Machinefabriek – Veldwerk CD
Cold Spring
With astute design and bold colors and text Veldwerk is presented. The artwork is curious especially coming from a label that specializes in the dark and gothic. But it appears here that Machinefabriek focuses on carefully composed musique concrete with other subtle elements added.
The compositions are quite effective using delicate sounds that ebb and flow. Peaks and valleys lead to moments of engaging sound effects, subtle haunting harmonies, and finally intense noise swells to form a well-rounded front. There are also elements of guitar which somehow …

Baroke Misty Queens – Tacked Into It
[one-sided 6inch lathe cut with silkscreened b-side]

Auris Apothecary is a label that stands on its own, isolated from many scenes but especially from the main stream. It is the embodiment of “boutique” more than any other label today. Having received numerous releases for review from the label I simply couldn’t ignore the fact that what they are doing is something quite different. An emphasis on creative package design, carefully curated releases and most importantly; uniting the physical with the aural.
Auris Apothecary was introduced to …

Sunken Cheek – Prince Of Mind / Husk 7″
Torn Light
Immediately noticeable is the excellent packaging on this release. The artwork is simple yet effective using silk screened blue ink on black matte and accompanying this is a giant fold-out poster. More than one could ask for in a seven inch record already. One fair warning is that this record plays at 45rpm so it’s very quick, maybe 8 minutes tops.
Sunken Cheek represents everything that I want in noise these days; creepy atmosphere, harsh electronics, tinges of industrial scraping at the …

Encounters – Formless Migration CDr
Self Released
Ok, this was originally reviewwed as a Husere Grav release because it had no info in it and me by the artist. It’s actually Encounters which is a duo of Husere Grav and half of NRIII; the latter of which I am not familiar with. There is absolutely no information provided anywhere on the release but it is a slimline jewel case that comes in a black envelope with a photocopied image pasted on the front. Quite esoteric.
The audio here clocks in at 33 minutes …

Requiem – Provenance CD
Consouling Agency
Requiem is the artist David Graham who has been operating out of Pittsburgh for quite some time (I believe the late 90s?). Under the moniker he creates epic soundscapes of industrial tinged post-rock and Provenance is certainly a showcase of his skills and aesthetic.
My favorite thing about the release are the intense and explosive moments where a new level of heaviness is achieved. Moments like the last part of This Story Ends the Same Way it Begain where there is an explosion of pummeling industrial hits, …

Husere Grav – You Are Transparent CD
Crucial Blast
The low key ambient drone artist Husere Grav is back with this release on the surprisingly high profile label Crucial Blast. Delivered in a DVD case with fuzzed-out photography containing a sticker, a pin, and a cool insert-booklet this makes for a sick little package that truly does justice to the bleak soundscapes within.
Throbbing low frequency drones, shifting textures in the mid and high ends bring to mind the empty industrial spaces at night. When the machines are on autopilot and the electric …

Destroy Date – Inner Dialogue CD
Love Earth Music
They pulled out all the stoppers for this one. From the extremely shitty design to the re-hashed pop music within; this presents perhaps everything that I hate about experimental wankery.
I really shouldn’t even continue this review past the first track entitled Los Angeles Music Test which consists of a computer-type voice narrating the track number and then playing a 3-5 second clip of a classic rock song. This track is 13 minutes and goes up to 94 clips of classic rock songs. …

First Human Ferro – Homo Shargey CD
Old Captain/New Nihilsm/Requiem/Triangle
Homo Shargey continues the development of this long-running project which by this point has run the gamut of different styles and sounds. Over the years the project has progressed from lo-fi death industrial – my personal favorite incarnation – to haunting abstract folk and now settling into detailed synth-based ambient.
With Homo Shargey FHF deals with the concepts developed by Alexander Shargey (who I guess is also known as Yuriy Kondratyuk) that consist of using a particular method of space travel to land …

V/A – BG/BTW/HP/ORU July 2013 Tour 3xC20
Self Released
This release is a tour-de-force of harsh noise heavyweights from their tour last year. Three tapes chalk full of the filthiest cut-up noise attacks I’ve heard and it’s absolutely brilliant and devastating.
Brad Griggs is up first – a hidden gem of the midwest – who’s noise is reminiscent of early Pedestrian Deposit. It’s crunchy as fuck and rough around the edges. Mostly a constant barrage of junk attacks but there is a contact mic shuffle breakdown about 1/3 of the way through.
Side B …

SUMMER SCUM THREE
Buffalo NY July 25/26 @ The Foundry (298 Northampton St)
$20 each day. $35 both days