Premature
Ejaculation – Dead Whorse Riddles – Malaise Music – Cat No: Mal9 (2cdr)
Dead
Whorse Riddles is a compilation of Premature Ejaculation material originally
intended for release through the first Malaise Music label run my Erik
Christides. Sadly it was never released.
The music has been remastered by Benjamin Siebert and Artwork by
Scottie. This is the ninth cdr of the series containing tracks previously
released on the Anaesthesia and Descent as well as 4 previously unreleased
tracks.
The
Nature of Pain opens the album rumbling and shuffling menacingly. Pitches of
feedback enter and build to almost vocal symphonics; it’s quite a unique
instrumental for PE as music box noise also really adds that early 20th century
avant-garde quality to the Nature of the track. A vocal dialogue brings things
to an end. Chuck Collison’s involvement
is evident here because as I’ve mentioned he was pivotal to the cleaning up and
sharpening of the Premature Ejaculation sound, I can never understate his
importance enough.
Partial
and Complete echoes with electronic low level power noises and loop rhythms.
Inaudible vocal samples enter and then leave periodically while noises are
injected and rejected. Red now a Premature Ejaculation classic pulsates through
while dialogue accompanies it and rockets off into inaudible hyperspace where
the vocal becomes a roar. The pulsations
loose their rhythm and noises break into the track. Red in an updated manner tidily tortures the
listener like the PE of early years. Atrophy layers more sampled dialogue over
pulsations far more politely than Red; backed by keyboard drones rising in
intensity with the sampled dialogue. Fistula in Ano combines an aggressive loop
rhythm pulsating violently to further dialogue with interruptions of alarming
noise and everything finally slowing down into a collapse. Untitled revels in
inaudible vocal ambience that sounds as if it is being played in the wrong
direction, sounds are overlaid to confuse and disorientate the listener. Night
sounds as if from a field recording take over shifting the track into an
entirely different context. Taking Good Care of Your Fear beats things back to
Fistula methods and sounding like a timed, repeated, crash shooting. A guitar
riff underlies the track, bringing instrumentation subtly back into the PE mix.
The Most Astounding Living Monstrosity is like a violent and distorted cousin
of Kraftwerk’s autobahn and Transillumination is a nauseous, spiralling dream
assault that shoots out bursts of Heltir static.
Disc
two is punctuated by three excerpts from the previous Malaise disc Descent and
one Anesthesia track Salvation, Deliverance, Prayer for the sick which is very
electronic in comparison compared to the Descent excerpts and builds up an
intense nauseous density of drones, vocal samples and frequent differing
noises. An Untitled passage begins with church organ like keyboard drones (not
too unlike the later work of Paris Sadonis) builds to a symphony of frequencies
that simultaneously harmonise well and work against each other to peak to a
heady delirium. Further Descents slow
things down keeping the ambient darkness at a low simmering point and in its’
second excerpt allows things to rise. The first of the final two nine and a half
minute Untitled passages bring instrumentation and field recording together
backed by pulsating drones. What sounds like string instruments within bring an
added dimension previously unseen in PE, it’s not as abstracted as previous
strings in their discography just very considered and beautiful, but never
again expanded on. This simultaneously ties together all the methods used in
the different tracks on the album and treads newer territory. The second passage of Untitled feels more
electronic, tortured and groaning very similar to the work of the Anesthesia
tracks presented within.
Dead
Whorse Riddles serves as a good compilation of selected aspects of the mature
sound of Premature Ejaculation. It highlights a more complex range of
atmospheres and techniques. It throws up a lot of surprises and is a
celebration of Premature Ejaculation in full stride at the height of their
powers, a height that would continue to Rise right up until the finale Wound of
Exit.
Choppy Noodles 2011.
