The RITA/OVMN

 

The RITA/OVMN – LP – Input Error – 2023 – IE-12.

https://input-error.co.uk/music

https://bakurita.blogspot.com/

https://therita.bandcamp.com/

https://www.discogs.com/artist/127868-OVMN

1.    The RITA  - Salmon Pink Crotch on the Chevelle SS Seat.

2.    OVMN – Head on Collision (Deadly Wreckage)

I am familiar with both artists on this split; I have reviewed the Rita a few times on here and recently bought OVMN’s Land of the Zombies release on Mother Savage Productions. OVMN is Joseph Roemer and Rodger Stella, they have been releasing since 1996 – both of whom also come from Macronympha and run Mother Savage Productions, no pressure here then. The RITA as you will all know is Sam McKinlay, so even more no pressure here then. A bit of Heavyweight reviewing going on here at 1208 North Fuller Avenue.

I was impressed that Input Error sent me this on vinyl, it was very clear to me that the label puts a lot of pride into their releases, judging by the quality of this and the Drug Age CD that I was sent, so maximum kudos to London’s Input Error.

Side One – The RITA’s track Salmon Pink Crotch on the Chevelle SS Seat uses a broken, crackle that abrasively drags along, it has a very real tension to its sound because of this. It drags at its own pace, constantly resisting itself, tearing and ripping on its own stutter. This also causes a slight bounciness to the sound as it jitters and moves around, giving it a slight playfulness. Towards the end the breaks in the static become more dominant, this signifies the sound is dying off, adding a strong compositional factor to the work. The title, when tied into the work makes you think of contact microphones attached between the Chevelle SS seat and the salmon pink crotch as it moves around during driving whilst sat down, is this symbolic of the friction of movements between crotch and seat? Also, with The RITA’s past work about Nylons, does nylon friction come into play? The title, cover art, other RITA obsessions really make the mind race as this work drags onwards. On the other hand, the choking, dragging sounds gives you a feel of imminent disaster or death, which leads us onto the next track.

Side Two - OVMN – Head on Collision (Deadly Wreckage.) OVMN stands for Optimum Volume Maximum Noise whom I have recently familiarised myself with and their Land of Zombies release. The sound of Head on Collision (Deadly Wreckage) has a deep bass roar in the background that is overlaid with a well textured crackle, it feels like an earthquake, cracking the earth’s crust like a biscuit. It feels like the ground disintegrating.  The speed of the sound from the back-roar makes it feel like an accelerating car, driving at a very high speed. The crackle feels like something slowly crushing under impact. Both elements are relentless so it feels like you are caught in a suspended state of acceleration and impact. The density of the sound seems to intensify gradually throughout the 18+ minutes, with the crackle getting more savoury and the bass roar really thickening up, both elements seem more combative towards each other more near the end of the track, they collide.

Conceptually this demonstrates true strength, as well as well thought out, mature, concisely executed work. Each track works with the title and artwork perfectly, it made me think and make associations between all the elements. Top work.

Army of One – focus, the war in the head is real, don’t be distracted. 2023.

Drug Age - Dyslexic Action.

 

Drug age – dyslesic action – 2 x CD - Input Error – 2023 – ie18

https://input-error.co.uk/music

https://jdv.bigcartel.com/

Disc One.

        1.    Progress people.

        2.    Discrimination of graphemes.

        3.    Impact on writing.

        4.    External causes of sensory deficits.

        5.    Prevalence of intuitiveness.

        6.    Lungomare.

        7.    Soup loop.

        8.    Philosophy of language.

        9.    A furthest colony.

Disc Two.

        1.    Early Organisation.

        2.    Tipo l.

        3.    Tipo p.

        4.    Aggiunte e ripetizioni.

        5.    Specific disturbances.

        6.    Mundane minutiae.

        7.    Confessioni.

Drug Age is Francesco Tignola and Matteo Castro, they are from Italy. The duo has been releasing as Drug Age since 2012. Dyslexic Action was originally released on Second Sleep in 2013 on a four-cassette release. Francesco Tignola also runs the Joy de Vivre label and creates work as Elisha Morningstar. Matteo Castro runs the Second Sleep label; he is active in projects like Primorje and Lattera 22. Drug Age’s most recent releases were Deaf Plants and Costume e Societa in 2020.

The first disc of the album uses Harsh Noise creatively, this is firstly done through dramatic shifts in speed across tracks. At times it feels as if it is hurtling through a train tunnel at 186mph and other times it is as if the sound is slowly ploughing through a mountain. Broken crackle blisters and splutters to slow the sound down, thick, hissing distortion accelerates the work away from this. When chaos erupts, insane screeching, wailing feedback and hissing, whipping distortion are thrown around. This creates a shift in noise texture as the sound accelerates into itself. High pitched shooting sounds cut into the distortion fracturing the flow of sound. The battle within the work is consistent. The sound breaks down into either: broken crackle, screaming feedback or lone hiss at different times before throwing everything back together again. Clunking and clattering noises are at times left to be the main sound until the main noise elements return and work with, or over these.

Disc two screams into action, feedback and hiss square up to each other until they unite. However, the work on this disc eventually falls into heavier, murkier, atmospheric territory. Sounds are left to wail in an empty no man’s land, it is different to the lone noise awaiting more noises that happens on the first disc, here we are thrown into trance like passages of foggy noise. The noise is like a lone voice, lost and scared. At times the work feels like a radio in purgatory trying to find a signal, but only able to broadcast noise. This disc manages to achieve very haunted tones as the sound wails, gasps and coughs. As the work busies up, the sound has bleak drones that weave from being undertones to overtones and back again. The density of the sound returns to full flow.

The first disc is a solid display of Harsh Noise and how to keep things interesting. The second melts the sound so we are left with fractured atmospherics that are very effective as well as continued, precise outbursts of noise. Everything is detailed and composed well. These factors make it clear why this tape set needed a CD reissue. This has original theme, strong sounds, with excellent shifts in mood and composition. I was going to say that Dyslexic Action is very good work, but I am going to go with excellent here.

Army of One 2023.