xdementiaPost subject: V/A - 703 Noise CD
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:25 pmV/A - 703 Noise CD
703 Noise: http://703noise.org/
Overall Rating: C+
Composition: C
Sounds: C
Production Quality: C+
Concept: C
Packaging: C-
As with any compilation you have a mixed bag here. The area code noise theory, the idea of experimental artists in a community brought together because of their geographical location (or more precisely their phone number assignment) is a great idea in theory, but how well does it work in practice? Well, I guess it depends on what your preference is. It seems to me that in general there is a certain “type” of artist that rallies behind this communistic idea, and this compilation from the folks at 703 Noise illustrates this. Generally to be found here is what's to be expected, pure experimental music, mostly not harsh or ambient but pure sound ideas, explorations in synthesis, sample manipulation, or field recordings with even a few electronica and “rock” bands thrown into the mix. A truly eclectic disc here.
There are 20 artists in 20 tracks here all with varying lengths and none that surpass the 7 minute mark so it comes off as a bit scatterbrained which is definitely a shortcoming. Given the sheer number of tracks I'm going to merely point out the best moments instead of dwell on the so-so material and throwaways.
The first track that sticks out to me is Amber Asylum... no wait, that's actually Dermaptera a project I have never heard before but sounds suspiciously a lot like Amber Asylum with a solid haunting folk piece that sticks out from a lot of the wanky experimental featured here. It's a short track as is most of the tracks on the disc, it's a minimalist tune with merely a voice and picked guitar but brings out the best and none of the worst of what I like to hear in folk music, a doomed voice with a simple melody.
There are some elements of the sparse “Parapsychological Mosaic” by RDK that I enjoy. It features lonely quietly bending feedback tones against a stark silence that opens up the space adequately and provides some much need breathing room. It's one of the longer tracks here which makes it a bit more cohesive and thorough.
Of course in the case of Caustic Castle's “Let Them Eat Cake” I find myself wishing that it were one of the longer tracks. Kenneth Yates delivers some of the harsher material from the project here which adds up to a whirlwind of painful, quickly moving bleeps, blips, squigglies, and motor effects that grate at the senses, like recording the entire French revolution and condensing it into 3 minutes.
Northern Machine delivers “Hephaestus” which is another of the longer tracks and is a pleasing mixture of what sounds like pedal noise and cold laptop ambience. A solid mixture and probably the most dynamic of the tracks here with quiet to loud to quiet again but sounding natural and coherent. I like the way the sounds build up to the noise and the atmosphere here is cold and damp, just chills me to the bone.
As far as standout tracks that's about all I can dig up from this beast. Although there are only a few tracks that stand out as just being plain crap, it's a pretty solid comp that lacks much vision or cohesiveness. I'm afraid a comp based on where people live just doesn't really cut it for me. If you are into a ton of different sounds and music but mostly wanky experimental stuff I suggest this, otherwise it's seems too much of too little.
Related Articles: V/A – 24 Febuary Review , Caustic Castle – Untitled Review
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