Level Four Heatwave.

Level Four Heatwave. Self Released Cassette – 2021 – Edition of 3.

I was just browsing through one of the Harsh Noise Wall groups on Facebook, seeing what was happening within the world of the group and I clicked on a friend’s comment on a post and ended up on a page that showed all his activity within the group. He frequently posts links and images of releases that he is listening to and comments on posts. Scrolling his activity, I was surprised to see that he had recorded and released his own tape last year. I was so thrilled to find out about this, I talked him into sending me a copy.

Side A was made using a Walkman, tower fan and a tape loop. The use of low fi equipment excites me as this was the norm in the early days of some now classic Power Electronics projects from Birmingham (where this recording comes from!) and around the UK. Hearing the back story of the recording was exciting, the maker is an avid, wide ranging noise consumer, who keeps to themselves and just did this. This short, crackly wall is fascinating because of this story. It seems alive as if breathing and pulsating subtly through the dense fog of sound.

Side B was made using a microphone, desk fan, jade and voice. This piece excites me more as it comes out infected and darkened, without any wall noise. It relies solely on the atmosphere created through the small, selection of raw equipment allowing for an effective use of noise. Both tracks differ greatly but present as strong work.

Sometimes the beauty of obscure, anonymous projects is what is brilliant about experimental noise. This is what this scene is truly about, obscure transmissions of creativity broadcast out into the world!

Nothing & Nobody 2022.