Rabbit Girls - Demonizer

Artist: Rabbit Girls
Release: Demonizer
Label: Roil Noise Offensive
Year: 2006
Format: Two 3" CDr
Tracks: 2
TRT: 39:55

The last time I did a review for Rabbit Girls it was for the very original 3" CDr titled "Hard Drive". It was mainly a glitch noise release and I liked it very much. Well now comes something totally different. Demonizer is a two 3" CDr release that has each mini disc pressed against each other being held by two hubs glued together, like a sandwich. Very simple and very effective. It comes in a zip lock bag with a full colour double sided insert. The pictures presented fit the release and the title very well so it puts you in the mood before you even listen to it.

There are two tracks, one track each disc. The noise used in each disc was used by mixing old Rabbit Girls and Rubbish tapes on two Library Of Congress tape decks, all done ‘live’. It sounds exactly as I just described it. The noise is very high pitched at times, sped up, slowed down, garbled, destroyed, allowed to escape, everything. There is great movement in each of the tracks and the technique used makes the noise ever changing, simply cause the noise on the tapes was ever changing to begin with. The sounds through the first track, Bound By Shadows And Darkness, sound like poor lost souls trying to escape the devil bastards chest. I shit you not the mood of this track works perfect for how it’s presented and track two, The Lifelong Journey Into Nonexistence, is no different. Great effect manipulations and variable speeds and best of all, harsh as hell at times. A release to be cherished by the Gods and a great new sound from Rabbit Girls. I look forward to more of this in the future.

Ghoul Detail - The Ghoul Box

Artist: Ghoul Detail
Release: The Ghoul Box
Label: Roil Noise Offensive
Year: 2006
Format: 5 x CDr
Tracks: 41

The Ghoul Box Set. Roil Noise Offensive’s 50th release and this is a great one. What you get is 5 ambient experimental CDr’s, 3 stickers, and 2 buttons all packaged in a nice looking cardboard case with print on the top. Each disc is individually packaged with an insert and track list in a 5x5.5" 6mil vinyl sleeve, like an individual release would. Ghoul Detail has been creating ambient and experimental sounds for over 3 years and his out put is mainly focused on war and drugs it seems. The box set comes with an insert that details the discs and the tracks, but it also has a quote by Sven Hassel from 1961. It talks about the body movers of the 2nd World War and he label’s it as the Ghoul Detail. Now I know where the name is from and it all finally makes sense.

Getting back to the music, there are a lot of samples used in these tracks. Some tracks have heavy bass lines, some have vocal samples, others have mixed clashes and scrapes, but each track carries with it his distinctive sound. If you’ve ever listened to anything by Plastikman you may know what I mean. The drone may carry throughout the entire track but all the sounds mixed in place keep you from getting board. One of my favorite tracks is on Disc Two: Track 1 "Path Of The Righteous Man", there are lots of movie samples (Taxi Driver to name one), mix with a groovy bass line and the ever present ambient push, it works well like this. Track 4, "Teratogeny" on disc 2 is probably the most interesting simply because it features Lord Greenskull. Within GD’s ambient tone there’s a hip-hop beat with Rap lyrics. When I first heard about this I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m a fan of Prefuse 73 so there’s no surprise that I actually like this track a lot. There a lot of other great tracks in this box set and what I love best is each disc seems to have a theme, could disc 5 be about Dune? Who knows, but the sounds and range of ambient tones make this something to listen to over and over again. I personal do so while reading and sometimes I’ll get surprised and look at the stereo with a smile. Out of all the disc’s I really like Disc 3: Junky, it has 4 tracks with nothing under 13 minutes and it’s the one I think defines the true sound of Ghoul Detail. So, in a nutshell, if they were sold separately some day I’d probably buy this one first. Jon knows his stuff and he deserves the title as "The Soundscape Gardener".

The only negative I have is that some of the tracks can run to long. A good example is on Disc One, Track 5 "Munch The Stinkfinger". It runs just over 13 minutes and it could have been just as well presented had it been half as short. Good drum beats with ambient movements, but it’s a bit too much for 13 minutes.

Check out the review for "Trail Of Tears", which is disc four, here.

Vomir - Encore

Artist: Vomir
Release: Encore
Label: Masonbruit
Year: 2006
Format: 5" CDr
Tracks: 1
TRT: 22:44

Total brutal harsh wall noise. Or so it says on the package; Nihilist Harsh Wall Noise. I'm a big fan of wall noise and all I can say is that Vomir knows what he's doing. The crisp crunches and bass like wall drones are something that I look for in this style and he does it very effectively. There are however a few points to make. This is almost like an Aube release in the fact that it is 22 minutes of almost the same sound. You don't notice much of a change in pitch until 5 minutes into the wall blast. There are a few channel switches here and there too, which help add depth to the track but I would have like to see more. I do however like the fact that it's only 22 minutes because I think I would have no bothered listening to the end if it was over that.

The packaging is about as DIY as you can get. Black and white art in a plastic sleeve. The cdr itself is just that, a cdr. No writing on it at all. Which I hate, just write the band name on it or something....please. All in all, if you like wall noise and need a good example of it then this is a great demo. I would love to here more Vomir in the future and maybe it could be packaged just a bit better too.

Stimbox - Recycled (CDr)

Artist: Stimbox
Release: Recycled
Label: Hebi Like A Snake
Year: 2006
Format: 5" CDr
Tracks: 4
TRT: 61:05

Perfect!

Tuft - Cannibal Fantasy

Artist: Tuft
Release: Cannibal Fantasy
Label: Medusa Head Records
Year: 2006
Format: 3" CDr
Tracks: 7
TRT: 21:27

Tuft is the solo project behind the label Medusa Head Records. Every release that comes out on this label is simply amazing. Not just audio wise, but the hand crafted artwork put into each release is the best I’ve seen from even the most veteran DIY labels. This release, Cannibal Fantasy, is no exception. The 3" cdr comes packaged in a blue case with full front and back artwork. There is an insert as well with a hand drawn picture of a 3-D skull. The cdr itself is done well too with label info mixed with circles around the disc. The topper of this release however is the free BONE you get. Limited to 45 copies means each release comes with it's own hand painted bone, and they're given names as well. Mine happens to be "Fourth Metatarsal". Check it out here for the list. The writting on the tag for each bone is even done well, with a calligraphy set it looks like. Brilliant! Now the noise.

The first track, I Absorb You, comes at you with a great rhythmic pulse that vairiants with each passing second. It’s a quick rumble with nothing else distracting it. I get the feeling that it’s done with a guitar or bass. I can’t be sure but at times there’s a drone for a little bit from a string that got plucked. The second track, I Eat Skeletons, is not as strong. Just a straight feedback track. Harsh though. The VHS Underworld, is another great rumbling track with pushes and pulls, and a lot of bass. Chew, the fourth track, is a pick pluck of distorted hits and taps. Reminds me of something NIN would have done as a secret noise track in their early days. The longest track, at almost 6 minutes, is a harsh wall noise track. The loudest of Tuft I’ve heard so far and probably my favorite on here. Titled Oh, The Body, I get the feeling as if the cannibals magnified the sound of them skinning someone alive because it sounds just like that. The skin getting pulled and ripped off is a great thing to hear at this level. Again, the bass is heavy. Track six, You Are Pudding, sounds like someone being drowned in pudding. A very fitting title and it plays it well. Track seven, So Longpig, is a pretty well done experimental track with pulled wires of harshness plugging up your ear drums. This too is a great track from the short disc.

All in all, the noise on here is not some of the best I ever heard but the tracks fit the titles so well, and mixed with the artwork, this is a release that can stick into your mind after playing for quite some time. One of favorites of 2006!

V/A - Population Problems

Artist: Various
Release: Population Problems
Label: Cephia's Treat Recordings / Obelisk Sounds
Year: 2006
Format: 7" Vinyl
Tracks: 8

This 7" vinyl compilation is something that I thought was just a noise comp. I was mistaken but not disappointed. Four track per side and here is a track by track review:

Byron House – A short garage band jam with some lyrics that are sometimes hard to make out. It’s a simple run of the mill high school sounds, nothing great, but not bad.
Oubliette – The only noise track featured on this comp. Your fashioned with some low-fi effects and TV samples. The sound of Oubliette at it’s finest. If you’re familiar with Seth’s sound than look no further than this comp. It’s the longest track on the side and it’s well worth it.
Then And Than – Casio drums with a light drone and some great organ notes. When I first played this my wife thought I was listening to something from CBC radio. She loved it. A great song.
Turmoiled Functions – Some great slow notes mixed with layered scrapes. This is something that I could see played at a funeral? Maybe it was. A great short tune to end the first side.
The Oals – Xylophone sounds with soft drugged out lyrics. Listen while lying on the grass looking at clouds. A very sad sounding track.
Haves & Thirds – Hip-hop sampled drum beat with a trippy guitar tune being played along with some odd TV samples. The track speeds up and slows down nicely too.
Noche Rider – Another garage rock’n roll jam. This one is better than the Byron House one I think. A short instrumental tune.
The Fas’ners – This one is my favorite. There’s a jazz organ with a bass and light cymbal taps. Very jazz orientated. The track stops, goes to a faster RPM and then slows again. Very short as well and a good idea of what to expect from this band.

I had only heard of one of these bands on here and that was Oubliette. I thought it was a noise comp but what a got was a great mix of bands showing their talents in some pretty decent short tracks. A good buy and something that I’d recommend playing in the summer. It has that roller skate hot day feel to it.

The Barraks Of Afghanistan - Color

Artist: The Barraks Of Afghanistan
Release: Color
Label: RRRecords
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 11
TRT: 37:26

The Barracks Of Afghanistan’s 2006 release Color is one that I was neither surprised by nor disappointed by. The release is purely 37 minutes of noise. 11 untitled tracks that sound like they were recorded live in one take with no edits. Nothing complicated. I will note that track #2 is much louder than the rest, not in harshness, but in stereo volume. Not sure if this was an error or not but I nearly jumped when it came on.

The track lengths range from 7 minutes to 90 seconds and for the most part each track starts off with a heavy bass rumble for about 10 seconds and then the fun begins. Pure harsh vocal-feedback, crashes of loud clutters and some hi pitched pinches are just some of the noise played in this disc. The last track although sounds like it was recorded somewhere else and doesn’t fit with the rest of the noise, nothing bad, just low-fi sounding. To me, trying to review this disc was like trying to review The Rita. There is nothing that stands out about this noise and yet I like it because it’s pure and simple. I hate it when I expect something from an artist and then get disappointed. You won’t find that from this disc.

The package is Rons trademark recycled paper and collage art in a slim case. Purely simple, like the noise. Now why is it titled Color? Just listen.

Realicide - I Gotta Break Free

Artist: Realicide
Release: I Gotta Break Free
Label: Realicide Youth
Year: 2006
Format: CDr
Tracks: 5
TRT: 57:11

Realicide has been on tour for some time now and their live sound is some of the most creative punk-noise-core I've heard in a while now. I got into it from the GBN/Merzbow split a few years ago and love the stuff now and Realicide's release, I Gotta Break Free, is no exception. The track listing is broken down into 5 live shows that took place in various states, from LA to TN.

Robert Inhuman and his crew showcase some great effects with the aggressive vocals and pounding drumbeats. There isn't just a hard beat layered over with some vocal trash. You get to hear some great digital delay effects used to loop some pretty far out samples. A great example is their cover of the Black Flag track, "Depression". Being a noise fan myself I like their version better than the original. Robert pushes his voice across the air as the room is filled with some pretty drum'n bass pounding beats mixed with great sampled loops from the original track. Some other great tracks to note are "I W-is-H", which features samples from The Mob. And if you like the straight in your face punk-noise-core jam look no further than "The Shit Punks Hate" and "Art Palace Fossil Fuckers". Perfect mosh pit gore.

Track #2, Open Eyes, stands alone and is one of my favorites on this disc. The simple reason is because it is such a pure early 80's sounding industrial track. Open Eyes puts my mind in that time frame and I feel they could have opened for Throbbing Gristle or something. The other stand-alone live track is "Man O Steel"; this one is up there as well. Perfect.

The packaging is limited to black and white print with a silver spray painted CDr, but you get Roberts and Jim Swills lyrics on the inside sheet so you can read along if you can't understand what the fuck they're saying. Cheap price, perfect punk-noise.