Gig Review - Knifedoutofexistence, Blackcloudsummoner, Itching, Steckdose, Cites Prepare for Attack, Pale World.

 

Knifedoutofexistence, Blackcloudsummoner, Itching, Steckdose, Cites Prepare for Attack, Pale World.

Birmingham Centrala Space,

Friday 11^th June 2021.

I’d been to Centrala previously to see Tunnels of Ah, Satori and Colosloth play over a year ago, I found it a pleasant venue and it was a good gig. This venue’s reputation as one of the key venues for creative culture in Birmingham is now intact. Centrala has an art gallery, café/bar, book shop and sells music: I was excited at the thought of visiting there again. What I didn’t expect is that this socially distanced gig (my first in well over a year) was that it was held in the upstairs gallery, which was a massive space instead of the downstairs area all acts played in last time round!

The first set was a brief one by Pale World, now this performance set the benchmark high - Joe Parkes was crouched on the floor, hitting and throwing a piece of sheet metal that was contact microphoned up and this created a loud assault. There was feedback added to this and mournful drones that came through as the metal abuse slowed down. It was a simple but incredibly effective set. I have seen a handful of sets over the years that use a minimal amount of gear to strong effect, this did that perfectly. I am a fan for sure now as I have been playing stuff off the Bandcamp since this night.

Pale World.

Steckdose was meant to play next, there were technical issues with his equipment, so Cities Prepare for Attack played second.  This was a surprise I wasn’t expecting, I knew of the name as I have met Andrew Cooke a few times and I was expecting some sort of guitar drone type work. It wasn’t like that. There was a guitar that was amped up, I am usure if there were extra pickups or contact microphones added, but the guitar would be hit with different metal instruments to make different sounds. The clanging ranged from dreamy psychedelic sounds to harsher noise reminiscent of the torture scenes in the Ipcress File film and many moods in-between. This all created complex experimental music - another highlight of the night.

Cities Prepare for Attack.

The Steckdose technical issues were sorted out by this time and his set began. I liked the minimal feel the sound started with – just a slow, pulsating hum that wavered and shifted gradually. There was a constant feeling of intense focus on the sound, the feedback that started to punctuate the sound even further concentrated and controlled. Drones emerged that cut through all of this and built up like an infected storm, the intensity to the sound was consistent as it accelerated, getting busier. There was a sense of purpose and discipline to the intricate details that cut into the storm of noise. Steckdose’s relentless, microscopic eye to detail created a constant tension that gripped the audience. This was by far the tightest set of the night, an exercise in sheer control, this artist knew what they were doing and demonstrated that perfectly.

Steckdose.

I have reviewed Itching several times before. The project is by Henry Davies and has replaced his Nacht Und Nebel project that ran for many years. The Cello was the source for all Nacht und Nebel’s sounds, Cat Purrs are the source for all of Itching’s noise and this started the set - due to the volume of the PA, this really filled the gallery making the audience feel like they were inside a happy cat. The source sound gradually began to distort and crackle adding unease to the happiness. It became something else that became increasingly apocalyptic and fractured as the set evolved. The purr eventually came back and the distortion faded all harmony was restored. I like the continued originality of the source materials; this was a powerful set that demonstrated effective methods that truly delivered solid results.

Itching.

Blackcloudsummoner followed Itching. There was a real element of performance here, the sound was immediately there was an aspect of him being the depressed DJ blasting shards of dark, chaotic weirdness at the still audience, his use of noise was immense, fractured and odd. I liked how he really seemed to get off and react his own cacophony as it grew and filled up the space. It is difficult to clearly describe what went off as the build-up and sounds were very odd (when I repeatedly use the word odd, it is meant as a compliment as there is no one else that sounds like this). Blackcloudsummoner’s set was haunted, very impressive, easily the darkest set of the night and the best performance that I have seen by the project so far - a unique one off.

Blackcloudsummoner.

I have seen Knifedoutofexistence several times in the past and reviewed much of his work – there seems to be constant progression occurring here. The set seemed to start from slow rumbles until sharper sounds began to cut in and take over, this is how the sound intensified. I am always raving about how Dean Lloyd Robinson is the master of burying his vocal behind his noise, so it is still a vocal, but also part of the noise – he did that to the full. At one point he was joined by Richard of Unyielding Love and the two as a duo was impressive. Dean’s vocal became less coherent and noisy at one point, so it was pure noise. A melody then enters the set towards the end and he appeared to sing for a time, before it all broke down to noise and shouting again, this was strong how he just did it, successfully weaving it into the set. Knifedoutofexistence alone is strong, backed by the rise of his label Outsider Art, Llloyd Robinson has surrounded himself by similar thinking Harsh Noise and Power Electronics artists old and new that forms a new chapter in the History of the movement (I am aware there are many chapter’s occurring). This set was an intense, dramatic finale to the end of the night.

Knifedoutofexistence.

Often at these sorts of busy gig line ups there will be a bad act, or someone who isn’t as good as the others – this wasn’t the case here. All six acts were different and strong in their delivery making it one of the best noise gigs that I have ever been to.

Coventry Soul 2021.

Artist Links:

http://centrala-space.org.uk/  

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/   

https://knifedoutofexistence.bandcamp.com/

https://blackcloudsummoner.bandcamp.com/music

https://itching.bandcamp.com/

https://paleworld.bandcamp.com/

https://steckdose.bandcamp.com/

Blackcloudsummoner, Wet Mirror and Itching.

Nottingham Noise – a recent round up of works by Blackcloudsummoner and Itching.

https://blackcloudsummoner.bandcamp.com/music

https://itching.bandcamp.com/

https://territorialgobbing.bandcamp.com/merch

Itching is from the same creator (Henry Davies) as the Nacht Und Nebel project and Blackcloudsummoner like Itching is a Nottingham, UK based project. There have been 17 Blackcloudsummoner releases (including splits) and four Itching releases and two compilation appearances. Both have played many live shows around the UK in recent years. All releases in this review are available in physical and digital from the links above.

Itching – Itching – Cassette/Download – Self Released – 2020.

As Nacht und Nebel came to an end, Henry started the project Itching. After a couple of compilation appearances, he has recently released Itching’s first six track cassette. It was common for Nacht und Nebel to frequently self-release cassettes as well as working with many other labels, Itching continues the self-releasing tradition.

The album begins with lone cat purrs as all the sounds are constructed from field recordings of different cats purring. This is immediately intensified through the sound treatment of the purrs and multiplication of different purrs on top of one another. As the sounds echo and resonate, they create a powerful mass which at times is cut into with other purrs or distorted to alter the core sound, allowing it to shift far from its original sound identity and become a variety of pulsating noises. At first the notion of Purrs may sound strange, but Nacht und Nebel was created from treated Cello sounds and experimental is as experimental does. This is the same methods used to continue making strong distinctive noise which is unique and very well thought out. This is pushed and used to full effect to create a wide range of varying sound pieces held together by the frequent fall back to pure purr.

I am also impressed by the noise pyrotechnics demonstrated as they rise and fall back down to a recognisable purr before warping off somewhere else. This is a strong, impressive debut release.

Itching & Blackcloudsummoner – CDR/Download – Self Released – 2020.

Itching (as Nacht und Nebel) and Blackcloudsummoner have played live together and toured the UK with Luxury Mollusc in recent years. They have also collaborated on several split releases in the past. This is the first collaboration with Henry performing as Itching. There are two twenty-minute tracks on this release they are ‘Hunks of Spoiling Flesh on Disintegrating Bones’ and ‘Setting the Body to ‘NO’’.

The sound of this release compared to the Itching tape is darker. It echoes a lot as the sounds build and multiply up from lone purrs. Feedback begins to cut into it as the storm is in full flight. The titles are negative, as are the sounds – both combined build this feeling perfectly. At times, the sound really erupts and crackles as if falling apart or in pain, even the warm rumble of Itching’s sound sources at times blasts like a roaring pit as the volume and distortion rise.

Small details become apparent whenever the sound eases off, tiny clicks and chipping sounds. The happiness of the purr comes through the darkness of the noise– all these details give it other aspects of sounds and moods. making the quieter parts of the album as important as the heavier passages, they also lighten the moods that have built up across the split. In contrast to this, play it on a lower volume and it churns a lot more darkness at you - strange that.

I like this album, both artists combine to form a perfect whole. Each of them has a strong track record that continues here to make for an exceptionally good album. Looking back this is one of my top 2020 releases but can’t say that officially as I only got it last week in April 2021.

Blackcloudsummoner – Ugly Inside – Cassette/Download – Self Released – 2020.

Ugly Inside is the 15^th Blackcloudsummoner release, there has been a steady flow of releases on Tape and CDR since 2017. Blackcloudsummoner has been reviewed several times on this blog over recent years.

The album starts with a track called Rusty cage; I am keen to point this track out as it sees the quirky charm of the project shining through. The organ like loops throb whilst sounding mournful, creating a distorted, hybrid funeral soundtrack. This plays out on a bed of distortion as sounds go off in the background as if a child’s keyboard is being used as a jam instrument. This feels like early noise/PE through its’ raw production whilst being cut into through the playfulness of the keyboard sounds.

The sound seems to melt for Faceless Ghost and starts to scrape, splutter and screech. Despite this, the sound refuses to die, despite this there are glimpses of beauty that shine through via quirkiness of the noise that makes this project unique. What’s established here is a negative blast that is the sound of death and that carries through into Music Like Escaping Blood which starts as a background conversation of sounds that suddenly erupts. This too has epic rises of noise punctuated by beautiful oddness.

A display of Death Synth resonance forms Ugly Inside, this echoes and marvels at itself until punctuated by screeches and clangs of metal. The mix to this really restrains it, so it radiates a distanced ambience and more beauty flows through because of this.

This is an outstanding release.

Wet Mirror – CDR/Download – Self Released – 2021.

https://archive.leftove.rs/documents/grid/title/nepa_news

Wet Mirror is a new project that is a collaboration between Andrew from Blackcloudsummoner and Territorial Gobbing from Leeds. I will confess I have not heard Territorial Gobbing before.

Of the four releases this one along with Itching really stands out on it’s own. The sound sources Territorial Gobbing uses are equally unique:

Recordings of water and cycling through mud manipulated on reel-to-reel and Dictaphones, guitar, vocals, floor tom, objects (on floor tom or otherwise), synth and live manipulations of a Capitol Hill riot livestream.

The cover is from a collage made from illustrations in a 1970s prison newspaper called Nepa News, this was a short-lived prison newspaper that had articles written by prisoners. It discussed the conditions they were kept in; their treatment in prison, their rights and it ran for 18 issues from 1973 – 1975. There is a link to pdfs of each issue above, it makes for impressive reading of prison conditions of the times. This is coupled with interior art by Blackcloudsummoner, I can’t ask for more. Blackcloudsummoner does a zine called Baked Arcana that is well worthy of inspection.

The sounds on this recording are as you can imagine, interesting. A lot of it is done quietly, so sounds communicate with space and depth created by the quiet. At times it is like Small Cruel Party and Spoils and Relics nasty, distant cousin, at other times it radiates beauty. Like all of the releases in this review, it is its own thing. Even the noisier pieces go off on their own tangent.

This warped lockdown recording is very ‘out there’, an obscure gem.

Army of One 2021.

Luxury Mollusc and Itching split.

Luxury Mollusc / Itching – Split – Cassette/Download – 2020.

https://itching.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-luxury-mollusc

https://luxuriousmollusc.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-itching

I confess to being a new listener to Dublin’s Luxury Mollusc, (active since 2006) only hearing bits on splits with other artists. Deep feedback terrorises my headset until clangs punctuate the drones, this is Intersecting Erection. Infected feedback begins to pierce the deep drones as it distorts seeming like bright sparks of light coming off a grinder. I did not expect it to be this assaultive, this is an interesting Harsh Noise display. There is a rich communication going on between the sounds, with a few elements at a time make more with less. The work eventually delves in creeped out, sophisticated atmospherics.

Deep bass heavy pulsations form Interstitial Bodice, sharper, explosive noises seem to go off over this, as if at war creating an unbearable tension within the work. This gets more taught as it progresses.  As the sharp noises die off for a time, the tension remains in the deep drones, it feels as if the artist is showing off by maintain the works intensity whilst stripping its’ elements down to the core. As the sounds rebuild, the sound is punishing as the sharper noise works like an electrically charged whip. I feel I as if I am floating in space while somebody takes an angle grinder to my head, this is relentless punishing noise.

Raging Harsh Noise cuts to drone and back again as Internment Glands begins to take shapes. This seems to out do the two previous tracks in terms of the ferocity of its attack, it keeps pulling back only to explode again in time. As the sound begins to fill out, water like sounds begin to cleanse it as holy chanting can be heard within the mass of noise. This truly is something else.

Itching was Nacht un Nebel, instead of Cello, Cat purrs are the sound source for Itching. This is also truly something else as Golden Hour begins, what sound like nice cat purrs intensify and go into Cat Stellar Overdrive and build into insane passages of sound that seem to explode into Harshness. This is warps sound to new further regions than Nacht did and I conceptually translate it as an amplified Cat Worship, an empowerment of the cat. This reaches a warped psychedelic harshness that I was not expecting.

Intense purring starts Buried off, this soon warps, distorts, and again goes into overdrive. What I thought would be a calmer project than Nacht und Nebel is using something else to create a harsher sound, the levels of warped are so screwy there’s something crazed about the work, which I like. Lovely purring again introduces Sliced until it goes off on further experimental tangents with the sound pushing at its’ limits furthering the range as much as it physically can.

Triplicate starts as the sweetest purr, less treated than the others, but accelerates to hyperdrive in no time. This also goes very Harsh; the purr becomes assaultive and choppy as if being hit by a helicopter blade repeatedly for fun. By saying this, I am not saying that is all the track is because as the intensity subsides it moves elsewhere to pleasant atmospheres - a kind of clicking trip. Visible concentrates on deepening the purr source before the distortion of it takes it elsewhere to become as severe as the Luxury Mollusc tracks.

I will say I love Nacht und Nebel, but this work is a serious step up. The Luxury Mollusc tracks are excellent too, this served as an excellent, proper introduction to both project’s work. This cassette is one of the best releases that I have heard this year. We are in a new golden age of noise in the UK, no shit!

Euphoric Bullshit Vibe 2020.