MERZBOW – TAUROT MACHINE (CD by Relapse)
SUTCLIFFE JUGEND – WHEN PORNOGRAPHY IS NO LONGER ENOUGH (CD by Death Factory)
ORGANUM – VOLUME ONE (CD by Robot Records)
CRIB – SHE IS CHURCH (CD by WIN)
SKULI SVERRISSON & HILMAR JENSSON (CD by Smekkleysa)
PAN SONIC – ARTIC RANGERS (2×7″ by Blast First)
MERZBOW – TAUROT MACHINE (CD by Relapse)
Somebody sent me a while ago a ‘generic aube’ review, in which I only needed to fill in the title and the sourcematerial – the rest was already written. I wonder what kind of generic merzbow review he could come up (this is an invitation!). Merzbow is the hardest worker around, maybe an uncritical one though. Or maybe it’s good that his releases sound the same, and that he doesn’t seem to care whose releasing it (Relapse being able to sell a few then any other bedroom label). Either, dear Merzbow purists (as I probably only have your attention when you saw another Merzbow reviewed), this particular Merzbow moves away a bit from the recent psychedelic, long track washes, and goes back to extreme noise, feedback blasts – like Pulse Demon. Quality is as usual – top. And dammit it was a while I played Merzbow (at least 2 months…) (FdW)
address: <mailorder@relapse.com>
SUTCLIFFE JUGEND – WHEN PORNOGRAPHY IS NO LONGER ENOUGH (CD by Death Factory)
Has power electronics reached it’s conclusion? What? Now, or 10 years ago, so I hear you say. Both in it’s musical contents as in it’s visual/lyrical output of violence… everything has worn out. Flogging dead horses (or maybe fucking is a better word in this context). This is kinder music (not as in kind but as in children). When I see heavy dressed leather types with black death metal grindcore, I think of children playing with toys that their parents don’t understand, and this is much the same.
Sutcliffe Jugend, a Whitehouse off-shoot, were once brilliant – ‘We Spit On Their Grave’ superb, but it has become a sad joke. So here’s something for those who like this: buy a cheap microphone, hold it before your speakers or headphones (dare dare not too upset the parents) and primal scream your frustations and perversions to these lyrics: “shit whore, your ass is best, I kill you, fuck you” and simply enjoy the feedback. If you endure 35 minutes you have outlasted this CD and a throbbing headache. Sutcliffe Jugend should have remained history and you should be releasing a CD. (FdW)
ORGANUM – VOLUME ONE (CD by Robot Records)
A most welcome re-issue, even for those, who like me, have all these on original vinyl (I never figured out if ‘In Extremis’ was on 33 or 45 rpm). These are from Organum more harsh older days, scraping metal wheels in slowed down speed and the beautiful, more softer ‘Rasa’, with it’s whispering. Can’t wait for the next volumes, with hopefully the super limited vinyl. My bank didn’t give me a loan to get them in the original state. (FdW)
CRIB – SHE IS CHURCH (CD by WIN)
Crib is one David Sarno and he plays (at least on this CD) one instrument, bass guitar. I was fortunate to see him play in Los Angeles 5 years ago, and I was impressed by his ambient textures, deep bass atmospheres. Haven’t seen much around from him, so this CD comes a nice surprise and also a nice souvenir to that concert. Crib multi-layers the sounds from the four stringer and mixes that into beautiful, yes I dare say ambient music. The last tracks compromises of remixes, which are kinda like hidden after the last tracks, and are more techno like, but sound a bit worn out (as in: could have been on Silent Records years ago). Nice but a bit out of place. For the rest, very nice CD – so gettid! (FdW)
Address: <xcribx@aol.com>
SKULI SVERRISSON & HILMAR JENSSON (CD by Smekkleysa)
Skuli’s name I came across some recent releases from the Extreme label, but for one reason (or was it the other?) didn’t stick firmly in my brain. Anyway here this Icelandic musician presents himself with somebody whose name rings certainly no bell on a first CD release for a new Icelandic label. Skulli plays bass here and Hilmar guitar – and that’s about it I could make of the cover. Over the eight tracks it glides from ambient, Hafler Trio (import Iceland) like textures towards more improv drenched in effects music. Far away, on the third (untitled – they all are) track, there is a glimpse of Oval in the sound processing. Overall a nice dark atmospheric, isolationist album (hey it’s from remote areas!). (FdW)
Address: P.OBox 710 – 121 Reykjavik – Iceland
PAN SONIC – ARTIC RANGERS (2×7″ by Blast First)
Boys will be boys searching for new toys. Last week I read an interview with RRRon Lessard and he said he Was too old to go on stage with toy mobils, so he used records to play with on stage. This super expensive package (25 British pounds) is all self assembly and comes as one of those toy kits that I spend the first decade of my life with. Although it will probably end up as in the old days: I play with the material, but will not paint the record labels. So what do you get: two 7″s, one with beats and one with drones, which you can nicely DJ with. Especially the powerful 1A side is great – hard stomping rhythm track, with distortion, which indeed goes well with 1C. This is Pan Sonic at it’s very best. And everybody who wonders why we didn’t review the ‘Endless’ CD yet: it’s both Pan Sonic and Alan Vega at their worst – no more of that please! (FdW)