Eighth Tower Records never disappoints! Each compilation they put out is so well put-together that the themes fit the subject material perfectly! This one is, of course, no exception. It is a paean to H. P. Lovecraft, perhaps America’s foremost horror and science-fiction writers. At least to my taste, Lovecraft is second only to Edgar Allan Poe. The comp features artists like Kirlian Camera, Gerstein and T.A.C., so rest assured that the quality is exceptional.
I had the pleasure of watching Otomo Yoshihide perform live about 30 years ago in Los Angeles, and his turntable wizardry made me a lifelong fan. It pleases me to see that labels are still carefully releasing his body of work, and this album is among my favorites. The album is full of short snippets, records mixed together, sound samples layer one on top of the other, blended, stirred and shaken to make one of the best experimental music albums of the late 1990s. A must for turntablists.
In honor of returning to lovely Belgrade, I salute the occasion with Serbian electrostatic composer Manja Ristić, now based in Croatia.
Chris Child & Micah Frank are two incredible composers out of the New England area of the United States. From this particular release’s Bandcamp site: Tape Pieces Vol. 3 represents the final installment in the collaboration between composer/producer Chris Child (Kodomo) and sound artist Micah Frank. Volume 3 culminates in a rich cacophony of noise and emotional charge while still remaining subdued in a contemplative state. Chris and Micah continue exploring simple asynchronous micro loops, layering upon them until what emerges becomes a rich ecosystem of interwoven parts, embracing unexpected noises and sounds disintegrating. It is perhaps the most experimental…
“A massive, oppressively brutal wall of sound.” That was the first impression that popped into my head after listening to Arvo Zylo’s project, Blood Rhythm’s latest release, New Illusions. Think of ritualistic noise with some sense of structure, like Z’ev meeting Merzbow’s more restrained and focused works. This is bleak, claustrophobic, ugly, and fitting with the zeitgeist of our current time. A heavy listen, made much better and more engrossing with headphones.
Because I could Not Stop for Death... is a quote from poet Emily Dickinson, and listening to JOHN 3:16 interpret it is a pleasant experience, as the music on this one-track single is sweeping and cinematic, a touch different from his other work.
One of the most remarkable things about the series of compilations released by our friends at Unexplained Sounds Group is the great number of new artists they come into contact with, and serve as a launching board for. Of all the artists on this compilation, only Ryo Murakami’s work rings a bell. Masayuku Imanishi’s work sounds like a newsroom printing press staffed by Throbbing Gristle and Hélène Sage. USG continue to release the finest in post-Industrial music.
This acousmatic gem by French composer Benjamin Aït-Ali was released at the end of 2020, and it’s as engaging as anything I’ve heard this year. There are many electroacoustic and acousmatic composers active today, including in my old hometown, who are of stunning quality, but Benjamin offers something a bit different to my ears. There’s a nostalgic sound involved, almost as if he were cutting and splicing these sounds together by hand. I don’t know his compositional or recording technique, of course, but there are warm pops and cracks throughout the recording. It’s truly cinema for the ears.
It is with a heavy heart that we have to report the passing of Dino, one of the pioneers of Taiwan’s noise scene. This squealing, squelchy noise masterpiece was released on Bandcamp in May of 2021 on Karma Detonation Tapes out of Taipei. May his memory be eternal. HT: Stacy Lipp.
As we observe Christmas Eve and the Nativity today and tomorrow based on the Julian Calendar, we share an avant-garde take on “Christmas” music. The French experimental record label Camembert Électrique have released a 94-track comp of some rather interesting takes of some Yuletide classics, as well as a fair number of originals. Some of the artists included include Anastasia Vronski, Sean Derek Cooper Marquart, James Hoehl, and our dear friends, Lezet. It’s not a conventional compilation for the season, but it holds its own rather well.