Mid Leopard Violet Prism - Carbohydrate Somnambulism

Artist Mid Leopard Violet Prism
Label Total Vermin
Year 2011
Genre(s) Psychedelic Noise, Drone

Another tape from the two headed noise monster that is MLVP. Featuring Nackt Insecten and Smear Campaign joining up again to make more long form, psychedelic twinged drones and sharp static bubbles. Whilst both artists are well known in their own right for their other projects they manage to bring their A-game to this tape.

Opening with Battery Acid Pumped Through Veins a tense drone rolls around like a snowdrift. Soothing at one minute, unnerving the next. The juxtaposition twixt the two moods offers the meat of this tape. The noise contained within serves a narrative purpose. From the very opening the listener is transported to a different realm. One full of broken machinery and parched deserts. Soundtracked by the sound of a million blow circuits and mechanical death throes. The A side contains calmer, drawn out music whereas the B side serves up slightly harsher and more disconcerting sounds.

There's always going to be comparisons drawn between MLVP and Smear Campaign/Nackt Insecten, but for me the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Toxic Toys Zone - Atropine

Artist Toxic Toys Zone
Label 17 Sons
Year 2011
Genre Wall Noise, Harsh Noise

With this release Toxic Toys Zone serve up four slabs of Harsh Noise decay. Slow as molasses and just as thick, each passage washes over the listener in an almost calming fashion. Minor variations flow throughout the release, only noticeable with a good set of speakers or some headphones. This is the stylistic mixture of Velvet Cacoon's ambient work and Vomir's Harsh Noise Wall.

Narcosis offers up a wall built from stuttering synth and decaying static. Swirling and shifting until it is gradually overtaken by a bassier tone that begins, itself, to degrade. Eventually everything dies away bar the beautiful shimmering synth to close out the track. Juxtaposed perfectly with the screaming feedback walls that open Syncope. The end to Narcosis offers slight space to catch a breath before being submerged again in the harsher landscapes crafted by Toxic Toy Zones.

Metallic drones shape the subsequent track. Opening with a high pitched wail and slowly morphing into an almost soothing passage, like lying back and letting steel waves wash over the listener. The sounds of steel drums being broken down and echoing throughout wordless chambers. Dense, and despite the calm ever so slightly unsettling.

The final track, Sedation, offers yet more feedback. Ever so subtly shifting drones of feedback lull the listener into a state of sedation. The equivalent of a chill-out track at the end of a Psy-trance album, only for harsh noise heads. Not building to anything, simply existing in a calm middle ground. Closing the release in the most beautiful fashion.

This was my first experience of Toxic Toy Zones and the label 17sons, I can only say that if all the material is of this quality that I will be keeping an eye on both the project and the label. Also worthy of note is the fact that I will be reviewing another 17sons release over the coming days.

Dementia and Hope Trails & Pregnant Spore - Split

Artist Pregnant Spore & Dementia And Hope Trails
Year 2011
Label Side-A-Records
Genre(s) Psychedelic Noise, Drone

It's nearly the end of January. We've all lost our afterglow from the festive season and no doubt most of our resolutions have been shattered. It's not exactly the most pleasant time of the year, couple that with the hideous weather and dark nights n' you've got a recipe for despondency. Luckily Side-A-Records are stepping up to the plate to provide some much needed entertainment in this gloomy time. There's nothing like a bit of psychedelia to chase the blues away.

Served up in an over sized PVC cassette case (Think old style VHS box) with beautiful Psychedelic covers. These two tapes offer up about an hour and a half of finely sculpted psychedelic noise. Pregnant Spore is the new operative name for one Dim Dusk Moving Gloom, an artist I have reviewed and enjoyed previously. After doing a tad of detective work (Read: Spending mere seconds on Google) I learned that Dementia and Hope Trails is also an alias of Justin Mark Lloyd.

The Dementia & Hope Trail tape opens with a drone, calming and cool. Evoking images of floating in an endless crystal blue stream. The music carries itself slowly, almost as the current, reaching new heights of shimmering beauty. In no way is the music oppressive, allowing the listener breathing space and to be caught up and carried away. The slowly morphing guitar begins to take on a slight soulful edge which carries on until the end of the track. It slowly builds and gains more distortion until becoming a wailing siren, the sound of the guitar imploding. The next track opens with a far more disconcerting air. Slow pulses that sound reminiscent of the transfer into Nightmare Silent Hill (See: Silent Hill series of games). Much heaver than the prior track, crushing despite the minimalism. Soon shudders and thumps begin to merge into a dense electronic hum, the sound of a million angry machines. The overall atmosphere in this track is very close to the works of Akira Yamaoka, something that I wish more drone based works could aspire to. Dementia & Hope Trails creates genuinely affecting drones. The first, more ambient track serving as the perfect foil for the grimy, dirty, creepy second track. Both will carry you off to far away places, the only issue being that you might not want to open your eyes wherever the second song takes you.
Pregnant Spore offers up two cuts of more noise based material. Twitching Minions coils bursts of explosive noise around low rumbles and scrapes. Starting slowly, punctuating an uneasy silence before building into an all out assault. Some fast paced cut-up styled noise sections occasionally break through the blast furnace of sound. Vocals swathed in effects bubble just below the surface, threatening to surge up and burn the face from the listener. Virus Sex bursts forth from the speakers with, if possible, a harsher high end buzz and crumbling low end. Slower than the preceding track but just as tense and unnerving. Screeches and electronic whines flutter around a dying tone, gutted by the side of the road. Letting out it's death throes.

This release offers up amazing presentation alongside two fantastic artists (Well, one, you know.) offering their best. What's not to love? Lift yourself out of the winter blues, you deserve it don't you?

Dim Dusk Moving Gloom - Articles of Faith

Artist Dim Dusk Moving Gloom
Year 2010
Label Datahex
Genre Psychedelic Noise, Drone

I'm not overly fond of netlabels. I feel I should get that out of the way. For every great netlabel, and there are a few, there's about one hundred others that put out releases by the likes of RedSK and Breakdancing Ronald Reagan. Netlabels more so than anything else seem to lack quality control, even the major noise net label Smell the Stench has "put out" stuff by some less than favourable "artists". I know explaining a bias doesn't excuse it but hopefully airing that won't allow it to tain this review.

Dim Dusk Moving Gloom is one of many projects of Justin Mark Lloyd, playing a fucked up mix of Psychedelic Noise, Droning sound scapes and the odd harsh element thrown in. He also heads up the Rainbow Bridge label when he's not record with his plethora of projects. This release, Articles of Faith, finds it's home on Datahex records, a relatively recent netlabel. Looking over their releases is a bit of a mixed bag, though not terrible, with the exception of my excessive recoil upon noticing BRR appearing on one of their compilations. I must say in favour of both Dim Dusk Moving Gloom and Datahex that Articles of Faith is doing a lot to redefine how I look at netlabels.

The release opens with an almost R&B flavoured beat, sounding like a distortion of the opening beat to Amazing (Kanye West). Hints of static creeping around the side. Slight stuttering on some of the beats lends a Chopped and Screwed feel to the piece. The beat is soon overtaken by wailing high end and a crunchy, bassy layer of static. Vocals charge headlong into the mix, drenched in reverb and delivered in an almost Power Electronics style.

The next track is a 17 minute droning dirge. Crumbly walls of bass move at a glacial pace with a well integrated use of religious samples. The matter of fact, mildly upbeat samples is juxtaposed with the static and shrieks low in the mix. Both the music and the sample taken on new meaning when put together, meaning that isn't inherent (Not that I want to discuss the potential of Eisenstein's montage theory in relation to music). Soon high end skree pushes into the piece, the sample still going on in the background, fighting for position and breaking through so only a few seconds here and there are audible. The track does begin to overstay it's welcome at around the 14 minute mark, created as it is around the one sample. Also worthy of note is a high end whine noteable at the beginning of the track which is often found when using a computer programme to artificially slow a piece, whether this is the cause or not it is still distracting.

Next up is a short 2 minute number, bassy noise fliterring between channels, panned perfectly. Slowly starting to get lost in oncoming waves of psychedelic static.

Sundowning is a thirty minute piece that begins slowly and creeps it's way up to a static onslaught. Slowly gathering elements as it progresses, the rumble and crumble of bass is especially prevalent in this track (and the release as a whole) but unfortunately seems to ebb away when the white noise begins. This leaves the track feeling hollow, as it's left with nothing but high end for a while. Like thunder the bass suddenly returns to make a blistering cocktail not far removed from some of the less vocal heavy Masonna 7''s. As the assault collapses into itself the sounds of dying electronics rise to the front, the entire tracks sounding like a spaceship entering a meteor storm and just as it manages to get free all electronics die, slowly.

The final track on Articles of Faith is Prosthetic Relief which mixes the bassier noise with a slowly ebbing drone. This track almost functions the same way as the final song on a psy-trance album. More chilled out and relaxing, bringing you back to earth after the trip you've just been dragged on.

Articles of Faith isn't without fault, certain tracks can feel slightly overlong. Besides this the quality is brilliant however, you can tell that every element is well crafted and put together with utmost care. As I mentioned earlier Dim Dusk Moving Gloom and Datahex have managed to make me rethink (certain) netlabels. That's got to be worth something.

Barf Thoth - Peep Roky

Artist Barf Thoth
Label Fag Tapes
Year 2007?
Genre(s) Drone, Experimental Noise

Barf Thoth is yet another project of Fag Tapes label head Heath Moerland (Sick Llama et al.) Focussing on vocal based noise and drone compositions. Peep Roky is described by the label as:

“The elevator lights went out and the only other dude in there w/ me kept complaining about the silence. said at his crib 13 televisions and radios would be on all the time, 25/8, all set to different stations. he busted me this tape.”

It’s easy to dismiss label description in the noise scene, just have a quick gander at any number of hyperbolic love fests applied to Generic Skaters Release #17,054. For once though I can’t help but feel the label description has perfectly captured the essence of the tape I hold in my hands.

Peep Roky serves up two ten minute(ish) cuts of bubbly drone, corrupted speech and hazy atmospheres. Side A invokes oppressive atmospheres as treated speech crackles away, audible en yet completely obscured. Slowly others voices begin to build into the piece, lurking in the background. As the label descriptor points out it feels like a million different news reports, some rolling backwards, some moving too fast, all rolled into one. Like a panic attack in an electronics store when you’ve left your Xanax at home! The most impressive part of the A Side is the minimal use of electronics, the entire track is driven by the vocal samples and gathers most of its atmosphere from them. The electronics are primarily used to set the mood, oppressive, dank and creepy. Side B has a stronger focus on electronically generated noise. Crunchy drones rise beyond the vocal murk, percussive elements become part of the fray. As if every single TV and radio suddenly fell between stations, rough outlines of shows breaking through the static churn.

Apologies for the shit cover scan, I don’t have a working camera/scanner right now and it’s the best quality image available on the web. Let me just assure you that the packaging is indeed fantastic, sprayed tapes and a collaged cover.

Timothy C Holehouse/Chris Cook

Artist Timothy C Holehouse/Chris Cook
Label None
Year 2010
Genre(s) Drone, IDM

Another in the long line of Timothy C Holehouse split releases from the past year or so. This time with Same Actor & Hot Roddy, two guises of Chris Cook. This release features a solo track from Hot Roddy, Same Actor and Timothy C Holehouse as well as two collab tracks twixt Holehouse and Cook.

Side A of the tape is dedicated to the two collaborative tracks, The Persian Sea & It Began with Nothing. Offered up are psychedelic drones, bells and swirls entering the cosmic energy. Strings being offered up as a dedication. A ceremony within a vast woodland, I know that Chris Cook plays sitar and I’m fairly certain it’s used in these two collab tracks, offering a krauty/raga vibe to proceedings whilst the electronics burn on. Stunning implementation of crescendos create a pressing urgency in what is essentially a slow moving drone. What I find fascinating is how well the traditional instruments and the electronics combine, both seem to have their own place in the composition. Too often with modern day “drone” works there’s totally useless insertion of instrumentation (See: Not Not Fun and other “hipster”-ish noise), whereas here Cook and Holehouse present a master class in not only playing but composition. Once again this piece is steeped in atmospheres that will evoke different reactions in each listener, you really owe it to yourself to discover this tape. I’m really hoping for further collaboration in the future.

Side B is where we can find the separate tracks by each artist, the first five tracks being by either of Chris Cook’s projects (Which pseudonym to which track isn’t made clear) with a final piece by Timothy C. Holehouse. Cook’s projects were a massive shock, shifting to something close to Dubstep, IDM and even some D’n’B moments. It almost seems at odds with that which came on Side A. No less relaxing for it but defiantly in a totally different spectrum, I had heard mention of an earlier Chris Cook related project (Remote) as having a Warpish/Aphex vibe and I can defiantly see the influence on these pieces. The final Holehouse track opens with slow percussion and alien bleeps and squeaks, a denser and darker approach but making both artists solo tracks stronger via the juxtaposition. Dense and suffocating drones quickly fill all available space and force the listener down, just as crushing as any Moss record!

This is probably my favourite tape out of the recent releases I’ve reviewed, as I’ve mentioned before I’m very fond of split releases that showcase different genres/styles of music and this tape is no exception. The mix of atmospheres, emotions and textures on this release make it a fascinating listen and well worth returning to.

Euhedral/Timothy C Holehouse Split Tape

Artist Euhedral/Timothy C Holehouse

Label Self Released

Year 2010

Genre(s) Drone, Dark Ambient

Yet another split tape featuring the ever wonderful Mr. Holehouse and this time he has teamed up with Oxford based drone and dark ambient project Euhedral. Euhedral offers up one track split into two parts of creepy drone/dark ambient soundscapes, whilst Timothy C. Holehouse presents three tracks of dark improv. and shuddering melody. The information with the insert is somewhat sparse, offering artist and track names (and e-mails etc). The only other bit of info to be found is that the tape (I'm assuming both sides?) was recorded in Peckham on a bleak Sunday. I can't say for certain that this had any effect on the outcome but this split is definitely dark and brooding.

The Euhedral side side starts off with a drifting sound, echoes and slow methodical drum beats filling the plain. Self described by the artist as dark (which is an understatement) Mantis Song Parts 1 & 2 offer dense yet spacious atmospheres, drums bouncing off slick cave walls and dread filled drones rising from blackness. Damaged and shuddering walls of noise closing in from every side. The production and the drum sound almost lend a dub sound to the proceedings. As Part 1 fades into oblivion the dense silence is punctured by screams, at which I'm getting a similair vibe to In Umbra Malitiae Ambulabo, In Aeternum In Triumpho Tenebrarum by Abruptum (Except executed in a much more competent fashion). A metallic nightmare begins to stalk closer and closer to the forefront, like a mechanical beast rising from a misty chamber. Female vocals dance in the ether fitting the mood perfectly. All the components of the release joining into a sonic miasma. It's here however that I have a slight problem with the work, I was taken out of the experience somewhat by what sounds to be the use of a wah effect on the track, I was very aware of the nature of the track and it dulled the atmosphere that (until this point) had been created perfectly. Gone was the creeping sense of dread. There is a quick stop/start used to great effect, just as I was getting up to change sides the assault returned and resulted in me cowering like a little girl. I'll happily throw some Euhedral tracks on in future, however it's not exactly comfortable listening in a dark room en yet at the same time I would advise it to get the most of the experience.

Timothy C. Holehouse starts off with a calm piece of guitar, slowly repeating and dying away. Electronic flourishes ebb alongside the guitar. As the volume and intensity increases an air of menace becomes apparent. What sound like whispered vocals lurk just behind the instrumentation, haunting the listener. Soon the guitar is overpowered by a thudding pulse of a beat, steady and omnipresent. A swirl of electronics offering only slight suggestions that the guitar still exists as part of the composition. More urgent and pressing, there is a slight drop out on the tape at one point which I'm not entirely sure is intentional. Just as soon as the hazy electronics began they start to fade away, leaving the pulsating beat and gentle guitar, sounding ever more alone. The beat eventually vanishes until the guitar is all that's left, sounding sorrowful and alone due to the juxtaposition with the harsher point of the track. Track two carries with it an almost Moevot vibe, carrying the sound as if it were recorded in a cathedral, there are also flourishes of almost Kluster-esq electronics, psychedelic en yet melding perfectly with the composition. The Moevot vibe only increase as the side rumbles on, especially when the sinister, whispered vocals return.

There's much been said about the genre of Black Noise, despite being a loose term which covers the more bombastic (Emit) to the slightly calmer and more ambient (Dapnom/Black Seas of Infinity) there seems to be a lash back from the noise community at large. It's releases like this that might be able to turn the tide and show there can be a good mix of Dark/Black Ambient and Noise/Drone elements to create something greater than the sum of it's parts.

Heatsick - Reverse Gardens

Artist Heatsick

Label Turgid Animal

Year 2007

Genre(s) Drone

I came to know Birds of Delay before having even heard of Heatsick. The Berlin side of this UK/Germany duo, Steven Warwick, also produces acid mangled jams under the moniker of Heatsick. Taking a sledgehammer to conventions in favour of free-form psychedelic scuzz. I first heard Perpendicular Rain on Not Not Fun and had an insane desire to track down more from the demented warped electronics maestro.

Enter Reverse Gardens on the UK based Turgid Animal label. On this release Warwick offers two tripped out jams, each around the thirty minute mark and each offering up a veritable smorgasbord of spacey, warped and shuddering psychedelic noise. All the usual characteristics of noise are present, pulsating high end and rumbling low end. Hiss, fuzz and skree. At the same time these elements are twisted and redefined. Like pushing the circular block into the square hole but managing to make it fit. The tracks are repetitive but never to their detriment, lulling and tripped out. Imagine being plucked out of your bed by a UFO suffering engine troubles, pluming smoke into your bedroom and obscuring everything. The warbling noise shudders along, dragging the listener with it. Sections repeat, loop and merge seamlessly into one another all the while wrapped in a blanket of hiss. Lay back, relax and let the journey commence.

Side B sounds like an electrical fault in a dub studio, with King Tubby looking on in horror as screechy wah takes over his bubbling bass. Not too dissimilar from some earlier Sun Araw work. The mangled electronics start to take over the track, pulsing to the top. There's a lot of projects that claim in their little blurbs to be the result of "broken electronics" but I don't think any really hammer that fact home in their music, Heatsick on the other hand sounds like the expert handling of broken electronics to make a cohesive complete product. Reverse Gardens makes strong use of repetition, sounding like early Psychedelic Rock (Blue Cheer, maybe even Christine 23 Onna) in the process of being pushed through a blender. Repetition slowly warping as it becomes more and more damaged.

Timothy C Holehouse - Littlecreatures

Artist Timothy C Holehouse
Label Unknown (If any)
Year 2009
Genre(s) Space Noise (?), Drone

Littlecreatures came to me packaged in a large plastic baggie, included were all sorts of police procedural forms (!?), handwritten instructions for various elements of driving lessons and a small insert, listing what appears to be a poem. I was pretty excited by this, to see how the aesthetic presentation sat with the music on tape. That said the music is most important so we'll get to that first.

This release sounds a lot more spacey than other work by Holehouse, sounding like echos from a battle lost lightyears away, now reaching our simple fleshy brains. The last days of the first sentient computer, traversing the universe and caught on tape one starry evening. My attitude towards this is partly covered in the Felony report document where the first track Leucotony is listed as being made via broken wires, therimin frequencies and a charity shop drum machine. Sounds bounce around, aided by the panning decision. Out of nowhere the music suddenly gets darker, the earlier frequencies hinting at screams from a dying planet. Any form of music that seems spacey always makes me think of Kraut Rock, Littlecreaturs is no exception and as per it's a fine piece of music, evolving past the simple beginnings into a true miasma of sound, drones push and pull like currents. There is simply so much going on that it deserves, nay demands, multiple listens (and upon hearing it once you'll want to give it multiple spins). The sound dies away, leaving a slight moment of reflective silence before a harsh, crumbly drone begins to drive the track forward. The interplay between the harsher elements and more dreamy spaced out sounds really managed to separate me from the music, I wasn't just sitting jamming to a tape and writing preliminary notes, I was in the middle of something. All action on my part stopped so as to better experience the music on offer. Littlecreatures manages to transcend the "background listening" experience of some more drone based noise and become a true behemoth, this demands your attention and you'd be right to give it some. As ever Holehouse doesn't stay with one style too long, everything is wrapped into a package, some harsher almost PE elements invade the sonic tapestry but never at the expensive of other parts. This isn't cut-up, it flows freely and simply for an epic journey.

The second track (side) titled Elephantis burns forth on a more harsh note, sounding like early Masonna live recordings, harsh rumble, static and children's nursery rhymes cut-up into an unrelenting assault. Almost acting as a pastiche of the found sound aesthetic. This review is hard to write because I'm dealing with some amazing nostalgia right now. The harsh elements seem harsher due to the juxtaposition between them and TV sound samples and even kids singing. Never sitting in one place and refusing to be categorised. Elephantis really displays the use of good cut n paste styles of found sound within the genre. I'm gonna make a lot of enemies here and say that if James Ferraro is seen as being amazing because he can play old 80s themes through a pedal board then Holehouse shows how actual found sound can be incorporated into noise for the benefit as opposed to some gimmick. The track covers so many moods that it's hard to list, jumping seamlessly from a harsh cut-up nostalgia trip to an unnerving drone. Like the Talkboy I owned at age 8 being swapped into a Merzbow performance. Magical, creeping, screaming.

Shuriken/Timothy C Holehouse Split Tape

Artist Timothy C Holehouse/Shuriken

Label None
Year 2009
Genre(s) Drone, PE, Noise Rock

Timothy C Holehouse opens his side of this split with a barely audible machine hum, a crescendo building into sultry drone. Dark and claustrophobic, sounding like a slowed heartbeat pushed through a pedal line. An incredible sense of foreboding, as if waiting for the end that is expected but no less scary. The first track, Swine Flu Boo... Who? is the audio equivalent of the pandemic, slow rumbles at first, growing closer and becoming louder until the whole world is screaming. The track, as with the threat of Swine Flu grows and grows until it suddenly begins to ebb out just as quickly as it arrived.

The next song is a mixture of static feedback, pulsating with a steady rhythm. As if every computer rebelled and marched upon the senate. The track rises up for one final attack and stops in its tracks. Holehouse's side is closer to Batchas style dark ambient to my ears, which is no negative point. Both these songs are fantastic, if a little short for my liking.

Next up we have Shurikens side which is split into four tracks. The first thing I need to say is how shocked I was, the music on this side is straight up rock. I actually checked to see I hadn't accidentally set my hi-fi to CD (Dinosaur Jr. was still sitting in the tray). I'm really pleasantly surprised by the first track offered up, amazing bass lines and angular guitar with fairly emotive vocals. The next cut Unison sounds like Sonic Youth meeting The Jesus Lizard in the Batcave, very noise rock/post punk. The music really is fantastic, it's especially nice to hear more "conventional" bands sharing a tape alongside noise musicians, variety is the spice of life n' aw that.

Amazing presentation on the release too, on tape printing for both sides (I can't tell you the amount of times I've been faced with an almost impossible attempt to work out Side A from Side B with some other tapes) and fold out J-Card with a skeletal theme.

Plurals/Timothy C Holehouse - Live split

Artist Plurals/Timothy C Holehouse
Label None
Year 2009
Genre(s) Drone, Noise, Power Electronics

Both artists deliver a live cut recorded in Brighton, November 2008. The tape comes with a train ticket (I'm not sure if this is every copy or not) and a fold out insert listing the artists, their tracks and containing pictures relating to the performances captured within (Above).

Plurals open their track, Midnight Cock Pie, with a warm drone, slowly growing in scope and intensity. Overtaking the listener like a wave. More and more high end is interjected into the mix, possible percussion lurking in the background. What sound like vocals enter the fray, becoming part of the sonic textures. Almost shamanic and used as part of the music, reminiscent of shoegaze styles. Voices offering up lullabies to soothe weary travelers. Subtle chimes augment the calming drones as they begin to morph into a slightly harsher variant, the vocals becoming more profound. At this point the music begins to take a darker edge, spacey sounds merge seamlessly into the miasma whilst the overall piece still maintains a very organic feeling. A million different atmospheres are gelled together perfectly in this live set and it's a pleasure to listen to. This is wonderful stuff, psychedelic and soothing.

The Timothy C Holehouse side, titled A New Dichotomy of Hate... That Tastes Great opens with chanting, which the audience become part of. The chanting is looped and delayed before fading into a dark drone with whispered vocals, at times quite close to Power Electronics, make no mistake about it where the vocals on Plurals side offered a psychedelic element the vocals on TCM's side are unnerving. Buzzing, dirty electronics rise up from the depths. Crashes and damaged beats hover over the buzz, starting out spacious but slowly coming together allowing less and less breathing space, ever teasing at a full out sonic assault. A fantastic mixture of high and low end and a lot harsher than that which came before.To simply call this noise would be a massive disservice to the artist, we're treated to a fucked up (in the best possible sense) mixture of psychedelia, power electronics, drone and harsh noise. Angry shouts in the background in a call and response style. Some almost Masonna esq sound manipulation leaping into your face. There are so many styles at play on this release that it's impossible to cover them all but each supports the others. This is what noise should be, ever changing and refusing to be confined to one specific sound.

This release really shows the best of both artists, all the stronger for their conflict of styles whilst both working within the over-arching genre of "noise". Plurals and Timothy C Holehouse offer two completely different kinds of psychedelic noise, catering to fans of both drone and the more harsh outputs.

Nackt Insecten - Double Lunar Halo

Artist Nackt Insecten

Label Beyond Repair

Year 2007

Genre(s) Harsh Noise, Drone

Double Lunar Halo really begins to showcase the more spacey side of the Nackt Insecten sound. Opening with Tunnel Vision, a short piece made up of crackling vocals and swirling synth. This track is still calm but it's not really drone in style. Much closer to harsh noise. After a short while the next track creeps up, powerful drone like thunder caught in a time warp. Dense and dank. Psychedelic high end threatening to come ever forward. As if Spacemen 3 put down the guitars but kept the pedal boards running while they went out to ingest various illicit substances.

A choir made up of children from the Village of the Damned are ready to sing for us, their voices distort as they swirl before our eyes. Stretching and distorting into hideous representations of their former self.

The real meat of this release is the 14 minute title track. A mixture of the more electronic, creepy style of drone that NI first displayed and then relaxed, spacey ritual sound that is currently being used. A real cross section of the development of the project. Somehow comforting and unsettling at the same time. Would have worked as a soundtrack for the fall of British industry.

Nackt Insecten - Sick Animal Eyes

Artist Nackt Insecten

Label At War With False Noise

Year 2007

Genre(s) Noise, Drone

An early release from Nackt Insecten here, a lot harsher that some later material. More of a brooding, creepy edge to this release.

Broken electronics attempting to function, burning out and shutting down. The memory of function, crawling slowly onto your shoulder. Enveloping us in broken leads, tying us down to view their final stand. Everything blows out as the sound begins to die.

Pretty uneventful drone on the next track, nothing really happens and the sound is somewhat hollow.

The third track follows much in the same vein as the first two. I'm not gonna focus on it but I'd like to make a quick point. I do like Sick Animal Eyes, I like it a lot. I just feel that it pales in comparison to the later Nackt Insecten works. SAE is a solid, creepy drone release, but it's not the amazing kraut inspired drones that NI is now known for (Or at least he should be known for)

Nackt Insecten - Stairway to Levitation

Artist Nackt Insecten

Label None (?)

Year 2007

Genre(s) Drone

Light, airy drones opens up this release. As if we're already ascending towards the clouds. Sections that almost sound like "world music" from some far off planets sneak through the cloudy electronics and regale us with stories of their home world. Like a space shuttle lift off being slowly undertaken between bouts of relaxation. The rocket finally takes off, ever so gently, we're on our way.

More electronic rumble now as the fuel burns, propelling onwards t'wards alien tribes and new customs. Relaxation replaced by wonder, machinery swirling in the background. Soon.

Landing, to be greeted by an alien welcoming party, singing their native song. A lush planet, but somehow not right. Purple trees rise up against a beetroot sky. Long, languid walks through the flora and fauna of this beautiful world. Until the final night, when you sit across rugs and play local folk music with your alien brethren.

Nackt Insecten - Quantum Odyssey

Artist Nackt Insecten

Label Blackest Rainbow

Year 2009

Genre(s) Drone, Krautrock

I've certainly made mention of the more krautrock leanings of Nackt Insecten before. That was nothing compared to the full blown freakout presented on this beautiful slab of vinyl. Equal parts Popul Vuh and Maeror Tri. This release really moves Nackt Insecten head and shoulders above most acts that seem to be coming out of the drone "scene" at the momnent.

There's real focus here and the entire release flows perfectly. Like looking over a landscape of THC plantations that stretch to the heavens, slowly dancing in the cool breeze. It's wonderful on this plateau. There's simply not a single low point on this release, beautifully crafted and performed. Warm and all encompassing. This record is simply wonderful, and is definitely my record of the year for 2009.

Nackt Insecten - White Rainbow

Artist Nackt Insecten
Label Second Sleep
Year 2007
Genre(s) Drone

Two discs of beautifully composed and performed drone by Ruariadh Sanachan. Warm swells of sound painting a beautiful calming picture. Slowly soothing souls in the space age. There is a psychedelic gleam peaking around the slowly morphing drones, calling forth memories of Kraut Rock and early psychedelia. Built upon one main drone but padded out with beautiful synth and dreamy electronics. There are certainly elements of noise here, feedback is a prominent element of the compositions but always used to accentuate that which is on offer. Guitar makes a stunning appearance, being worked into the swirling vortex of sound. At the same time I am very much reminded of Popul Vuh. You see many bands these days described as Kraut Rock but none that I have heard captures the spirit and styling in quite the way Mr. Sanachan does.

The drones that are created here are never relegated to simple background music, there is too much going on. Sure you could play this in the background (It's common bed listening for me) but you really owe it your full attention too. Spacey electronics and dreamy synth dance together.

Disc two continues with more drones, this time darker and more ambient based. Conjuring images of desolation, the aforementioned vortex of sound suddenly sucking you in and throwing you into a desolate world long since destroyed. More dense drones with less breathing space. Harsher without crossing over into noise. All the elements from disc one are still here but they are utilised in different ways, showing a completely different side to Nackt Insecten. With disc 1 we were treated to a cosmic voyage on a cloud, disc 2 offers us the ruins of civilization telling us the story of the past. Mournful en yet still full of beauty. It closes without catharsis or resolve, we're trapped in this ruined landscape.

I don't usually do this but I also want to bring up the packaging on this release, 2 spray painted (Not to the point where it will flake and damage your CD player) cd-r's housed in a wonderful silk screened gate fold slipcase. Aesthetically linked with the music contained within. A wonderful package all round.

Opaque - Temporary Lifestyle

Artist Opaque

Label Dental Records

Year 2000

Genre Drone

Starting off slowly, gentle strumming of a guitar, ringing out against the emptiness. Serene and calm, but it feels like it's hiding something. Slowly feedback creeps in and washes over the notes, enveloping them in a warm wash of sound. The track slowly weaves around itself until it slowly fades out.

Continuing onwards more despondent and dissonant guitar melds with warm fuzz. Relaxing waves of sound lap over everything. A sudden urgency is injected into the equation as things begin to speed up and become more noisy, still built from the same guitars but now taking on a more sinister edge. Heavily distorted drums appear from nowhere to accentuate the noise. Feedback interjects itself into the composition, wrapping around the distorted guitar lines. The fuzz unravels itself back into clean guitar ringing out in stark juxtaposition. Slowly the release begins to fade out.

Pocahaunted - Peyote Road

Artist Pocahaunted
Label Woodsist
Year 2008
Genre(s) Drone

So there you are, sitting in your tent smoking your peace pipe. What's that beautiful siren song? Has Elizabeth Frazer decided to run wild under the cool night sky? There are drums somewhere as well. This is all very interesting, time to get moving, this is a chance too good to miss. Best take the peace pipe, it can only accentuate this feeling you have. Wandering across desert plains, surely there was forest here before? You can't recall. The beautiful wail permeates your ears, forces your brain to walk onwards, the sand stays cool beneath your feet as you dip and rise on these dunes. Turn around and drink in the dying embers of the fire, the need for warmth is long gone. It's so serene here, and she draws you ever forward. The sticky canvas is but a distant memory, how long have you been walking now? Hours, days even? It doesn't matter, you'll happily walk forever to find the night siren that chants this incantation. Aloft on the sand, shimmering under moonlight, this could be heaven. Heading forever towards an oasis so you may drink her in. The muse, the light, the everything. The voice has stopped, it feels cold now, lost in a desert and almost swimming to stay atop the sand. The drums remain, a cruel taunting mimic of your footsteps, covered by sand. Slowly the song returns, slowly you warm again. It's urgent now to reach her, night will be over soon. She's still calling you, and the oasis is in sight.

As you arrive at the moonlit oasis you can see figures moving around a burning fire. Shadows dance long on the sand, swirling into one another. The song stops and you're alone. The fire dying and leaving you with darkness and your thoughts. You sit, running your hands through the sand and feeling every grain drop through your fingers. The moon is hiding behind a dense cloud and darkness enshrouds everything. Something is touching your shoulder, damp and cold. Try not to make any sudden move, try to be calm. There's something else here, you shouldn't be here. The song resumes, darker now. A warning coming too late, it now only fills you with dread. Shrieking close to your ear, and the fire jumps as a Phoenix, filling the night with sharp shadows. Veiled in black two figures dance, sharing shrieks and moving with detached spasms. For all the fear, all the discomfort you're enthralled. A freezing wind blows, edge closer to the fire now. The sand shifting as you do so, becoming rock hard and uncomfortable. There is nothing you can do now but watch the grim ballet that is occurring before you and hope that morning will come. The chanting becomes more coherent again, the fire dying to final embers once more. It will be morning soon.