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, …