Outsider Art Batch October 2021

Outsider Art, 4 Cassette batch, October 2021.

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/

Natural Orthodoxy – Industrial Athletes – Cassette/Download – 2021 – OA084

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/product/natural-orthodoxy-industrial-athletes

https://naturalorthodoxy.bandcamp.com/

Manchester’s Natural Orthodoxy is one of the newer UK Power Electronics to be producing high quality work, having previously released tapes on Outsider Art, Total Black and Phage Tapes since it began 2017.

Natural Orthodoxy utilizes accelerating drones, clatter and voice samples for ‘Living for The Weekend by Hard Fi Plays In Headphones While Antique Revolver Is Loaded’. These three components play off each other perfectly, there are some impressive, nasty loaded undercurrents buried within this work. However, they pop to the forefront as further revving drone, noise and vocals square up to each other in ‘This Workplace is a family/Terminated Without Severance for Failing to Meet Delivery Quota’, the vocals add real impact to this track.

I am impressed by the ominous drones and sharp frequencies, even more so when I read the title, ‘Coordinated Assassination of Middle-Management Tyrants Across the UK’. What I feel is happening here is PE based on the impact everyday work life has on a person and that is great - the horror of the day job amplified through this work makes me delirious and grateful at the same time. By the time we hit ‘Our Employees are Strictly Forbidden from Urinating In Bottles on the Workshop Floor’ I am impressed at the spite being spat back out at everyday life.

I once read how Power Electronics is ultimately an impotent sound form, this someone’s core feelings made whole – a common occurrence on Outsider Art releases. Listening to this on headphones, I feel empowered and got a good buzz of this release. Natural Orthodoxy continues to go from strength to strength.

Soulsdue – Neon Sucking Caterpillar Mask – Cassette/Download – 2021 – OA085

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/album/neon-suckling-caterpillar-mask

Neon Suckling Caterpillar Mask is the debut release from Brighton based project Soulsdue.

This one is interesting, it has immediate parallels to Ritual Chair’s Ashamed release from 2019 through its’ vocal narrative, but those die off well as the spoken dialogue is repeatedly punctuated by different blasts of noise – I am impressed by the contrast as the dialogue is clear and the noise is pure and raw. This is a simple formula, but it is sounds fresh, original and most importantly - very effective. The pure and raw components spark off each other perfectly, I almost feel excitement at what is going to happen next throughout the whole release.

I will summarise this as a piece of work that is Steven Jesse Bernstein level brilliant and I excitedly, truly hope that there will be more to come. This is a brilliant release and one of this year’s best.

Tired Out – DJG & Playworker – Cassette/Download – 2021 – OA086

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/album/tired-out

https://danieljgregory.bandcamp.com/

DJG (Daniel J. Gregory) and Playworker’s (Dean Lloyd Robinson) collaboration begins as ominous contrasts of sharp pitched, screeching noise, blasts of distortion and cluttering sounds forming Torn Out. It is as if the three sounds conflict with each other and the speed of this conflict is in a constant state of flux. Shifting away from this, Ripped Out uses high-pitched feedback as its lone intro whilst clutter and humming drones eventually appear in the background.  This uses noise that has a rawness and aggression that is in line with Soulsdue, interweaving links between the different tapes. Sounds take on different meanings as things go quieter and play off in the large sense of space that is formed from doing this. This is a temporary quietness as the sounds explode again and the resulting Cacophony is immense.

Burnt Out feels more in line with wall noise, but it retains a clear definition of each element (feedback, clutter and sharp pitches of noise), I admire the difference between each Out. Space felt through minimal noise returns for the title track Tired Out as the experimentation continues when blasts of feedback, clutter and twanging interrupt. This piece goes through a lot of shifts in sound compared to other thacks.

This work is four tracks of shifting, experimental aggression. This is a strong release of well delivered ideas.

Kuebiko – Hemlock, Fool’s Parsley or Cowbane – Cassette/Download – 2021 – OA087

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/album/hemlock-fool-s-parsley-or-cowbane

I have been lucky enough to see this project do some amazing live shows over the last few years. I have a lot of high hopes for Kuebiko and really want this release to be good. Hemlock… is Kuebiko’s second release for Outsider Art.

Experimental playfulness forms as strings and field recordings fill out the sound. As the piano enters the track, it is like rays of sunlight bursting through heavy clouds. Flute, tapping and further field recordings of chatter and conversation blend until noise throws bad vibes over the hope. Untitled Continued has a sound that is more cohesive with drones and vocals. Field recordings of a different environment emerge, but are less defined and piano burst remerges, throwing beauty across the work. As deep rumblings emerge under the piano melody, it is near perfect.

The progression the project has shown is impressive and I am excited to see how this will be translated into a live setting. Funny enough Kuebiko is playing live next week so I will find out. Either way this release is another Gem of 2021.

This batch is the most experimental that I have heard from Outsider Art and easily one of the strongest. It would be hard to pick a best one out of the four as each of them shines in their own unique way. All are well worth getting - support this label. All titles are available from the Big Cartel link above.

Coventry Soul 2021

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/

Outsider Art August 2020 batch of tapes.

Outsider Art – New Batch of tapes.

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/

Playworker – Vague Recollections.

        1.    Gear Shifts from First to Third.

        2.    Thirtythree

Playworker is a new UK project, a Knifedoutofexistence side project. Gear Shifts from First to Third is minimal, choppy, distorted radio like noise and what appears to be a vocal buried in the background. I like the static shift of this piece, very straight to the point and raw. This piece is impressive as it goes through distinct passages within the track as each collection of lead sounds shift to another.

Thirtythree uses a sharper palette of noise, choppier, more cutting in tone and texture. It breaks down to use a bass crunch in parts, this then adds pattern to the texture as you then have clear contrast. This makes some dramatic shifts in speed as if in overdrive and gains more echo to add more depth to the sound, this comes in as the sound begins to crumble.

Tracks within tracks, minimal, direct palette. This shouldn’t be a “side- project”, it needs continual growth and development for more magic to happen. This is an excellent, challenging release.

Lacrima/Pastoral Abuse – Simple Joy.

        1.    Lacrima – Virgil’s Hand.

        2.    Pastoral Abuse – Only Flesh.

        3.    Pastoral Abuse – White Flower After Death.

        4.    Pastoral Abuse – Pain Gate.

I’m new to Lacrima as heavy, haunted atmospherics lead Virgil’s Hand which quickly intensifies and gets noisy. Once this gets noisy, it has subtle rises in sound that increase the deliveries range. The sharper noises serve as a lead sound within Virgil’s Hand whilst the deeper sounds and distortion serve as a moving landscape in which the act unfolds, as it builds there is an increase of mania within the work. This is a good, solid barrage of Harsh Noise, the sounds are authoritative and controlled. I’d like to see how this solid delivery comes out in live performance. I like this.

I was very impressed by Pastoral Abuses – Cold Hand of Power Release on Invisible City Records recently so before I even play Simple Joy, I expect the highest standards. Straight away the sound is strangled and muffled as the fractured vocal bleeds through. The restraint continues with White Flower After Death, even more so. This is distant, low level noise that works well. Fractured, buried vocals return on Pain Gate, this rises slowly, as it does so the dialogue becomes more intriguing, you are pulled into what is happening. This is an impressive display of noise strangulation; the vocal display is very original and unique - the high standards have been met.

Eros Catheter – Medusa Configuration.

https://pressuredspeech.bandcamp.com/

        1.    Corridors of Heaven.

        2.    Mirtazapine Temple.

        3.    Rose Binding.

        4.    Medusa Configuration.

This one is remarkably interesting; I have just played this in the background, and I would say we have a serious player here. It is noise, but part esoteric in what comes out, mournful and bleak would also be appropriate terms. There are layered, textures of sound that reveal themselves. Some tracks have vocals treated to incoherency within the work, keyboards and synthesisers are used well. Beats eventually come into Rose Binding, which is the most noise track so far, buried vocals bleed out. Eros Catheter throws a few nods out to Coil on this tape, hence the esoteric. Medusa Configuration throws me some Power Electronics by letting the synthesizers radiate whilst ambient sounds and vocal noises occur. As it builds the use of noise becomes rhythmic and intense. This is a long instrumental display of the self.

Medusa Configuration is easily amongst the best releases I have heard so far this year.

Slow Murder – Death to Fascism, Freedom to the People.

https://slowmurder.bandcamp.com/

        1.    Paid in Blood.

        2.    A Litany of Beasts Pt 1.

        3.    A Litany of Beasts Pt 2.

        4.    A Litany of Beasts Pt 3.

        5.    Example.

        6.    Destruction of an Empire.

        7.    Death to Fascism, Freedom to the People.

I’ve been more than impressed by the past work Wales act Slow Murder, they have made an impressive start and this tape does that, a sample of a record playing plays out until an intense display of Harsh Noise kicks in. I say this a lot about this batch, but again we have another high hitter, this is just brutal and massively relevant to the now, they screech impressive vocals and the displays of noise are sharp and harsh. Even when the actions are buried in murk they shine through. I really am taken by the vocals, they are impressively delivered. Like Lacrima I am keen to know, is it this good live, because it’s good. Ace release, Slow Murder is undoubtedly a top tier project.

This batch of tapes demonstrates we have brilliance a plenty in Noise in the UK, I am so happy I decided to throw my focus here.

Dorcus Maximus 2020.

Knifedoutofexistence - Fragility.

Knifedoutofexistence – Fragility – Cassette/Download – Outsider Art – OA040 – 2020.

Outsider Art Bandcamp: https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com

Outsider Art Bigcartel: https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com

Knifedoutofexistence Bandcamp: https://knifedoutofexistence.bandcamp.com

Twitch: https://twitch.tv/knifedoutofexistence

     1.       Work In Progress.

     2.       Better to be Broken than to be Hardened.

     3.       Water Drains Between Stones.

     4.       Joy Rendered Bittersweet.

     5.       Roots Torn and Exposed.

Sound recordings of birds singing, seagulls and water flowing with mild electronics simmering in the background slowly form Work in Progress; it is as if we are being introduced to the artists environment. I don’t want to break this down too much to a track by track review, but there is a lot of Field recordings coupled with muted, broken electronics happening throughout Fragility.

I have seen the project explode live, whilst still really restraining what goes off, there is a tension created to the work that resonates the sound more, here the noise is mostly pushed down a lot, whilst repeated keyboard loops of broken melodies play out. On some occasions the noise is given a bit more room to breathe whereas other times it has far less space to move. However, there is a brief explosion of Power Electronics on Joy Rendered Bittersweet, it isn’t something that is even built up to, it just happens from a build-up of wavering distortion, feedback and echoes into a brief but glorious tantrum.

Bleak, mournful electronics finish the album off. A slow melody with Field Recordings, distortion and echoed vocals reflect further on existence, which Fragility seems to do a lot. This ties the EP together perfectly.

Knifetoutofexistence has now reached full maturity, the last few recordings are the best, there has been consistent improvement and growth. The bar has now been set very high, I believe we will now see real greatness. This is an excellent recording that will be out on April 15^th in limited and regular edition.

Nevis Kretini 2020.

Knifeoutofexistence - The Future Grows Beneath My Skin.

Knifedoutofexistence – The Future Grows Beneath My Skin – Outsider Art – Cassette/Download – 2020.

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/outsiderartrecords/

I’d observed in the past that Knifedoutofexistence was maturing and starting to develop - that’s where I left it.

On January 2nd after a year of successful batches of tapes, Outsider Art announced Knifed had done a new recording over the last few days of 2019 and was releasing it at the start of 2020. It would be a 2-track tape called ‘The Future Grows Beneath My Skin.

I have always been curious where the name came from, does it reference a personal event/trauma or a desire to rid the self of someone?

Knifedoutofexistence often puts the rage behind the noises that are at the forefront of the sound, it’s quite clever, goes way back before the project ever existed, I’ve seen him do it live and it’s very impressive. However, these two tracks seem to take the distancing and fly with it. Both tracks are very ambient, rich, still noisy, but seem to mourn as bleak electronics and drones take the lead. Feedback and melody are present and sing their song in turn. The tracks add up to a total of 20 minutes that resonate uncertainty and sing the confusion of the present day. I feel there was a minimal set-up used to make these tracks, they were recorded straight on to tape.

Outsider Art has stepped up its game, there have been no end of impressive releases by other projects to a point where I forgot it was the label where Knifedoutofexistence released his own projects. I now must go back and check to see what happened previously as it’s very clear Knifedoutofexistence has stepped up its game. A clear case of less is more.

As this is the first release that I have hit on this year, I feel this cassette has started the year with a bang. Excellent work!

Nevis Kretini 2020.

Cremation Lily and Knifeoutofexistence live review.

Cremation Lily, Knifedoutofexistence, The Mysterious Monopole and Kuebiko.

Thursday 7^th March 2019, The Chameleon Arts Café, Nottingham.

Rammel Club.

I was keen to attend this gig and see all the acts mentioned; I’d recently reviewed the Kuebiko cassette release on Outsider Art Records. I am also a keen fan of Knifedoutofexistence and Cremation Lily and have reviewed their stuff in the past.

Kuebiko played on the floor of the venue, he was surrounded by devices which included contact microphones, chains and effects pedals. This worked as you had to look down or be directly face to face with the artist depending on whether you stood or sat. Sounds started small and gradually grew into a larger, harsher, more frenzied assault of noise. As things intensified the chains got smacked around, contact mikes were put in the artists mouth, Sellotape mummified his head and things descended into a sonic tantrum. The improvised, performative aspects of Kuebiko made for an impressive set.

Kuebiko.

I knew nothing prior to this about The Mysterious Monopole. The artist looked very different, her eyes were covered with patches of black lace and she was dressed in Brown with an old tie on. This coupled with how the performance built up gave it an impressive ‘wtf odd’ factor. I don’t mean this as a criticism, but she built tension before it even started, which is quite a feat. Samples of noises and keyboard lines were played as the show built up to some impressive demonstrations of unique noise making. The artist started sawing up packs of Ryvita type snacks with a Contact Mic enhanced saw and then she was playing homemade card records on a turntable. The noise was crumbly and parallels the project Evil Moisture with unique sources of sound, but more warped off in her own tangents. Like Kuebiko the set was fully improvised, with a stronger performance art bent. An audience member was brought in to do vocals in a repeated chant as the artist crunched up Ryvita and trampled on the saw. This seemed to be a commentary on food politics that dominate life. I was half expecting to be force fed Ryvita or something as the artist made full use of the stage made for a truly excellent performance. To see someone coming at noise from such a truly eccentric, unpredictable angle was very exciting.

 The Mysterious Monopole

This show was a collaboration between Cremation Lily and Knifedoutofexistence, which is another self-personified Power Electronics project whose slow burn growth over the years has been impressive. The collaboration started with Knife’s more experimental PE set with both artists contributing noise, Cremation had a minimal set up that seemed to consist of an electronic device that threw out sampled sounds and beats and a tape player, where as Knifed had a larger, complex set up. The noise got harsher and louder yet contained good atmospherics and the Knifed vocals were cleverly put in the background as he shouted into the microphone, this added more performance to what he did as he faced to audience. Last time he did the whole back turned to audience type performance thing, the frontal approach was more direct and way more effective. Both artists seemed to fire off each other. The noise seemed to be able to say more without being overpowered by vocal rage. The performance was a mass of complex emotion and range. This mixed with the distanced vocals and rich textured sound made for the strongest Knifedoutofexistence show that I’ve seen yet, I was very impressed – the slow burn development continues unhindered.  

Cremation Lily and Knifedoutofexistence.

Where Cremation Lily is concerned, I’m politely obsessive. I believe the project upped the ante with Power Electronics very early on by coming from such a deeply personal angle. Funeral Home has one of the most impressive modern vocal performances that I’ve ever heard, that and S.T.A.B.’s Day of the Male are the vocal benchmarks to me in how I judge modern Power Electronics. The project continually progresses and changes with each passing year; I’m excited to hear where it’s at each time. This is my fourth time seeing Cremation Lily and I enjoy each performance.

The atmosphere stripped down as things moved to the Cremation Lily part of the set.  What threw me was that I was expecting a more ambient set, yet there were beats, moody electronica with passages of noise thrown in, the shift between the two sets was smooth and effective. Cremation’s vocals shifted between agonised shouting, distorted rage and some actual singing. Knifed effectively switched from complimenting to contrasting the work with a range of sounds. Previous Cremation Lily sets had been displays of noise that just exploded where as this was a longer musical set with continual shifts into different musical parameters. The depth of feeling, past sadness and sonic texture was impressive as it seemed to run through both sets. Like any good set I am left with questions, while I truly loved both sets and saw both artists conquer new heights, is this duo thing something that should be recorded and developed outside of their individual work? Both artists shifted into new areas, they complimented, supported and built on each other’s strengths, not allowing for any weakness to hinder the sound.  Had it not worked, this whole collaboration could easily have had its ass kicked because of the strength of both the support acts. But it did work, giving an epic finale to a great night.

Choppy Noodles 2019.

Outsider Art

Outsider Art BandCamp for downloads.

Outsider Art Bigcartel for physicalcopies

A new batch of tapes by Knifedoutofexistence's own label Outsider Art, is this a fluke or are they a label to watch with their finger on the pulse of the best UK Noise and Power Electronics? This lot certainly hints at that.

Active Denial – What Dreams Are Made Of. – Cassette – 2019.

1.Black Sontag.

2. Smoke.

3. Wish Harm.

4. Myth of Madness.

After their impressive debut, I have high expectations for the second Active Denial release. As Black Sontag starts, vocals are overlaid onto simple, accelerating electronics – forming an impressive rant over minimal noise. Smoke’s rant outdoes the first, the electronics are much choppier and uglier as whistles go off. The vocals on both seem to get angrier as each track progresses. Wish Harm is slower and uses a slowed down vocals and farting, pulsating electronics. The slowed down vocal is complimented by a warped shouting vocal, creating a more abstract track than the others. Myth of Madness is explosive blasts and sharp feedback accompanied by another rant sermon as things really kick off to an end.

I wasn’t expecting Active Denial to get rawer, I was half expecting them to twat up the sound with bigger gear and massive displays of electronics, but no, they’ve stripped it back – a case of less is more. The first tape was ace, this one is even better, four-tracks peeled back to deliver a raw bullet of truth. Excellent work.

Ordeal by Roses – Ordeal by Roses. – Cassette – 2019

Ordeal by Roses Bandcamp

1.      1. I

2.      2. II

Ordeal by Roses is a Welsh PE project that takes a personal approach themed on Death, Loss and Mental Struggles. ‘I’ begins with a pulsating raw choppy, deep, gravelly vortex of sound. It morphs slowly, gets interrupted by sharp digital noise and what sounds like a very effect laden, unintelligible vocal until sharper electronics rage inwards.  The first track varies itself constantly to stay consistently interesting. Church hymns at the end work well sonically and conceptually.

II is murkier.  It grows slowly to allow a distorted, shouted vocal to deliver its sermon,  takes a more minimal approach, but is equally as impressive as I. The vocal forms the main noise as the backing is lower and bass like to allow the sharpness of the shout to take the lead. Both tracks really contrast against each other. This is a very strong debut and I am excited about hearing more from this project.

Fleshlicker – Exquisite Things – Cassette – 2019

Fleshlicker BandCamp

1.       Side A.

2.       Side B.

Fleshlicker is Michael D Brown’s solo project. This is described as Grind core through a Power Electronics lens. I am unsure if this is a collection of tracks made into one, one continuous track with different passages and cuts. This pulsates, rhythmically at high speed to the point where it becomes a very violent and extreme listen. It functions in a more extreme way than and like the band Nerveskade and the early 80s Japanese D-Beat that incorporated feedback as part of their sound and influenced them.  Exquisite Things is overload beyond overload, but a very forward-thinking collection of work.

Kuebiko – 10,000 Torii Gates – Cassette – 2019

1.      1. Un Ah.

2.      2.  Jizos In the Moss.

I saw one of Kuebiko’s rare shows once, he opened for two more established Noise acts. What happened is he played on the floor, knelt over his equipment, electronic noises went off, things started getting battered and hit until a huge sonic tantrum erupted. This was undoubtedly one of the best Power Electronics shows I’ve ever seen, it wasn’t a gear-fest it was superb effective delivery and performance. I am unsure to this day if it was planned or improvised. Let’s see if Kuebiko can deliver.

Death synth drones and walls of distortion combine to make big sound. I think there’s a vocal buried in there, but I can’t tell. The three elements make for massive sound as feedback arches out to expand and retract the sound.  A more recognisable vocal adds to the equation, whilst still buried in the mass of noise. Un Ah is good Harsh Noise.

Jizos In the Moss is a lot more buried and lower in sound at first, this serves to really enhance rises in sound and interruptions to good effect. The splattered distortion and drone contrast and shift against each other forming bold movements in sound. He has delivered, yet another impressive debut, let’s hope there more work in the future to build on such a great start.

Choppy Noodles 2019

KNIFEDOUTOFEXISTENCE

KNIFEDOUTOFEXISTENCE – immaturity of movement – LP - (2014). Inhibitors – Cassette – (2017).

KNIFEDOUTOFEXISTENCE Bandcamp - https://knifedoutofexistence.bandcamp.com/

Facebook - 

Relevant Labels: Outsider Art Illegal Activity Male Activity Amps Against Trend 

IMMATURITY OF MOVEMENT.

Side A.

1.   Document #8 and being late.

2.   Demons.

Side B.

3.   Immaturity of movement.

Inhibitors.

1.   Creation for Creations Sake.

2.   Cradle to Grave.

3.   Battling the Silence.

4.   Damaged Children.

I saw KNIFEDOUTOFEXISTENCE play live in Nottingham last week, all I had to compare was a live show around 4 years ago with Cremation Lily and a couple of other noise acts. Last week it was clear the project had now matured and developed considerably since then. On the strength of that, I bought these two releases and chose to investigate further.

Immaturity of Movement radiates urgency and anxiety immediately with the opening track Document #8 and being late. Demons in comparison simmers in the slower, quieter regions using feedback as a piercing weapon to poke the works intensity into higher regions as shouting vocals kick things off into a fit of rage and further stabs of feedback with a failing wall off hiss. The vocals go mental in conjunction with the feedback kickstarting electronic urgency into override.

The walls aren’t failing on the title track until wonky, repetitive instrumentation suddenly dominates. Distant vocals go off as noise punctuates the warped note patterns. My first thoughts on Knifed live all those years ago was that the project was derivative; this recording doesn’t say that. He does favour raw experimentation over a lot of methods to the point where it is unique and consistently interesting.

Immaturity of Movement is daily life and memory assaulted with noise and sound towards a sense of victory. This album is a one man fight club until failure dies. The lack of control of daily life is recorded and defeated. I can’t make out if Immaturity of Movement is a permanent, imagined or temporary victory. Either way it’s victory as a recording through the acts documented in the record whilst standing out as an act of subversion against PE conservatism.

The comparisons and influences listed on the Bandcamp statement are irrelevant, this is something else completely.

For as long as I can remember, the set up in my mind has been myself, a tape recorder and a fictional third party. When I am not answering their questions, I am rehearsing the answers for questions that may arise. The material presented here is both the answers to these questions and the subject of them.

Quote from Inhibitors booklet.

Inhibitors was recorded three years later, it slowly emerges with impressive juxtapositions of noise, distortion and vocals. The balance and delivery are direct and focussed. The use of noise is sometimes rhythmic and chopped into for full effect. The delivery of vocals rises to the forefront and is at times simultaneously reinforced and abstracted by the surrounding noise.

The experimental qualities woven into the work, again give it a uniqueness. Piano and noise combine over a recorded sample until pulsating distortion wipes this away. This breaks the album up and stops it becoming too formulaic.

There is a personal, emotive quality that forms the conceptual basis of the recording. Snippets of text cover the collaged artwork. Fragments of dialogue form a fractured whole.

In comparison to Immaturity of Movement, Inhibitors is way more stripped back, it uses a more minimal range of sound to better effect. It is a tidier, sharper recording. I’d argue Inhibitors also way angrier than Immaturity; more explosive, even when it pulls back, it’s still punishing. It is harder to listen to; the intensity is higher. Good progression and a strong release.

Choppy Noodles 2018