Eine Stunde Merzbauten – E.S.M.

 

Eine Stunde Merzbauten – E.S.M. – Napalmed – 2016 – CD

http://napalmed.cz/

https://bandzone.cz/merzbauten

 

E.S.M. was released in 2016 and it is the fourth album by Czech improv act Eine Stunde Merzbauten. This was released on their own Napalmed label. There have been nine releases by Eine Stunde since 2014.

This album literally dies into life, it feels as if it is faltering and spluttering everywhere, constantly trying, but never reaching its destination. This changes with Elementary School Mumiases as a saxophone enters the sound and seems to jam along with the noise. It is, at first, funny, but signifies a rise in the sound that drags the album out of its slumber. The track slowly morphs into a hypnotic, slow jazz – making very effective music. The noise vibe gradually builds up and you have an industrial landscape and lone Saxophone playing out, it forms a long, screwy jam that is great to hear. The violence of the sound increases in the latter part of the track to dramatic effect, the saxophone is buried within the chaos.

Restrained tinkering communicates with small humming noises and builds Emen Stahl Moon. After the epic build up of Elementary, this is a welcome relief. The stell percussion and violin seem to pull the feel from something European to Asian – back and forth. I like the dream state that this track builds up to via the use of restraint. The use of noise hum creates a shift to a nightmare state: I like this contrast. Brief passages of music pull the listener around further as the violin re-enters Emen to become the real star of the show.

The pulsating drones that showed up in previous sound, really become prominent on Echte Schlechte Madhausen. Hints of music lie in the distance of the sound, but the noise is the lead here. I like the weirdness of the sound as the Sax comes back. I feel there are strong parallels to Smegma here. Electro Save Mode sees the noise alone return to a dying sound, it tries, it dies.

This is a good album; I have enjoyed it. The Czech take on noise improv remains intriguing. I’d recommend hearing these. Don’t be put off by the band name as the sound is studied, rich and rewarding.

Army of One 2021.