Bitchneck/FRKSE – Winter C30

Self Released

This is a D.I.Y. affair with a heavily painted plastic cassette case and all info stickered onto the cassette itself. Very simply but effectively put together.

Bitchneck presents two tracks that make up his side which is entitled The Worst Winter of My Life. First track is a blistering noise attack with crunched distortion almost achieving the sounds of oscillators. I recognize the second track as being Fevers and Carwrecks even though it’s not listed in the info. It’s simply one of my favorite Bitchneck tracks with a slow mechanical loop and subtle blasts of noise added through the effects.

FRKSE offers up some of his most noisy material to date. Featuring a death industrial track full of explosive blasts of distortion this is exactly my cup of tea. Eventually some subtle bass guitar begins to emerge but very slowly and not at all taking away from the atmosphere with only a low note struck here or there. Some of the textures are also interesting with sounds morphing between sounding like either vocals or synthesizer yet remaining quite ambiguous.

This split is definitely a diamond in the rough. With its crude packaging I had low expectations – not knowing why because these two artists are quite excellent and underrated – but what is presented here is a great display of lo-fi noise and electronics. Excellent work.

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