Artist: Stillbirth / Prurient
Title: The Mirror of Purification
Label: Semata Productions
Year: 2009
A very nice split 7" slab from Semata Productions, the first split in a series, this one between Stillbirth (never listened to this project before) and heavy-hitter Prurient.
This 7" is really a nice package. The colored disc (they are randomley colored, mine is a nice green-ish earth tone) comes in a pro-printed sleeve, with very minimal black and white art by Prurient. Couldn't ask for a better looking release.
The Stillbirth side is a creeping wave, ascending into harshness with pulsating ambience inbetween. More pulsating occurs in a deeper variance, and static overtakes. The short piece then ends on a note similar to the begining, light pulsating ambience.
The Prurient side is in a similar vein, which is suprising when I consider the past releases i've heard from him. Nothing harsh at all, a low, soft synth pattern joined by continuous clattering and strange vocal harmonies. Really a strange recording, and also a very short one, too short! It has a very dark tone without being terribley dark. Are there more Prurient recordings like this? I'd most definitley be interested in hearing some.
Music: 4/5
Packaging: 5/5
OVerall: 4/5
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A STORY OF RATS - SONNETS FOR UNAMO (II)
Artist: A Story Of Rats
Title: Sonnets for Unamuno (ii)
Label: Debacle Records
Year: 2009
I love the packaging on this album. not so much the cover, but the awesome booklet included within. It's a 10 page booklet of pen and ink drawings with a hand-sewn binding. The drawings are simple ideas, yet very, very intricate.
The music: three parts of icy ambient drone. Starting with bells, this disc just makes me feel cold. I'm already freezing, this is just taking it one step further. The bell sounds start as the main focus, but eventually they're overtaken by a muddy, distorted drone. This muddiness continues into the next track, but not throughout the whole thing. It kinds of morphs into different sounds, though still icy and droning. Not as muddy as before. These new sounds are more haunting, like a gigantic organ in a large empty room. The inclusion of new sounds is great, but the transition is a little rougher than I would have hoped for. The last track is another distorted piece, but a lot louder, and a lot less ambient. Quite harsh, but overall not a lot of different sounds and just kind of a jumbled up distorted mess. The tracks could've been shorter, and could've used some variety, but overall, it's a good start to a project. I hope to hear more developed ideas soon.
Music: 3/5
Artwork: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Title: Sonnets for Unamuno (ii)
Label: Debacle Records
Year: 2009
I love the packaging on this album. not so much the cover, but the awesome booklet included within. It's a 10 page booklet of pen and ink drawings with a hand-sewn binding. The drawings are simple ideas, yet very, very intricate.
The music: three parts of icy ambient drone. Starting with bells, this disc just makes me feel cold. I'm already freezing, this is just taking it one step further. The bell sounds start as the main focus, but eventually they're overtaken by a muddy, distorted drone. This muddiness continues into the next track, but not throughout the whole thing. It kinds of morphs into different sounds, though still icy and droning. Not as muddy as before. These new sounds are more haunting, like a gigantic organ in a large empty room. The inclusion of new sounds is great, but the transition is a little rougher than I would have hoped for. The last track is another distorted piece, but a lot louder, and a lot less ambient. Quite harsh, but overall not a lot of different sounds and just kind of a jumbled up distorted mess. The tracks could've been shorter, and could've used some variety, but overall, it's a good start to a project. I hope to hear more developed ideas soon.
Music: 3/5
Artwork: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
HUMAN ADULT BAND - ???
Artist: Human Adult Band
Title: Unknown?
Label: D.I.H.D.
Year: 2008
Really strange mysterious Human Adult Band tape. Got a really strange cryptic note with it, but it was hard to read, and I can't remember what I could read.
The art is cool, weird xerox/hand painted 2 part cover. The front is of a kid at a carnival booth, and I can't really tell what the back is. Both covers are painted with red and white, in strange squiggles. Pretty cool. The tape itself is nicely labeled.
A bit different from the first Human Adult Band cassette I heard. Starts out just drums, in a stomping pattern. Things continue this way until the inclusion of demented moaning/chuckling. REALLY strange. Some chanting starts, it sounds like some sort of traditional Mexican song? That ends and another track starts. The new track is just as strange as the first, another Mexican sounding piece led by buzzy guitar, tambourines, and bongos. Completely different and better than the other HAB tape I heard. Everything builds and gets louder, repeating the same pattern. Really interesting. Next comes another drum track...not as good as the first. Just movie samples playing over a simple pattern. Not very interesting. It leads directly into a blues guitar jam, which ends the first side.
Side B is more like the HAB that I'm used to. Low, unintelligible vocals, over drums and strange atmosphere. It would be cool if I could make out what's being said. Not much really going on, the drums are kind of too loud in the mix and everything else seems just to be there, droning. Out of nowhere everything changes, maybe a different cut? The vocals are much more prominent, bonehead screaming behind really weird instrumentation. Just normal lofi basement jamming...nothing really noteworthy.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Title: Unknown?
Label: D.I.H.D.
Year: 2008
Really strange mysterious Human Adult Band tape. Got a really strange cryptic note with it, but it was hard to read, and I can't remember what I could read.
The art is cool, weird xerox/hand painted 2 part cover. The front is of a kid at a carnival booth, and I can't really tell what the back is. Both covers are painted with red and white, in strange squiggles. Pretty cool. The tape itself is nicely labeled.
A bit different from the first Human Adult Band cassette I heard. Starts out just drums, in a stomping pattern. Things continue this way until the inclusion of demented moaning/chuckling. REALLY strange. Some chanting starts, it sounds like some sort of traditional Mexican song? That ends and another track starts. The new track is just as strange as the first, another Mexican sounding piece led by buzzy guitar, tambourines, and bongos. Completely different and better than the other HAB tape I heard. Everything builds and gets louder, repeating the same pattern. Really interesting. Next comes another drum track...not as good as the first. Just movie samples playing over a simple pattern. Not very interesting. It leads directly into a blues guitar jam, which ends the first side.
Side B is more like the HAB that I'm used to. Low, unintelligible vocals, over drums and strange atmosphere. It would be cool if I could make out what's being said. Not much really going on, the drums are kind of too loud in the mix and everything else seems just to be there, droning. Out of nowhere everything changes, maybe a different cut? The vocals are much more prominent, bonehead screaming behind really weird instrumentation. Just normal lofi basement jamming...nothing really noteworthy.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
DOG LADY/REGRESSION - 080109
Artist: Dog Lady/Regression
Title: 080109
Label: AA
Year: 2009
Title: 080109
Label: AA
Year: 2009
Completely bizarre set, a CD-R/Lathe Cut collaboration between DOG LADY (Mike Collino) and REGRESSION (Nate Young).
Very great artwork. Insane Nate Young art on the front of an envelope. Inside the CDs are on hubs attached to a long piece of cardstock, with minimal information.
Completely bizarre set, a collaboration between DOG LADY (Mike Collino) and REGRESSION (Nate Young). Very minimal usage of everything, tapes, electronics, and VIOLIN. Dog Lady is a violin master if you don't know by now. This is just a confusing set in general. Track one is a piece led by a pounding tambourine, with strange inhales and exhales, and of course, violin 
slowly tearing away. It really doesn't seem like they should all mesh together so well, but they do, so well, kind of a condensed version of the whole album's vibe. Track two is even more strange. A really Jandek sounding rif overtaken by a complete violin assault and weird room atmospherics. Incredible acoustics all over. The rest of the album is dominated by minimal tape/electronic use and violin/bass guitar melding. Track 4 doesn't let up on the ??? factor. Even more acoustic than the last few tracks, in the mix are dogs barking, pianos, and stereo clicking. Track 5, the last one, is really some of the strangest music i've heard in a long time. This is the best track on the disc. Nate adds his vocals to the aurural confusion, and they're pretty clear. Everything else (bass, tambourine, some sort of electronic whirr) chugs along.
As for the lathe, my record player has the type of arm that automaticly returns, so playing 5" records isn't a possibility. Once I am able to listen to the lathe though, i'll write here about it.
slowly tearing away. It really doesn't seem like they should all mesh together so well, but they do, so well, kind of a condensed version of the whole album's vibe. Track two is even more strange. A really Jandek sounding rif overtaken by a complete violin assault and weird room atmospherics. Incredible acoustics all over. The rest of the album is dominated by minimal tape/electronic use and violin/bass guitar melding. Track 4 doesn't let up on the ??? factor. Even more acoustic than the last few tracks, in the mix are dogs barking, pianos, and stereo clicking. Track 5, the last one, is really some of the strangest music i've heard in a long time. This is the best track on the disc. Nate adds his vocals to the aurural confusion, and they're pretty clear. Everything else (bass, tambourine, some sort of electronic whirr) chugs along.As for the lathe, my record player has the type of arm that automaticly returns, so playing 5" records isn't a possibility. Once I am able to listen to the lathe though, i'll write here about it.
I'm totally shocked by how acoustic/minimal this is, and it's difficult for me to find the words to use to describe the uneasy feeling I get while listening. Nothing like I expected, and nothing like Nate Young's past output. There have got to be more collaboration recordings like this.
Highly reccomended, one of the best of 2009. While you're at it, pick up Dog Lady's past 4 tapes quick before you'll never have a chance.
Music: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Monday, November 23, 2009
3 FROM DARK WINTER MOON/VIOLENT NOISE ATROCITIES
Churner - Sewage Lagoon: The art isn't very good. The crumbling of cities and civilizations is a popular artwork choice for Churner, but I'm not a fan of the way he goes about it. The images themselves seem to all be from Google image search (correct me if I'm wrong). I believe that album artwork needs to be more personal than that. But hey, to each his own. The thing that really bugs me is the fact that the cover was printed by an ink jet printer. It doesn't look god to me, with weird lines from the printing process and shit. The music is standard harsh noise, by the book. This disc is a lot nicer than the first Churner release I reviewed, as it has a few more textures to grab onto, though they don't very much throughout the tracks. I enjoy the stereo separation, but it could've been embraced more. Effects are used, I wish they were used in a more subtle fashion. There are a few good moments, but you really have to dig to find them. Towards the end of track 2, "Sewer Rat", there are some interesting vocals added to the mix, but it's only briefly. The last track, at 12 minutes or so, is far too long for what it's made of. It basically recaps the last two tracks, and drags. Again, there are some pretty cool sounds, but as soon as you hear them, they are replaced by sounds that just aren't as good.
Overall this shows that Churner does have some potential to make some very good sounds, but this disc doesn't focus in on them enough.
Music: 2/5
Packaging: 2/5
Overall: 2/5
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S.O.C.C. - Frequency Abuser: The artwork is ink jet nonsense. A teenage girl on the cover, Condi Rice on the disc. Blah.
Not a bad recording. This is Churner and someone else, I'm not sure who. This shows me that Churner is a lot more focused, it seems, with someone else in the mix. The tracks are somewhat lengthy, but they aren't so bad to listen to. Lots of weird grinding, scraping, and string sounds. All of the track titles are just kind of silly and don't really go with the style (I get, it, that's the point, but it doesn't work in this case). This disc features another nice use of stereo separation and manipulation. There are some really high and (would-be) ear piercing tones that I do like, but they seem to be shrouded by sounds that are less interesting. The mix isn't all that great, and if it wasn't for that, this album would be pretty cool.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
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Churner - Sounds Seizure: This one's artwork isn't so bad. Really quite interesting, some nice confusing light looking images. If only it wasn't INK JET!! Very similar to the Sewage Lagoon 3" CD. Lots of low end rumbling, some nice textures that are never fully realized. This disc does have a few minutes on the high pitched end though, and high pitched tones are something that Churner is quite good at producing. The only problem is that they seem to be randomly introduced with no real reason. They are a nice change from all the low bowel moving tones, though. Above all, I like the fact that Churner uses stereo separation, and uses it fairly well. Recordings that sounds great on headphones vs. speakers are always a nice surprise.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
Overall this shows that Churner does have some potential to make some very good sounds, but this disc doesn't focus in on them enough.
Music: 2/5
Packaging: 2/5
Overall: 2/5
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S.O.C.C. - Frequency Abuser: The artwork is ink jet nonsense. A teenage girl on the cover, Condi Rice on the disc. Blah.
Not a bad recording. This is Churner and someone else, I'm not sure who. This shows me that Churner is a lot more focused, it seems, with someone else in the mix. The tracks are somewhat lengthy, but they aren't so bad to listen to. Lots of weird grinding, scraping, and string sounds. All of the track titles are just kind of silly and don't really go with the style (I get, it, that's the point, but it doesn't work in this case). This disc features another nice use of stereo separation and manipulation. There are some really high and (would-be) ear piercing tones that I do like, but they seem to be shrouded by sounds that are less interesting. The mix isn't all that great, and if it wasn't for that, this album would be pretty cool.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
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Churner - Sounds Seizure: This one's artwork isn't so bad. Really quite interesting, some nice confusing light looking images. If only it wasn't INK JET!! Very similar to the Sewage Lagoon 3" CD. Lots of low end rumbling, some nice textures that are never fully realized. This disc does have a few minutes on the high pitched end though, and high pitched tones are something that Churner is quite good at producing. The only problem is that they seem to be randomly introduced with no real reason. They are a nice change from all the low bowel moving tones, though. Above all, I like the fact that Churner uses stereo separation, and uses it fairly well. Recordings that sounds great on headphones vs. speakers are always a nice surprise.
Music: 3/5
Packaging: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
Thursday, November 19, 2009
MATT ENDAHL - AMPLIFIED PIANO
Artist: Matt Endahl
Title: Amplified Piano
Label: Sound Mansion Recordings
Year: 2009
As the title implies, this album was recorded with only a piano. In my mind, this would make for a quiet and maybe boring recording. I was wrong. The first track starts off as a constant high tone, changing slowly and slightly. Things pick up, and you hear scraping. Was this recorded inside a piano? You can hear the strings hit, it sounds really interesting. Things slow back down to a quiet drone, and pick back up with more of the string scraping. At the very end, the scraping takes over, it sounds like the piano is being hacked with a saw or something, real wild and a great ending. The track is very well formulated and executed. Around 20 minutes, and never boring. The second and last track is a little different, remaining at a lull for most of the 24 or so minutes, not quite as interesting as the first. But towards the end, louder sounds emerge. They're almost mechanical, like the strings are hooked up to a distant jackhammer. They're really vibrating.
A lot can be done with a piano in an unconventional way. This CD is proof, and if you're into experiments out of the ordinary, pick this up if you can.
Music: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Title: Amplified Piano
Label: Sound Mansion Recordings
Year: 2009
This is my first exposure to Matt Endahl, a fellow Michigander. This also happens to the the first release on his Sound Mansion Records label.
Very nice hand-made artwork, in the form of a unique and colorful over sized black sleeve. Not much going on with the disc face. More interesting art like on the cover would've been cool.
Very nice hand-made artwork, in the form of a unique and colorful over sized black sleeve. Not much going on with the disc face. More interesting art like on the cover would've been cool.
As the title implies, this album was recorded with only a piano. In my mind, this would make for a quiet and maybe boring recording. I was wrong. The first track starts off as a constant high tone, changing slowly and slightly. Things pick up, and you hear scraping. Was this recorded inside a piano? You can hear the strings hit, it sounds really interesting. Things slow back down to a quiet drone, and pick back up with more of the string scraping. At the very end, the scraping takes over, it sounds like the piano is being hacked with a saw or something, real wild and a great ending. The track is very well formulated and executed. Around 20 minutes, and never boring. The second and last track is a little different, remaining at a lull for most of the 24 or so minutes, not quite as interesting as the first. But towards the end, louder sounds emerge. They're almost mechanical, like the strings are hooked up to a distant jackhammer. They're really vibrating.A lot can be done with a piano in an unconventional way. This CD is proof, and if you're into experiments out of the ordinary, pick this up if you can.
Music: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
ROBERT TURMAN & AARON DILLOWAY - BLIZZARD
Artist: Robert Turman & Aaron Dilloway
Title: Blizzard
Label: Hanson Records
Year: 2009
Year: 2009
Hanson Records has got into the groove of releasing incredibly nice real CDs for the last 6 months (give or take). This one is the lastest, and it's a little different from the rest. It comes in a standard CD case, while the others came in digipak cases. This isn't a bad trait, though. The artwork is very minimal, with a purple and navy colorscheme. A familiar image is used on the art, the one that appeared on the first Dilloway/Turman venture, a split cassette from 2008. I hope this is a sign that this image will be standard for all Dilloway/Turman releases. The cover is a single panel and doublesided (the back being plain purple). It would've been nice to see more artwork, but it's easily understandable why there isn't once you listen to the music. Thr package as a whole is meant to be very minimal.
Blizzard is a very fitting title of this depressing as hell album.
According to Dilloway, this was recorded in the midst of a bad snowstorm in January of this year. Long story short, Dilloway, stuck in Ohio without wife or child at his soon to be old house with everything in boxes and no heat, made the three block treck over to Turman's place to set in for
a few days and nights of recording. These 4 tracks really embody the feeling of complete misery. The first track is a very minimal drone type piece (the whole album is somewhat in a drone fasion), with strange flute sounds backed by Dilloway's mostly unchanging synth. it's very quiet compared to what comes after it. The next two tracks, though still quite minimal, are a bit louder. The synth work is still largely in the same drone manner, though everything else seems to be amped up a notch. They keep the same frigid feeling, like you're frozen in a glacier that's movement is non-existant almost, though in a larger way. It's hard to pin down an exact source of these sounds, they're really quite unique. Both tracks have sounds that tend to build up and die down, keeping a patter that one can easily get lost in. The last track is not unlike the first. Very quiet, with sounds that I can't identify. It's almost human, but very well could be more flute sounds like the first track. This is my favorite piece on the album, very atmospheric and sparse. Turman really does a good job mxing the effects in with his main source of audio, it's almost impossible to tell. This album is seriously cold and depressing.
According to Dilloway, this was recorded in the midst of a bad snowstorm in January of this year. Long story short, Dilloway, stuck in Ohio without wife or child at his soon to be old house with everything in boxes and no heat, made the three block treck over to Turman's place to set in for
a few days and nights of recording. These 4 tracks really embody the feeling of complete misery. The first track is a very minimal drone type piece (the whole album is somewhat in a drone fasion), with strange flute sounds backed by Dilloway's mostly unchanging synth. it's very quiet compared to what comes after it. The next two tracks, though still quite minimal, are a bit louder. The synth work is still largely in the same drone manner, though everything else seems to be amped up a notch. They keep the same frigid feeling, like you're frozen in a glacier that's movement is non-existant almost, though in a larger way. It's hard to pin down an exact source of these sounds, they're really quite unique. Both tracks have sounds that tend to build up and die down, keeping a patter that one can easily get lost in. The last track is not unlike the first. Very quiet, with sounds that I can't identify. It's almost human, but very well could be more flute sounds like the first track. This is my favorite piece on the album, very atmospheric and sparse. Turman really does a good job mxing the effects in with his main source of audio, it's almost impossible to tell. This album is seriously cold and depressing.A very different release from Dilloway's recent output, showing that he can very easily master many different styles and make them his own. I'd be very interested in hearing more of Turman's work, but it's all so damn hard to find! I have heard his side of his split from last year with Dilloway though, and it's highly impressive.
Music: 5/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
Packaging: 4/5
Overall: 5/5
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