Music Reviews

Cthonica – “Lesser Incantations of Chthonic Lore, The” – [Sentient Ruin Laboratories]

whngr   5/15/2021   12-inch, A Library

Venezuelan Blasphemous Dirge/Thrash  Torrential sheets of blood rain upon shrieking visages of horror and gloom.

Hearts beating in time to double kicks running in parallel relentlessly before fading into the distance.

Demons possess shattered minds that sway to the forlorn, wavering guitar solos.

Unintelligible voices amidst throbbing pulses of white noise.

Grinding, wreching, guttural bellows. Woeful bleats. A final gasp? Interludes of staticky, pulsing space.

Hair lashing… the blood has begun to thicken. The Dark Ones are pleased.

The steel must be honed.

This 2 piece Black/Death Metal project hails from Caracas and state their lyrical  themes as: Death, Perversion, Spiritual decay, Esotericism, Unreasoning, and Occult alchemy… whatever that means. All that I hear is the righteous veneration of impending obliteration.

Decoherence – “Decoherence” – [Sentient Ruin Laboratories]

whngr   5/14/2021   7-inch, A Library

Terrifying in its vastness and its strata.

Guttural bellows, growling guitars double one another over a litany of polyrhythmic drum virtuosity. 
Obliteration and havoc reigns until the last 18 seconds of side b where we are allowed to lick our wounds momentarily after our propper drubbing.Three members frum U.S./U.K. Mysterious and prolific.

If we were able to take any meaning from the miserable and unintelligible lyrics I am confident they would not comply with the F.C.C. outside of safe-harbor.

Pierre, Alain – “O Sidarta” – [Finders Keepers Records]

whngr   5/14/2021   12-inch, Soundtrack

Abstract exploration of synthesizer with some rhythm and vocal elements sprinkled with sound effects and field recordings, the soundtrack to a strange Belgian arthouse short.

Bubbling, pulsing, and sweeping analog synthesizers are the meat of this long player with brief sojourns into Bongoland, Bassville, Bird-callington and myriad other oddities that were very probably informed by a considerable amount of illicit substances.

Ô Sidarta is a Belgian short film by Michel Jakar scored by Alain Pierre that explores the work of French illustrator Phillipe Druillet. Employing oblique and strange footage of the artist in and around his studio circa 1974, including stills of his bizarre science fiction comic book panels of arcane alien landscapes and figures with some minimal animation elements. This last aspect was the primary reason I was compelled to purchase this album, sensing promise in period psychedelia and analog synthesizer, though disappointingly the animation was not a rendering of the artist’s work per say, but of relatively simple scenes of movement through celestial bodies and other psychedelic ephemera. For this miserable volunteer the most compelling aspect of the film was the footage of Druillet working on the image that would be used as the cover for this beautifully packaged LP… that and the killer mustache of the artist in his natural environs.   Two sidelong tracks, so take it easy for a bit and let your mind wander into a mysterious and remote part of your consciousness. Explore the realm that is within you. An entire universe of spacescapes and subterranean echo chambers of the self. Float, fade, stain… just make sure you’re back in time for the legal ID at the top of the hour.   

Life Stinks – “Hanging From The Ceiling” – [Total Punk Records]

whngr   5/14/2021   7-inch, A Library

No frills garage/punk in the red.

The stench of rotten rock n’ wretch permeate the stains in the back seat of this now defunct S.F. project. Reeking of the broken promises made to those who were once in love, like dog breath. Like fucking in your Mom’s Eldorado when you were 14 and saying you’d stay true. It was a lie… You’re a lie! You got it everywhere… and you never even thought to offer her your shirt?! You’re a waste, a fetid smear… a streak of spoiled lipstick on the cracked mirror of life and… you ‘re… fucked… up!

No Fcc’s.

Risaripa & Takeshita – Cute Bears – [Imploding Sounds]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

Collab noise release from Risa Reaper (Japan) & Takeshita (Pronounced TA-KESH-TA, Seattle). Electronics crunch and churn, while whimsical demented toys are pulverized in the giant industrial steel grinder. Unbellies of childlike rhythms & demonic possessed vox try to escape through the harsh, scorching fire of hell.   

Crown of Eternity – Dream Architecture – [Sounds Eternal Music]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

An intensely meditative duo of Mike Tamburo and Galina Haralambova. This release is a musical journey through 11 gongs and over 60 bells, sound plates, singing bowls and tuned metallic instruments that transfuse into your inner lamb and soothe your soul. The reverb you hear from each tap of the gongs/bowls/bells is like a deep relaxing breath. Could definitely lay in a giant flower field, staring up at the sun peeking through the clouds listening to this. It’s like a giant, mythical wind chime. Would mix excellently next to Tom Heasley’s droned out tuba.

Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage – Live At The Issue Project Room – [Imprec]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

An expanded version of Catherine Christer Hennix’s mind-altering ensemble. CCH is Swedish musician, poet, philosopher, mathematician and visual artist who is known for being associated with the early minimalist movement. Active since the 1960s, her drone interest intertwines with her love of jazz, Arabic music, Sufi Islamic art, and the blues. This one, hour+ long piece includes vocalists Imam Ahmet Muhsin Tüzer, Amir Elsaffan and Amirtha Kidambi, brass sounds of Paul Schwingesnschlögl and Elena Kakaliagou, & Marcus Pal and Stefan Tiedje on electronics. It’s a hypnotic, mesmerizing psychedelic trip through the high desert. Indian style drones morph with wafting chants that cocoon around your core and tendril out your solar plexus like glowing comets. It’s a meditative journey, drop in anywhere! 

Straight Panic – God is the Giver of the Gift

Number 6   5/7/2021   A Library

self described queer power electronics, the Providence Rhode Island artist continues to provoke conventional assumptions and lethargic conclusions of perceptions from within and without the worldwide community of gender and sex elasticity all of which defies a single, common, authoritative view.  with that in mind, the artist exposes a sublevel of driven sex hunters that proudly refer to themselves as giftgivers and bugchasers i.e. intentional HIV infection/ transmission/ reception.  is this a myth?  are these pleasure seekers suicidal?  are they liberated?  you’ll have to decide for yourself because according to the artist and his guest collaborators it “strives to neither glorify nor shame, but rather humanize those who were vilified by leaders of Faith and Government, left to fend for themselves during the height of the epidemic.”  most tracks open with a docu-style sample of a male explaining an aspect of the chasing/giving/receiving setting like a segment of an interview, and at least one preacher sample, and a porno claim that “i’ve converted about 15 guys.  oh fuck”  then the sound abruptly shifts to a jarring interplay of densely layered textures, frequencies and “disembodied voices of the departed” aka as spoken/yelling/screaming and rubbery, slithery, wet roars of anger/resentment/rage likely directe at religion and government (or people dumbfuck enough to fall dfor this shit). this is Straight Panic’s most accomplished, well-conceived and executed release.  the concept and presentation  work best in its entirety. the idea that one can live without fear and enjoy fucking for the sake of pleasure with no care or interest in the future. to embrace your own demise, is paramount

–Teachers AIDSchaser

FCC – #3 mostly submerged or distorted fuck sounds and noises, #8 opening 45 seconds porn gift/chase fuck

#3 guest Délinquance Juvénile 

#4 guest Grutesk

#7 guest Contraktor

Ekin Fil – "Coda" – [Helen Scarsdale Agency]

abacus   5/7/2021   12-inch, A Library

fragile hypnagogic meanderings from Turkey’s Ekin Fil. her presence here is distant yet deeply ominous, the nebulous wafts of voice, piano and guitar are reminiscent of other somber drone pop artists of the past 10 years like Grouper, Inca Ore, or Ensemble Economique. nocturnal premonitions, foggy introspection, cinematic noir and melancholy.

Specimens – "Sculptures" – [First Terrace Records]

abacus   5/7/2021   12-inch, A Library

drifting between ambient industrial and classical renaissance drone, alternating tracks between warmth and frigidity. Alex Ives from the UK presents this scrapbook of dreamy vignettes, intentionally crafted in contrasts to challenge the listener. pieces are partly achieved through utilising samples of Sudanese wrestling & Tuvan Throat Singing, a variety of sound sources and processing are utilized.