The Black Scorpio Underground – Attica : Electro Industrial / Experimental

Reviewed by Gird_09

The first thing that strikes me when I open the cover to stuff the cd into my player is the alchemical imagery. Presumably a rendition of a cosmological model complete with the three alchemical processes and astrological symbols – as well as a whole lot more it would take me more effort to interpret. It's a good way to tickle my curiosity.

I'm a bit disappointed when I hear the Hitler sample on Acid Fascist. It's a bit overdone, and I'm certain I've heard this particular speech in atleast three different tracks. But this initial scepticism is rapidly vanquished by the power and energy of the track. It's a thumper, put simply. The juxtaposition of Hitler and Leary is also interesting in its own way. Not sure if it's the way that's intended, but it does make me smile. Something about different forms of totalitarianism.

In general I'm often reminded of Skinny Puppy from the Too Dark Park / Last Rights era. The methodology is certainly reminiscent of Goettel's audio sculptures (sadly something they've abandoned or failed at since his death) and the choice of samples and the way they are processed is pure electro industrial at its peak. There's also other stuff here, and BSU manages to mix genres in a compelling way. Skinny Puppy is supplemented by smatterings of Syd Barret and Nurse With Wound – there's even some Death in June in there... Old school as we like to say.

The tracks are mostly consistent in terms of style. Blessed B the Little Children sounds a bit out of place, but it's a good break – and good albums should have a break. Too many people create albums thinking they are collections of single tracks and pay little heed to the album as a conceptual whole. This is not the case with this one. It has that well considered dramaturgy an album should have. It progresses through the tracks and builds something towards the end. I like that.

This is a form of music I rarely hear these days, and I have missed it. Not sure it's the most original album, but it's certainly not the most derivative either. There aren't too many leaves on this particular branch anymore, and very few of them are as brilliantly green as the Black Scorpio Underground.


2009, CD Album,

http://www.myspace.com/blackscorpiounderground

1 Acid Fascist [4:14]
2 Artificial Infestation [4:54]
3 Eulogy Satanis [5:16]
4 Blessed B the Little Children [4:21]
5 Chant ov Dreams [2:22]
6 Digital Whore [3:40]
7 the Rise of the Magus [2:49]
8 Blood in my Dreams [5:11]
9 War Mantra [4:46]
10 I Saw You Dead [2:18]
11 Revolutionation [3:14]
12 Ambient 23 [4:43]
13 NYC1970 [2:08]

Sektor 304 – Soul Cleansing – Industrial. Experimental

Review by Batcheeba.

What do you get if you hot wire early Einstürzende, say Strategien Gegen Architektur, to a pissed of homicidal robot, say Mark 13 from Hardware? Throw in some old school black metalish inspired vocals too and you will end up with Sektor 304.

It's that good. I don't really know where to begin with this review, as I want to say it all at once. This is beyond amazing. This release needs to be in your collection. And it's certainly off the normal Malignant path.

Sektor 304 is João Filipe Pais and André Coelho. And together these two create a whole new industrial experimental metal heaven. I'm so blown away it's ridiculous. They list power tools and metal junk to the list of instruments, and hell yes I'm so thrilled to hear someone actually banging away at real metal for once, instead of using fucking soft synth for everything. This my, dear readers, is proper hard core. What I really love is that they manage to combine the old school industrial rawness with more contemporary electronic sounds. And it works like you would not believe. On top of that you have the vocals. At times brutal screaming, at times eerie and threatening and subtle. All this is accompanied by rhythmic drums and a haunting drone inspired soundscape, yet surprisingly melodic at times. Think Tetsuo at it's most desperate and brutal, think Ichi the killer at it's most fucked up moments. There you have it: Sektor 304.

I have to mention the mastering done by the legendary J. Stillings (Steel Hook Studios/ Steel Hook Prosthesis). This smells of his to the point, no bullshit style. I'm a huge fan of his work, and this is just yet another star for him. Excellent choice to have Stillings master this release. Perfect fit.

I can only imagine what these guys would sound like live. My experience is that proper industrial like this always kills any live gig. If they bring even a fraction of the energy from this release to stage, it has to be pretty fucking mind blowing to watch. I'm one of those people who find hard core industrial noise like this to be meditative. If it's quality noise, I feel relaxed. And I feel relaxed.

The track titles should also have some attention, as they really are so spot on for this release. With titles such as Body Hammer, Voodoo Machine, Death Mantra and Blood Rush, the primitive and brutal force almost tears it's way into your head. The vibe is of post apocalyptic warriors. It is indeed very sexual. At least I am a little turned on.

The cover is also a real gem. From the moment you lay your eyes on it you know you are in for a brutal experience. Black, red and white 6 panel digipack, with a threatening minimalist design. Skulls, war paint, voodoo vibes and an overall primitive theme pulls this release together in a brilliant way.

There is really nothing left to say besides buy this CD. You need it. It's a brutal fist in your face, and you need it.

2010, CD Album, Malignant Records

Label: www.malignantrecords.com

Band site: www.myspace.com/sektor304

Track list:

1: Body Hammer

2:Gravity Factor

3: Voodoo Machine

4: Pulse Generator

5: The Beast

6: Power Exhange

7: Blood Rush

8: Death Mantra

9: Final Transmission

Choronzon : Ziggurat of Dead Shibboleths - Electronic / Experimental / Industrial Metal / Progressive Metal / occult

Reviewed by Gird_09

New material from Choronzon is always exciting, and this particular album has been long anticipated. We've done reviews of Choronzon here earlier and my enthusiasm for the project has certainly not diminished since then.

If you're familiar with the band's style this album won't come as a surprise to you. It's dark, eclectic and edgy, with a basis in metal and progressive music. The album manages to contain both the hallucinatory and lengthy the Dead, and tracks based in more traditional metal in way that never seems forced. From the get go it's a bit heavier than I'd expect, and the album starts off forcefully and goes right for the kill. I like that.

As with all of Choronzon's work this is full of references, and occult references in particular. A ziggurat is ritual structure similar to a pyramid (or even more like a kofun), but found in Mesopotamia, while Shibboleth refers to a biblical story. The exact meaning of the album title eludes me at the moment, but the juxtaposition of the two terms certainly triggers my curiosity. Perhaps the album is a sort of altar on which no longer valid practices of differentiation are sacrificed. Hell if I know. Interpreting the work to it's full extent is way beyond this review though.

The occult references in titles like The Great Work, and the Revealing is even more evident. I've claimed that Choronzon's music is apocalyptic both in the latter world-ending meaning, as well as the original revelatory meaning – and that's a claim I stand by. All you need to be convinced is a listen to the track the Dead, and you're sold.

It's no secret that I laud P. Emerson Wiliams' vocals any chance I get but I have to say that this album represents an apex so far. His voice is more focused than earlier, and the darker content of the music is expertly carried over by the vocals. Cos, have no doubt, this album is very dark. Darker than what I expected in fact, and with more overt metal roots than we've heard from Choronzon for quite some time now. Listen to the guitars on Monoliths Down or the speed metal riffing on Spacedust to Spacedust, and you'll see what I mean. This shift towards heavier music is welcome, but Choronzon retains its mystical roots and strange blend of styles as well. Love it.

It's hard to compare the music to anything else, so I'm not going to. Suffice to say that it's progressive occult electronic metal, and you really need to check it out if you can. I have to say, that this is my favorite album by Choronzon so far. I'm not kidding. It's that good. Three thumbs up!

USA, Inner-X-Musick, CD album, 2010

http://innerxmusick.wordpress.com/
http://choronzon.org/

1 Formula [4:33]
2 Identify the Patient [5:09]
3 Monoliths Down [4:29]
4 Ride Through the Night Sky [3:40]
5 Spacedust to Spacedust [6:04]
6 the Dead [10:30]
7 the Great Work [6:34]
8 the Revealing [6:21]
9 Wor Humana [6:19]
10 We Come Into Evening [5:25]
11 Ziggurat of Dead Shiboleths [3:12]

BSV : ARV – Experimental / Surreal

Reviewed by Gird_09



Let me start off by saying that this is a very eclectic and experimental album, with a wide range of styles crammed into a single recording. The tracks range from IDM, to Noise, to ambient and something akin to "traditional" early industrial music, and then it hits you with hip hop and even dub bass lines. It's very hard to say something general about the album except that it's all very experimental. The sounds are evidently sourced from a variety of sources and supplemented more or less randomly with musical compositions. At times it seems unfocused, but the music is strangely consistent in mood and arrangement. The theme feels well considered, but I'm not sure I can grasp it.

At times this music is pure pata, other times Aphex Twin on valium and ... Well, it's hard to say. For the fans of such music I'm sure this release is excellent, but I have to say I have a hard time finding it exciting personally. I love the way it sounds like a tape recording, and I love the complete lack of artistic compromise on it, but it doesn't do anything for me. I'd recommend this music to fans of Nurse With Wound, Caroliner Rainbow, Renaldo and the Loaf and similarly dissolved surreal music from bands I've never heard of. To me, personally, I think this kind of music is about as interesting as watching dogs poop.

I'm afraid this review is quite short, and doesn't do the album proper justice. If you're into old school experimental music I think this is for you, otherwise, just leave it alone. I know some people that would love this album.

I have to say though that there is no way for me to express how much I adore the hand made cover. I've sullied more than one wall with spray paint in my youth, and the low tech spray can hand made cover is very inspiring to me. If you're some kind of computer design elitist you're gonna hate it. But, uh, fuck off. It's excellent. (Apologies for the horrible scan.)

dubuque strange music society, 2010, CD Album

http://www.myspace.com/dubuqueexperimentalmusicothernoisessociety

1 Unititled [2:04]
2 Unititled [2:44]
3 Unititled [4:00]
4 Unititled [3:00]
5 Unititled [2:12]
6 Unititled [3:16]
7 Unititled [3:52]
8 Unititled [1:44]
9 Unititled [3:10]
10 Unititled [12:11]
11 Unititled [3:07]

Pineal eye II – minimalist experimental

Review by Batcheeba

II is the second album by Richard, there isn't much info on the web on this American musician. He has a minimalist myspace site and that's about all I could find. It seems Richard is a person who doesn't need much graphics surrounding his sounds. And once I start listening to his release, that all seems very fitting. The first track «Obelisk» is a minimalist and contemporary intro. Relaxing ambient very slowly moves it's way into a more experimental territory. It's a brilliant intro indeed and sets a very fitting setting for the rest of the release.

II has a certain element of melancholy lingering throughout, the sounds carries my mind out to sea. Under the sea, in fact, where everything is dark and cold. "24. September" functions as an audio driven submarine. Even though II is so filled with melancholy, I don't find it depressing. I'm guessing Richard is a man who has come to terms with his own demons and has found a way to channel his emotions. This is mature music because it's not something someone would be able to put together in 2 weeks. There is a lot of thought put into the composition and the sounds used, and I imagine quite a bit of concentration as well. II is very well executed. It really is.

I wouldn’t say it's difficult music, but it's not something everyone would enjoy. I do believe you have to be someone with a serious interest in sound in general. I am one of those people. "A shadow in the cave" is a brilliant track, it's more direct and also has a darker setting than the previous tracks, complimented with dirty noise elements and metallic sounding drums. Certainly moving into industrial territory, and towards the end, most definately noise. A fav track for me.

I really respect how Pineal Eye builds tension. Everything is so controlled, yet he manages to keep it flowing and soothing. The timing is perfect as well, nothing is overused or drawn out too far he knows exactly when to stop or to change direction in every single track. By now I feel safe in the room that is Pineal eye, as I am reassured he won't fuck up the remaining two tracks by doing something totally crazy. I am able to let go and enjoy the soundscapes, I am indeed "set adrift" by the time said track moves towards it's end.

As the last track, with the poetic title "Towers of silence" starts up, I am basically in awe of Richard and this masterpiece of a release. Electronic sounding bird noises swarms round my head and I find my self in a vortex of bliss. I LOVE this track. I don't want it to end. It's like Richard has injected some strange hallucinogenic into my brain and I am now totally submerged into the universe that is II. And as the track moves towards it's end, i slowly move towards the surface and takes my first breath of fresh air. All good things must come to an end, even the magical trip created by II. The good news is: You can press play anytime you want.

Finally I want to add that the cover is magnificent. Truly beautiful.

A masterpiece. Simply as.

USA, free download, 2010

1: Obelisk

2: 24.September

3: ...

4: Eustachius

5: A shadow in the cave

6: Set adrift

7: Towers of silence

Website: http://www.myspace.com/pinealeye93

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/file/gpxv9ofd5iaoybb/II.zip

Kuldvas - The Lightless Path: Ambient /Experimental/black metal

Reviewed by Gird_09

Kuldvas claims to be a type of black metal. Not sure I can agree with that. It takes a wee bit more than distorted guitar and liberal use of tritones. Granted, the type of distortion used is classic and perfect, but the guitar playing is far from inspiring for the most part of the album, and the best parts are nowhere near black metal in any way shape of form.

The first track is a complete waste. The guitar is unsteady and feels a bit labored. I have to be completely honest and say that the overall impression is amateurish rather than experimental. Skip it. The second track is slightly more exciting and the guitar is somewhat sinister and the melodies have some atmosphere in them. Still I feel the track lacks depth, and sounds more like a demo from a guitarist to his band. It could be a good basis for a really heavy song, but the way it is now it sounds like someone's passing time. Sadly it is the shortest track of the album. I'm not going to write about every single track, but the impression you get from these two unfortunately counts the for the rest of the album as well. The music is flat and I really miss more instruments. Some drums certainly would be welcome. At times the guitar playing is atmospheric and skilled, at other times it sounds like something I could plunk out. And believe me, I can't play guitar to save my life.

Of all the tracks I'd say number six, Last Branch has the greatest potential. It's structured and atmospheric and could work well as an instrumental track on its own, or with some more layers added. Still, like the rest of the album it sounds unfinished. The final track, Beyond the Horizon, could also work well. It sounds like a blend between a ballad by Metallica and Stanely Myers' music for the Deer Hunter. It's a good ballad, and should be further developed.

After having made music for quite some time now I've learned that what sounds good when you're messing around with sounds in your own room doesn't necessarily sound good to other people. It might be fun to play around, but that doesn't mean it's a finished product.

I'd say that the person behind Kuldvas should recruit some more people and start a band, or atleast bide his time and gain some experience before putting out more stuff. I might be very harsh in this review but this album is not a finished product. The tracks are sketches and need alot of work before they should be distributed to the general public. Giving away music for free doesn't mean you can expect people to listen to just anything. As a guitarist he is obviously skilled, but nowhere near as skilled as to let the guitar carry a whole album, with some occasional experimentation to make it interesting. Come back later.


USA, free download, 2010

1 A walk in the day
2 Uncertainty
3 Gone in forests forgotten
4 An incessant fear
5 Shadows in the mist
6 Last Branch
7 Sinking in the decay of sanity
8 Amidst the trees
9 Lost eternally
10 Beyond the horizon

http://www.myspace.com/kuldvas

Schuster - Breaking down into his oblivion : Experimental / Ambient / Drone / Dark Ambient

Reviewed by Gird_09


I imagine myself flying over the antarctic. Low, in a small aircraft. The sunlight is reflected off the cold snow and ice, and it's almost blinding me. Beneath the wings a vast emptiness is unfolding, and stretches on forever. No real features, but an endless white plain beneath an endless blue sky. This is the feeling I get from listening to the opening of Breaking Down into his oblivion. It's cold, it's minmalist and devoid of life (in a good way).

The first track of the album, "BD's lament", evolves so slowly you hardly notice time passing by, and suddenly you find yourself listening to soothing melodies supporting snippets of an obscure female voice telling me "He's breaking down to his own oblivion". The track may not be as dark as it promises to be, but that is certainly soon ammended.

The second track is by far the longest, at over 20 minutes, and gives the listener time to fully explore the universe Schuster provides us with. "I am living in my own corpse" is an ominous and perhaps depressing title for the track, but it fits. I fully enjoy the extreme minimalism of it and find myself breathing slower and easier. There is an unsettling element to this track however. By now we've clearly landed and are in fact spelunking in a vast cold maze. The tiny little squeeks in the background of this track makes me think of birds and other small animals. Ugly birds with blind eyes and no feathers on their stark red heads. Their shrill voices are accompanied by distant sounds of humans subjected to some unknown torture. Perhaps medical experiments. It's getting evident that we're no longer in the arctic, but somewhere underneath the wind blasted plateu of Leng, and this cavernous structure should be left alone. I love it. It's the perfect cross between Lovecraft and Biosphere. There is no doubt that this is my favorite track of the album.

The glitchy and syncopated beats that start "Your house is marked" catches me off guard. The change of style is quite surprising, but the track manages to fit in regardless. The mood and theme is the same as that of the first two tracks. Still if I had to leave out a track it would have to be this one. After this break of pace however "Manasarovar" is ready to calm you down once more with it's mongolian style drones and massive crash cymbals. Considering the fact that I've allready been teleported to Lovecraftian realms by "I am living in my own corpse" the mysticism of this track is highly unsettling. No longer in the arctic, but in a desert, surrounded by broken pillars and ancient ruins. Still the landscape is mostly flat and featureless, and I have a feeling of being completely isolated. The final track "Burdened" is a good ending to the album. Like the other tracks it has it's own personality but fits well into the overall scheme of the album. The desperation of the voice sample in the background adds depth to the track, and serves as a good reminder of the fucked up world we live in. If we ever needed one...

If I have to say something negative about the album as a whole I'd say that it's slightly long. I know people want as much sound as possible for their money, but I think anything that happes after fifty minutes is superfluous. It's hard to maintain full concentration for that long, and there are few albums that prove me wrong in this assumption. Personally I'd consider breaking this album into two different releases, and keep the fans wanting more, rather than giving them too much.


Australia, Adept sound, CD album, 2010

1 BD's lament [10:59]
2 I am living in my own corpse [20:40]
3 Your house is marked [9:05]
4 Manasarovar [9:01]
5 Burdened [8:38]

http://www.myspace.com/ltschuster (Where several of the tracks can be sampled.)
http://www.adeptsound.net/

The Implicit Order – The Implicit Order : Ambient, Experimental,

Gird_09

We recently mentioned the Implicit Order in our review of the Mystified remix album, where they contributed four excelent tracks. It's a tough act to follow, but I have to say that their own release is even better. The first track starts with drones before going into a landscape of nostalgic melodies and slight distortion that makes me think of the summer rain trickling along multicolored stone walls in some iteration of an urban landscape. This fragmentary melancholy persists throughout the recording, showing us bits and pieces of something very familiar that still manages to seem very displaced. Cutlery laced with analogue strings and children playing in the background. Oddments sampled from documentaries and bouts of glitch, and simplistic analogue melodies that are followed by atonal choirs and minute sounds in buckets of reverb. It's a good mix of plunderphonics, found sounds and self composed pieces, all deftly manipulated into a whole.

The album is very short, but it's a good way to land after a day full of stress. There is nothing dark here, and nothing demanding. It's as if the world around you has been reappropriated and recontextualized to form a sonic chair for your relaxation. I say, try it on. I think you'll like it. When it's over I feel calm and strangely happy – contrasting sharply with the track titles and the Columbine connotations they contain. I'm certainly not dissapointed though. I guess murdering your class in homeroom doesn't have to be all dark and negative. All in all it's nothing ground breaking or ground shaking, but it's certainly something you should give a try. It's worth it.

The recording is available for free download here, and readily available. I just wish it was longer, as the entire thing ticks in at just around 17 minutes.

USA, CD Download, suRRism Phonoethics, 2010

1 Blind Youth
2 Dumb Generation
3 School Lunch
4 Dewy Fields
5 Murder in Homeroom

http://phonoethics.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wholenessrecordingstheimplicitorder

Absence insolution – I've not forgotten : IDM / Electronic Experimental / Noise / Powernoise

Reviewed by Gird_09

The first track of this download covers more or less the entire spectrum, from ambient, to electronic beats and then further on to powernoise and pure noise mayhem. The impressive bit is how natural it all feels. The blend of powernoise beats and harsh electronic distortion is powerful and reminds me a bit of Merzbow's Aqua Necromancer, just more harsh. The track even manages to segue into a moody industrial "ambient" melodic part before it ends after a little more than twenty minutes of unpredictable beauty, and that is something I really didn't expect.

The rest of the tracks aren't as long as the first one, but they are perhaps even more skillfully composed, and make up an excellent blend of IDM and powernoise. It's hard to analyze the album in terms of theme or content, but it's certainly an enjoyable urban sound perfectly suited for a cold day in october. Especially a track like "Zygoma Boom" or "Salt. Wound. Sandpaper.", which contains all the distorted anger of the best in powernoise, and all the brain dancy joy of IDM. Comparisons to Converter or Noisex spring to mind. And then there's little bundles of dark fun, like "Ointment or so we thought", which makes me think of Aphex Twin on a nasty coctail of ritalin and benzo's. It's been some time since I've managed to listen to an entire album in this landscape without getting really bored, as the genre tends towards repetition and predictability. This album is dynamic and manages to stay exciting.

Something else I find very pleasing about this release is the way Absence Insolution manages to pile umpteen layers of sound in there without turning the result into a porridge of indistinguishable crap. Every single sound is audible and clear. My only complaint about the album is that the first track doesn't fit all that well with the rest of the album, despite being really good. Leaving it out would've resulted in a more focused experience. I also fear that many potential listeners can get lost in the lengthy noise ouvre.

Sadly Absence Insolution doesn't get the attention it would deserve. I've not forgotten would really have been something for Hymen, Hands or Ant-Zen to pick up. While I really appreciate the fact that it's a free download, it deserves a larger audience and support from a label.

If you're into powernoise you really need to give this one a listen. I'm serious. Smack it on your mpfree player and lace up your boots. It's not gonna revolutionize your philosophy or anything, but it certainly will make that walk through the city more vibrant. Three thumbs up!

USA, self released, album download, 2010,

1 I've not forgotten
2 Rape Sequence
3 Zygoma Boom
4 Ointment or so we thought.
5 Salt. Wound. Sandpaper.
6 Black Hole. Magnetic Pole.
7 the Inconceivable p.m.b.
8 Sorry I wrote this
9 Tender Longing

http://absenceinsolution.bandcamp.com/

The Psychogeographical Commission - Patient Zero : Neo Folk / Post punk / Experimental

Reviewed by Batcheeba

When I received the pre-release, my initial concern was whether The Psychogeographical Commission could maintain the same quality of execution as they did so flawlessly on their debut release 'Genius Loci'.
They succeed.
What I love about this project, is how they give the listeners layers upon layers to unfold side by side with the music it self. The Psychogeographical Commission is not the kind of band that shove information and pre-digested imagery in your face. Their graphics are a treasure chest for someone like me who are into history, the occult, symbols and philosophy. I keep digging deeper and deeper into their imagery. The Psychogeographical Commission has once again cast their spell on me.
And as I venture into S and Hokano's world of sound, my shoulders relax, my pulse slows down. This epic drama, this apocalyptic cinema, takes place right here and now.

This release has a much darker vibe then their debut, as initially revealed by the title itself, "Patient Zero". IE the first infected. The themes are not as simple as life and death. Rather, the album deals with the cycle of everything, from the sun, the moon, to life, since it is all connected. And everything is perishable.
One might say that their music functions as a soundtrack to this psycological movie they evoke with all their imagery.

To those of you who are unfamiliar with the Psychogeographical Commission, they could be placed in the neofolk/post punk/dark electronic genre. Their debut CD felt more in line with Legendary Pink Dots and Labradford and Death In June, and Patient Zero is maybe closer to say Current 93, Coil and Nurse With Wound. This release has more experimental soundscapes, and as mentioned earlier, a darker edge. But the tracks still have this very characteristic melancholic sound throughout, - a relaxing ray of light that lifts everything to a higher level of consciousness.

The tracks glide into each other, and there are no tracks that stick out like sore thumbs. Track #5 "Enochian on the wall" is one of my favs, as is #8 "Gutterbright to the starres", mostly due to their more experimental sound.

S (mrsix) and Hanako attempt to psychologically portray the mind of a Patient Zero and how being infected with the solar downturn at the summer solstice, affects him and his urban surroundings. And they do it well. They explain that the album was written throughout a 6 month period, at times of lunar or solar significance in multiple locations in the UK, "and the tracks all portray a thought, feeling or experience of the time of it's own conception". I will mention that the concept for this release is more complex than that of their debut release, which was very to the point. I get the cycle of sun vs life-theme, but I think there might be too many references involved for most people to wrap their head around. Sometimes less is more. I would have preferred it if the CD didn't come with a written manual. Don't over complicate, and don't explain too much.

The cover is a collage of pictures, texts, symbols, historical references and so much more. What I love about their covers is that they educate people. Well at least those who have a curious bone in their body. This cover is a library, and it's all, literary, held together by Ω. Omega. A red, synthetic thread is wrapped round thumb tacks in the shape of an Ω.. Omega is a symbol with multiple layers. From being the last letter in the Greek alphabet, to the new testament: beginning and end, to physics: Ohm, onto astronomy: the density of the universe, and that's just the beginning. Omega is the last - always. Zero Patient is not about religion - it's about reality. No gods, no masters. No heaven, no hell. And we all die. We all get infected. And none of us will be saved. How fitting is it then that "Walking with Omega" is the last track. The front cover contains a man standing at the end of a tunnel. The linear metal constructions in the ceiling creates an illusion of a man walking into the sun, into the light at the end of the tunnel. The Psychogeographical Commission has surgical precision in their execution.

I miss lyric sheets though, it would have been nice to have a good read as I'm sure the lyrics would reveal even more layers for me to dissect. The titles certainly leads us in multiple directions with their historical and metaphorical meanings and even symbols. The vocals are soothing and calming, more along the line of spoken word or poetry. This is another aspect I like about these guys, they don't try too hard. What the vocals are missing, the rest of the project makes up for by the bag full. The combination of guitar, electronic music and the soothing, whispering are lovely, it's like riding an electric wave in slow motion.

On this release they collaborate with Missing Transmission on the tracks labeled Alphaville 1, 2, 3, 4. I don't know anything about Missing Transmission, I have a slight feeling it could be a side project.

The music industry needs projects like this, and I honestly hope The Psychogeographical Commission get's the well earned attention needed. They've got the intention, the skills and the drive.

I deeply recommend this release. And once the last track fades out, get on your laptop and start to decipher the magickal map you find in the cover art. Zero Patient will learn you how to deal with life, sickness and the fear of death. It's all about the present - the present of life. Patient Zero is music for explorers. This release does not cater to the masses. But they certainly master the art of catharsis.

Patient Zero will be released 27.September 2010 and will be available to buy via psychetecture.com.
Label: Acrobiotic Records

Great Britan, CD Download, 2010

Tracklist:
01 - Antenociticus reawakens
02 - Beneath the bricks a wave + Alphaville 1
03 - Can you feel it?
04 - EARTH + Alphaville2
........ARTHE
........RTHEA
........THEAR
........HEART
05 - Enochian on the Wall + Alphaville 3
06 -
07 - Fertile omnipotence of the underside
08 - Gutterbright to the starres
09 - The Darkness in Light
10 - Twenty Seven Openings + Alphaville 4
11 - Walking with Omega

Gate to Void – Black empty void : Dark ambient / Experimental

Reviewed by Gird_09

My first thought upon opening the package and seeing the cover was "This has to be inspired by MZ. 412." The clearly thought through cover lists the tracks as ritual I, II and III, and the aesthetic is cleary a nod to early black metal, so the comparison is unavoidable. You can imagine my surprise when I popped the cd in the player and heard slow soothing synthesizer strings and bird tweets coming out of the speaker. It was however a very pleasant surprise. I love being served something entirely unexpected. It doesn't take long before the music gets darker though, but the first track never loses the warmth from the beginning. Good music for dreaming, which is kind of strange for a release featuring a black and white skull on its cover.

The second track carries over the extreme minimalism, but ventures deeper into the dark. The lengthy track consists mostly of echoes of various sounds, and it wouldn't be wrong to say that the emptiness enveloping these echoes is the most noticable feature of the track. It's like listening to someone sitting in a very large hall, with just a tiny pebble to bang against the floor to make music, but amplified to fill the space. The second track is the longest one of the three at nearly 30 minutes, but like the first one the duration is just right, and certainly couldn't have been any shorter.

The third track is much shorter than the first two, and also a collaborative piece between the mysterious person behind Gate to Void – only credited as M, and someone credited as Mournful. The third track is a sharp departure from the two first tracks, both in tempo and instrumentation, and serves to reawake the listener from the trance inducing minimalism. After the two previous tracks it feels incredibly short, and a little out of place.

The music is noticably introvert, and makes very few assumptions on the listener's behalf. There is very little over communication going in, in favor of manipulation of the subconscious. The title of the album is a good place to begin for an interpretation: black empty void. To me the music is about emptiness, which is even further emphasized by the lack of track titles and information in general – both on the cd cover, and in the music itself. It's deeply minimalistic, and reminds me a great deal of Deathprod in warmth and tempo, but Gate to Void is less restrained and strict. Considering the description of the project on myspace, and M's interest in altered states I guess it's appropriate to call the recording a psychonaut's journey through the inner space of the mind. As such the recording is obviously successful.

The sound is mostly crisp, but I do find myself wondering at times if the slightly rumbling bass is intentional or a result of poor equalizing. Usually I don't really mind, but in the case of the second track the ever present hum of a jack output detracts somewhat from the total experience.

It's a good album in general, but it is a bit anonymous. It's relaxing, and meditative, but I fear also easily forgotten. This is unfortunate, considering the artistic effort one can clearly see behind the product. I would recommend Black Empty Void for its relaxing qualities, but if you're not a big fan of the genre I'm afraid it might not do very much for you.

Tracks:
1. I
2. II
3. III

2010, SECTION XIII·.·COMA , CD album limited to 200 numbered copies.

http://www.myspace.com/gatetovoid/
http://www.myspace.com/sxiiic
http://www.comasection.com

Mauled by Sloths – Pataclysm : Experimental

Reviewed by Gird_09

Mauled by Sloths (mbs) is one of the strangest musical projects I have ever come across. It is the brainchild of Cthulberg, also known from such projects as Atropine, Pogrom Synod and Epilektrician.

MBS' music mostly consists of displaced and severly manipulated samples nailed together in a soundscape so mangled nothing can live there. It ranges from naive pop tunes to utter inhuman confusion, but usually elements of both are present. MBS bears comparison to nothing else, but if you can imagine a collaboration between Nurse With Wound and Severed Heads you're approaching some semblance of understanding.

Fragments of jazz, classical, conversations and micro manipulated oddities float in and out of attention, with steady beats providing the only semblance of sanity. Still the music is strangely melodic and can even be soothing once you reach the proper mindset. All in all MBS provides you with beautifully dislodged pieces of popular culture, altered to the unrecognizable by a very overactive imagination.

Admittedly, upon first hearing MBS my mind couldn't process the music, and it gave me a head ache trying to understand what the hell I was subjected to. I had to learn how to listen to it, and pataclysm is no exception. Listening to the record is very similar to reading William S. Burroughs. Just listen to it without trying to make heads or tails of it, and your mind will start working little by little.

The title, Pataclysm, is a reference to the imaginary science of pataphysics, which I am not going to try to recount here, suffice to say it is linked to dadaism and that this element is evident in the music, as well as in the track titles.

All I can say is really that MBS is not for just everyone. The music is challenging, but not in the trite "blowing your mind out with 260dbs of pissing on a dead cat", and you'll either hate it or you'll love it. Maybe even both. Give it a try anyway. You might find your conceptions are altered by the experience.

Pataclysm was originally released way back in 2001 on CD-r, but has now been made available via by Thee Brad Miller on his blog Because God told me to do it. Go there to download it.

Stay tuned for interview with Cthulberg tomorrow! It promises to be enlightening.

1 Pataclysm (edit)
2 Reet Petite Repeat Repeat
3 Doctored Udderveins
4 Aural leprosy versus damaged muezin
5 The Flaw that Blinds
6 Polarity Wreck
7 Patatarakt (waterwaist mix)

Norway, 2001, File Download, Mordisco recordings,

http://theebradmiller.blogspot.com/2010/07/mauled-by-sloths-pataclysm-ep-2001.html
http://www.myspace.com/mordisco

Booby Mason - Huge Cock Canyon : Experimental, Dark Ambient, Noise

Reviewed by Gird_09

I have to admit that a title like "huge cock canyon" makes me a bit sceptical, and I was expecting some kind of ear shattering noise – based on the title's connotations to Gerogerigegege or Rectal Anarchy. However the music is a far cry from any of my expectations. Rather than extreme noise we are served a bit of highly texturized ambient made up of random sounds and shitloads of echo, and everything filtered to sound decomposed. It's a perfect soundscape if you plan to hang out in disused ammunition factories hunting for ghosts of former employees. The music is eerie and haunting, and old school in that really analogue way. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that everything is done using tapeloops and analogue effects. That's the way it sounds to me anyway.
The second track is a bit more noisy than the first one, but it never approaches the level of discomfort. Well, maybe my mother's but not mine.

I don't really know what more to say. The release is a good piece of ambient music conjuring up images of desolate cities after some terrible cataclysm, with a few remaining russian troops here and there. It's music you want to listen to in the dark, alone. Certainly not party music.

If there's anything that detracts from the release it's the length (and of course the rather infantile title). It could bear to be longer. Once you get into the music it's over. I hope future releases will be atleast twice as long, in order to really build a good mood, and keep the listener there for a while. However if I were to chose between too long and too short I would chose too short, so it's not really a big detraction. The release confirms that Russia really is the place we need to keep our eyes on these days. There's alot of good stuff coming from our neighbour to the east now, and hopefully for some time to come.

1 Huge
2 Huge Cock Canyon

Russia, File Download (free of charge), HTP records, 2010

http://htp-records.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/boobymason