Soft Option Killing #2

 

Soft Option Killing – Cassette – Hospital Productions – 2010 – HOS-296.

        1.    Untitled.

        2.    Untitled.

https://phosphorusburning.bandcamp.com/music

There were six Soft Option Killing cassettes released between 2007 to 2010. Three were self-released, Three on labels. Two (Rogue State and Every Brutal Act a Service) were on Unrest Productions and this self-titled release was released on Hospital Productions and Abrasive Records, I believe Abrasive was the artists own label, so it was also self-released. The project was based in the UK, supported many well-known names within Power Electronics circles and now makes work as Phosphorus Burning.

Vocal dialogue samples and rumbling drones fill the sound as the first side starts. An undercurrent of distortion wavers under the main noise, becoming increasingly prominent over time. Vicious drones kick in and hum menacingly whilst waves of distortion start to hit this and howling, echoing noise makes the listener feel lost in a nightmare of sound. It’s mastered and controlled well in that the storm of noise is busy but not at ear splitting displays of high volume, space is kept within the sound. An aggressive blast of distortion then screams over echoing, rumbling bass. The distortive blasts eventually serve to repeatedly cut across the deep rumble – this has a higher level of aggression in the delivery than the earlier part of the tape. This all dies off allowing the rumble to come across as a passage of ambient storm with a lower hissing distortion shooting across it as sampled dialogue plays out to add further layers of depth to the work. The ambient sounds drift through to the next part of the piece. Vocal roar and distortion soon dominate the sound, the vocal is buried within the noise, occasionally resurfacing for short periods of time. This soon dies off into overlaps of subtle, quiet noise to bring an end to the first side.

Side two’s untitled track begins with distant voices cut into by wavering distortions that continue the ambient sounds explored on the first track. High pitched electronics soon wail over this, but they eventually drop slightly so they blend more into the sound. This all forms a layered, bleak Industrial landscape. The varieties of returning feedback are the noise, it isn’t intended in a Harsh Noise context as they are often too isolated, as it wails over echoing, chugging electronics, you realise it is meant to scream across the sound in a Power Electronics way (as were the vocals that briefly appeared.)  through how it accurately intensifies in tone to force the listeners attention. As this part dies out, a busier passage of echoing noise and sharp distortion collide to make a choppier passage of the track. The rise of angrier sound through throbbing sound sources, echo and distortion can be felt very much here. The way this continually drifts into dark ambient territory and is yanked out with subtle and sometimes hostile use of noise is impressive.

Each side seems to have four passages of sound that together, form one track. All are very effective and well considered in their use of sound. Another excellent Soft Option Kill work reveals itself.

Nothing and Nobody 2024.

Soft Option Killing - Every Brutal Act A Service.

Soft Option Killing – Every Brutal Act A Service – Cassette – Unrest Production – Unrest 23 – 2007.

1. – Fajr.

2. - Isha’a.

Soft Option Killing was an industrial project based in Nottingham UK. Two cassettes were released on Unrest Productions, Rouge State (2007) and Every Brutal Act A Service (2010). There was a self-titled cassette put out on Hospital Productions & Abrasive Records in 2010, in addition to this there were three self-released cassettes. The person behind Soft Option Killing was also involved in the project Front Towards Enemy/Bear Faced Boy. Soft Option Killing stopped releasing around 2010.

Side 1, Fajr (the time when the first of the five daily prayers of Islam is performed), the track opens with samples of fighter pilots discussing targets, ending in ‘do not engage the mosque.’ Deep bass noises go off as if to mimic bombs exploding. All of this goes off over a subtle droning sound that changes tone gradually throughout Fajr. The drones begin to take further depth as the time moves on, turning into deep rumbles as the atmosphere intensifies. The shift from wavering wind sounds to distorted code comes in with the changes of the drones, both elements co-exist uneasily. In part the deep rumbling depths that Soft Option Killing engages in reminds me of the slower rumblings that could happen in the work of label mates Shift.

Side 2 – Isha’a. (Second prayer of the day, occurring in the darkness of night.) Thick synthesiser resonations seem to pull this track into murkier, territory than Fajr. The drones are ominous and threatening throughout the track. The synthesisers become more death-like further into the work whilst a holing distortion sounds off over this intermittently. I’d argue there was a clear policy in Unrest acts where synthesisers are pushed to maximum effect or to the forefront of the sound. Soft Option Killing was clearly unafraid to do this and dive into Death Industrial territory, a few acts on the label revelled in that for passages of time, S.T.A.B. Electronics lives it. The murkier Isha’a gets, the more it intensifies and steps up to the mark. It wails and gives deep horn like drones at the peak of the track – the sound becomes massive.

The missing in action status of Soft Option Killing adds mystery to the work. The sound of this tape adds credibility and integrity to the name. There are some heavyweight acts on Unrest and this easily holds its own amongst them. 6 tapes released in three years, if ever something should be reissued and known about, it is this work.

Nothing and Nobody 2023.