Anthony Saunders: 92X04 Garbage In, Garbage Out

Artist: Anthony Saunders
Release: 92X04 Garbage In, Garbage Out
Label: RSM
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 11
TRT: 76:47

This release was previously issued in 2005 and has now been re-released and re-mastered as of March 2006. This release is basically one long track broken into 8 parts, then there are two remixes and then the last track is the 15 sounds used to make this release. Reminds me of something Haujobb would do; putting his samples as a hidden track for others to use.

However, this is noise and a very tonal noise release this is. Lots of high-pitched frequencies mixed with good low bass tones. Your ears get a nice treat here. Nothing too harsh and yet the high rhythmic pulse’s can get to you if you turned the volume high enough. I like this long 8-part track best because we have this low tone that repeats itself over and over again throughout most of the 8 parts, but it’s hidden in the background very unnoticeably by all these other noises going around this tone. Very effective and makes my bones shiver. Some cute sounds occur too in the 3rd track, like soft bells in a church to high to see. Track six of eight is were the movement starts to shift in this horrific like quality that is really quite beautifully scary…so perfect of and ending it is.

The remixes is actually more ambient that anything and I’m not sure how you could remix something like "Gigo Movements 1-8", but AS does do it well. Remix 1 is 10 minutes and Remix 2 is 15 minutes long so they are definitely full tracks in their own right. Personally AS could have called these two tracks "Gigo Movements 9-10" and I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference, which is a compliment I guess. The last track, 15 Sounds, is what it is. 15 sound samples used to make this 70+ minute release. Listening to these samples is great, because it showed me how gifted Anthony truly is as these samples he used create magic. Wow!

The cover art was done by AS as well and it looks simple, but it fits this release very well. Like a dark oil painting with shadowed colors of dark tinge. It needs to be enlarged and framed. An excellent release from a truly gifted artist, even if it’s just garbage movements.

nearField - Vakar Gerem Keturiese Prie Misko...

Artist: nearField
Release: Vakar Gerem Keturiese Prie Misko, Ant Senu, Nebenaudotu Veikiancio Metro Begiu
Label: Perineum
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 1
TRT: 24:27

From a label out of Lithuania comes their 17th release from the Canadian artist nearField. I will start by saying that I never heard much of nearField or Perineum just until recently when we exchanged emails and all I can say is that I was not disappointed.

The track is made up of sound sources from the city of Toronto, mainly railway tracks, bridges and passing trains for example. This is listed on the website from the artist. What I like best is that these are not just field recordings because I would have never guessed that these sounds I was listening to were from trains and such. The noises are progressive so it's kind of like an ambient noise that can break your brain if your not careful. The track goes heavy for about 10 minutes and then takes a soft rest were your left with hisses and soft tones that a mouse could digest easily. The track then again picks up with a loud wall of white noise that simply ends the track rather abruptly. My only wish on this CDr was that there was more of it, but I totally understand an artist’s nature to want to release an EP as well, which is what this is.

The artwork is very creative. Here we get a simple blue cardboard sleeve with an image of a large bridge on the front but the sleeve is wrapped with two strips of ribbon and two beautifully coloured pictures glued to the bottom of each side’s corner. The text is printed nicely and it's limited to 50 copies, which is fairly good for a noise EP of this nature. A good show and effort from a great Canadian artist and a dedicated Lithuanian label.

Maximum Headlessness - Untitled

Artist: Maximum Headlessness
Release: Untitled
Label: Roil Noise Offensive
Year: 2005
Format: CDr
Tracks: 13
TRT: 51:33


Another Roil Noise review. This isn’t like I only love this label it’s they just put out some very unique releases from all over the world and this one is one of them.

I will start out by saying that I hate punk music and was never interested in it at all growing up. Maximum Headlessness is punk music, but not in the conventional sense. He mixes noise and abstract sounds very well into each track and the production is top notch. Within in a few of the tracks are movie samples, which I find, add a lot of humor to this release and some of them work very well with the sounds going on. Example is Jim Carry in Dumb and Dumber yelling his "most annoying sound in the world" that is being looped a couple of times while the track progresses. Very comical and it doesn’t take away from me liking the music. That’s right, I said I liked it. Before I hated punk music and this release of Maximum Headlessness is making me open my mind to the genre again. Kudos to anyone who can do that with one album.

There are a couple of tracks that don’t do much for me but that doesn’t mean much coming from someone who doesn’t know much about punk music. Maximum Headlessness is an artist and you can tell. He doesn’t just yell and make fast "punk drums", he uses keys and guitar very well and it doesn’t sound half ass. He’s a bloody one-man band. He does a very good job at doing covers as well, such as "Paint it Black" or as titled "Paint it Blah". Cool shit. I don’t want to spoil anything but you get your moneys worth here for sure because I was surprised myself. I’ll just say that any industrial fan would enjoy this release as well.

Bhig Ceity Okrasteew / Ctephin: Does Art For...

Artist: Bhig Ceity Okrasteew / Ctephin
Release: Does Art For…
Label: Roil Noise Offensive
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 11
TRT: 77:41

I have a particular liking for split releases; whether they are 2-way, 3-way or 4-way splits, and this is up there for me as the best ambient one I can think of. This release is one of the latest offerings from the Roil Noise label whom just keep putting out quality release month after month and will keep doing so until Noah takes a breath. This split release offers two artists who have been doing experimental noise for some time now, BCO for like the past 20 years, and this is a great 77 minutes worth of pure ambient drifts.

Bhig Ceity Okrasteew, or Big City Orchestra, starts off the disc with their great experimental sounds. Guitars, electronics, noises, drones and anything else these guys can come up with are heard through their five tracks. The 2nd track, Joneynomey, even has a lovely sounding Buddhist type chanting in the background, which is so relaxing. These guys remind me so much of the old Legendary Pink Dots and that’s such a relief now a days with all the shit that’s out. But returning to the release the cascades of each track flow into one another perfectly and these guys know how to make music. They are not just sticking sounds together for the sake of it and track five is just a great piece I’d love to see them play live.

Ctephin is known for his great ambient drones that he can carry well during the whole track. You don’t seem to notice it but a nine-minute track of his can be over before you know it. Within these drones there’s a few sounds going on and they add great to the overall atmosphere of each track. If you a fan of his track ten will surprise you with its quality of harsh noise as well. Ctephin’s tracks seem to be of more a sadder sound than BCO and that maybe just from the instruments being used, but sad of not, I like every track on here. Ctephin is three members as well. His daughter and his wife also create the sounds as well, such as this release, and thus we two great "Orchestra’s" in one fantastic show. I think Stef’s daughter plays the strings in a couple tracks too and she’s bloody good at it.

Another great point to make on this "split" release is that each artist designed the artwork for the other artist’s side. The CDr is packaged in a plastic sleeve so that both sides are visible and CD art itself is a giant, nummy looking kiwi. A tasty treat indeed folks.

Goat - Goat's Holy Mountain

Artist: Goat
Release: Goat’s Holy Mountain
Label: Harshnoise
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 1
TRT: 53:29

I found a scroll I thought you all should read. It was buried under black dried sand next to an old path. I picked it up with amazement and was surprised to find out the contents. It read as follows:

"…being on this pathe of some duration, I was sent forthe by mine master to finde the loste and unco temples that hath been soughte after ever and anon by man-kinde for a wonderous counte of years. The journey was treacherous and abounden withe greate perils. In the greate distance, I coulde ken mine salvation. T’was the Mountain mine master had badeth me to finde, The Holy Mountain. Temples layeth atop this virtuous rock. I coulde seeth a moste olde path that I needeth to traverse to reach the heights and the Temples there-upon. I wondereth why a path existen when this hath been soughte after for many an age of mankinde. Surely some-body knew where these Temples abode? I thoughte upon it no-more an moved with greate secrecy towards mine goal. Alas! I spy’ed a greate beaste layen afore me. A’fulle of haire and fulle bodied in strengthe. The beaste espied mine gaze and gaveth chase. I soon founde myself loste, but safe in this unco place. The creature seemeth to hath returned to guarding the unco pathe and at that wonderous momente I kneweth it for what it were…a Yeti! It guardeth here the Temples of life’s secretes. I could meene what mine master coveteth… wisdome; of the Temples of the Yeti."

A grand legend to match an equally grand release from Harshnoise. Goat seems to be offering a very harsh live set here and you can tell, during the halfway point, that there seems to be some cord-switching going on. This doesn’t take away from the performance though and it’s defiantly a long 53 minutes, but so worth it. The first 13 copies of this release also came with a fairly well done bizcard release, Göatmeister, which is limited to 50. Short and sweet. Unfortunately most of this scroll has been lost or torn away. Rumor has it that Andy may have found it, but the Temples of the Yeti may never be found again on the Goat’s Holy Mountain.