MLEHST – More Punishment – 2019 – Cassette/Download/CDR-DVD –
Oxidation – CDROT060.
This tape by veteran UK noise project MLEHST is a 1 ½ hour
tape, it comes with a whip and both are nailed to a wooden plaque. I missed out/might
have avoided all the eras of noise packaging that come and go. These have included
sheets of metal, concrete, bandages, logs, grinder discs, barbed wire, hospital
bits and a whole assortment of goodies that are hard to store.
The album begins as an ambient atmosphere, with samples that
are buried in the distance and a repetitive slow beep, as if in a hospital and
listening to a life support machine, this becomes more suspenseful and warped as
it moves along - the project always manages to disturb in some way or another. The
pace and screwiness of the work shifts so it is lively whilst remaining subtle
in its sounds. I think this is well executed low level noise that has good
ambient qualities, both are tweaked well enough to complement each other. Beats
enter at one point and are interrupted plenty, so they become a sound rather
than a backing beat for stuff to work on; like interrupted language. More
Punishment continues in this manner for the whole first side.
Static atmospheres hiss, it has a more Industrial edge as it
sounds like hissing steam or a kettle, it does provide a spacious atmosphere to
the sound. It reminds me of the kind of mischief early Premature Ejaculation
would get up to. This slowly shifts, different sounds create the depth for
periods of time, some are more disruptive than others building to low level
walls of noise. As this happens the
noise becomes more noise like and raises in intensity slightly.
As the distortion rises, I’m within the wall, this is more
layered than the work with The Rita that MLEHST did – it has a thicker density
too. Feedback goes off in the background adding further layers and depth. This
breaks down to reference the earlier noises of Side 2 yet retains enough aggression
to stay with the tension that the wall built. Warbling bass noises take over,
as frequencies subtly twinge in the air, like the projects Wall work, the
slightest shifts in frequency have a massive effect. The use of samples is put
in the background, so they become inaudible noise, but add a Sci-fi feel to the
work. Distorted percussion brings the album to an end.
I think More Punishment is one of the strongest examples of
low-level noise experimentation that I have ever heard. It does shift into Dark
Ambient and Soundtrack territory ensuring that the depth of some of the work
created is rich and dramatic. This is an amazing album.
Having thought about it, I tactfully avoided the noise
packaging aspect of the scene but this is one that I am glad I caught.
Nevis Kretini 2019.
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