic insturmentals, piano scores, and found sound. While his ambition for this album is readily apparent, it does not always translate into a coherent experience, with the musical direction of the album frequently taking wild left turns. In addition, the quality work and filler material is thrown in rather haphazardly, as if the project exploded into it's current form.
While it would be commendable if I reviewed every track individually, I am certain that I would lose my sanity by the end of the last song. Thus, I will approach them by groups. The easiest cluster of songs to describe is the "straightforward" rock songs. Here we find Today Is The Day in fine form, with many of the songs being at least as good as ones found on their previous tracks. Here, jagged riffs and scattershot drumming rule the day. In addition, Steve Austin's vocals are as abrasive and anguished as ever (although he tends to use his multi-layered "high pitch" vocals/screaming more often than on previous releases). Thankfully, while some of the metal songs sound vaguely similar (an unavoidable occurance with a double album this size), most have various solos and musical breaks to help distinguish themselves amongst the group. Notable standout tracks include "The Descent" (for which an awesome music video was made), the furious "Crooked", "Invincible", the huge "Never Answer The Phone" and the truly disheartening "Sadness Will Prevail" (which comes complete with a truly unnerving ending).
Unfortunatly, there is a very large amount of filler and/or ineffective material. Included in this category are song introductions or whole songs that are distorted beyond reason or purpose (the intro to "Distortion Of Nature", "Miasma") and shimmering interludes that sound very similar to each other ("Butterflies", "The Ivory Of Self Hate", "Your Life Is Over", and "Friend"). That's not to say that all of the filler is inherently bad: "Vivicide" consists of a compelling female vocalist, while "Voice Of Reason" and "Your Life Is Over" contain some interesting (though conflicting and possibly detuned) melodies on piano and guitar (with random electronic squeals hovering in the background).
In the long run, it is difficult to give a complete answer as to whether or not I would reccomend this album. On the one hand, it contains musical glimpses of ideas and technicality that are almost revolutionary. However, it contains much that, on the surface, appears extraneous and/or under-developed. Also, it is important to note that this album lacks the one thing which helped make every preceding Today Is The Day album a success: a coherent and unified theme, played with excellent technical prowess. In contrast, this album is sprawled all over the place, from well-played songs to sloppily (assumedly) improvised interludes. I must admit that I have yet found the patience to listen to the entire work from start to finish, and I do not expect many others to be able to either. For those that do however, you will find in "Sadness Will Prevail" a fascinating experience, provided you can stomach the various pitfalls of mediocrity and needless filler that dot the road along the way.
This is a beautiful album; hardly the sort of description you would typically find in a review of a black metal album. Yet, in the slowly increasing sub-genre of "black metal (but really isn't)", Alcest's EP "Le Secret" is a shining example of what listeners will find in the genre once they learn to accept elements beyond the stereotyped staples of the music form. While driving and cyclical black metal comprises of the majority of the song structure, there are many elements to the production which elevate it from your typical black metal release.
One of the main aspects of this album which make it enjoyable is that, far from being a "depressive" and/or "suicidal" sounding composition, the tone of the album seems to be one of at least optimism (judging from the music alone, since the vocals are in French). Also, while the "traditional" growled metal voice is present, there is also various types of fragile clear singing (particuarly on the first track, "Le Secret", in which the vocalist sounds almost fragile in his delivery, in which you almost have to strain to make out his singing against the mix) as well as various whispered segments throughout the two songs.
The second song, "Elevation", opens in a similar manner as the first, with a similar insturmental intro (in this case being a heavenly sounding synth bed as opposed to the first song's acoustic guitar intro). Also, the song introduces the "metal" vocals. While not as compelling as the clear variety, they are still quite good and effective for the song.
One of the main pitfalls of any black metal release is succumbing to it's own repetitive nature. There are few things worse than having to sit through an extended black metal song with absolutely no song progression. Thankfully, Alcest manages to circumvent this common mistake by crafting various "melancholic" melodies that manage to be instantly memorable (there were a lot of M's in that sentence), occasionaly inserting various insturmental breaks which add to the overall tone of the song without feeling arbitrarily inserted into the piece.
Of course, this release is not perfect (although I selfishly wish it was). My main negative with the album is that the vocals are slightly buried in the mix, when bringing them closer to the front would (in my opinion) have made a much greater impact on the average listener. However, aside from this minor quibble, there are precious few things to find wrong with this EP.
Currently, Alcest seems to have signed a lengthy record deal and is poised to release their debut CD sometime during this summer. Judging from the promo songs posted on their website, they appear to have shifted from a black metal basis to a more melodic post-rock genre (while retaining all of the elements which made "Le Secret" good). While their website posits the claim that their new album "...brings to mind memories of the innocence and bliss of a childhood long past as well as impressions of a fantastic realm of perfect harmony..." (which sounds rather childish and lame on the surface), upon listening to their debut EP, it instead becomes a rather inviting prospect to listen to.
Highly reccomended if you are fortunate enough to acquire it.
Black Mayonnaise is an "experimental doom sludge" one-man band (as well as "undecayed sediment, sewage, and petrochemical wastes" typically found on the bottom of harbors, bays, and oceans). Sludge is indeed quite an apt description of this album, as rumbling guitars fuzz contentedly alongside extremely garbled and low-end vocals (one website referred to them as "dying Elephant Man gurgles", which is actually a decent comparison) and a persistent drum beat. While this lo-fi concept initially sounds as if it could be viable, there are a few points within the album which detract from what could have been a fascinating production.
To begin, the album's main concept is that passages from Dante's Inferno are supposedly being recited on top of repetitive sludge doom motifs. Yet, the vocals are so slow and mangled that they actually could be about paying taxes, cutting your hair, or reading the back of a cereal box, and no one would know the difference. While the lack of comprehensibility will probably not bother most people who would listen to this, it does make me wonder why he bothered presenting the album as a conceptual work with thematically linked pieces if there is no way to tell they are linked other than the fact that they all sound vaguely similar to one another? Without a lyric sheet, there is absolutely no way to be certain what is being "gurgled" out (and gurgled is a very accurate description, almost to the point of creepiness in places, such as in the fifth song, where liquid sound effects bubble and percolate throughout the piece...very unsettling, to be sure).
In addition, the overall repetitiveness and blandness of the songs themselves further blunt the experience. Sure, the repetition of patterns is a commonly held staple of doom in general, yet there is little that sets the individual tracks apart. What is frustrating about this is that, during many of the songs, there are elements that are thrown in that sound promising, but quickly disappear back into the murky quagmire of the general theme of the album. Notable instances of this include the mid-tempo intro to the third song (almost tribal in nature) which inexplicably stops after a minute and weird "electronic sounding" manipulations of the "vocals" in the second song.
Then, there is the sixteen-minute "Waves" piece: an extended set of various rising and falling synthesizer tones and pads, remaining fairly constant until ten minutes into the song, where strange "outer space" beeps and blips are added at random intervals. One can't help but feel that this ultimately is filler of the worst sort (especially since without it the album would have run under 25 minutes).
Finally, the "bonus live track" is also quite a disappointment. Intentionally lo-fidelity production is further hampered by a mediocre live audience recording. While the previous songs were tolerable for curiosities sake, this is simply painful to listen to for more than short periods at a time.
Overall, this is an abysmal record. The majority of the songs have a feeling of incompleteness about them, with many of the more interesting moments vanishing just when they should have been explored further. It is also rather lopsided, as the "Waves" track could be considered the second sonic half of the album that should have been instead distributed in healthy doses among the rest of the songs. A small amount of research on my part revealed that he later would incorporate a somewhat cleaner production with various electronic on his first "official" full length "TTSSATTSR", and thankfully it would appear that many of the negative aspects of the "VII" album were for the most part corrected. But be assured, that despite what has been said by promoting sources, this is far from "classic" material (indeed, the most appropriate final word would be from the front man, Mike Duncan: "The other crowd of discriminators possess a much higher level of integrity. These are the individuals who have listened to the project and have empirically reduced it to simplistic weird sounds created by an overactive imagination and not "music" at all; more or less a truism... for the most part").
