Another kick ass day of solid listening whilst working. Some killer material on offer today. If you have not taken advantage of the labels putting this material out you should really get with it. Why does it feel like there is a noise renaissance going on? Is this the new golden age? Who knows? Fuck it. Read on. Send me some shit. Cheers, Symptoms.
C.C.C.C. / “Loud Sounds Dopa/Live In The U.S.A.” / CD /
Helicopter + Troniks
2 ripping live sets from these
Japanese legends from the deep dark past, originally released in 1993 and
reissued just in time for your listening pleasure. These performances were captured in 1992 in
Oakland and Chicago and represent the absolute best of the early days of harsh
noise.
Cosmic Coincidence Control Center,
otherwise known as C.C.C.C. are one of the major names when it comes to Japanese
noise. Their performances have been
highly regarded for their full-bodied approach to the performance aspect of
their work. They rock just like any
other band except for the fact that blowing your head off seems to be the most
critical objective.
The contents of these 2
performances consist of divebombing planes, car alarms going off, computerized
glitch noises all threaded together by a raucous blast of screaming hot
noise. You can hear the instrumentation
as it is taken to its logical conclusions and then beyond. Musical? No not really, but it is still
captivating in its approach. You can
definitely feel the live aspect of the performances, as this is a band who does
not take the intellectually concentrated approach. The sounds emanate abruptly, without warning
and fill the performance space with pure caustic shred.
What we wind up with by the time
the second performance ends is an album that has very real roots to the past
all while providing a primer for those young hustlers looking to get into the
noise game. A 2 part hefty yet frantic
listen which once again proves why Japan is not fucking around when it comes to
noise, never has and never will.
C.C.C.C. / Phantasmagoria / CD / Helicopter + Troniks
Another brain scrambling reissue
from these Japanese legends, which will assuredly be a prime staple in your
noise diet. Here we catch C.C.C.C. in
the wild dishing out a live session that definitely leaves you hanging on by
your fingernails. Recorded live on location
in June of 1992, C.C.C.C. come across as a bit more in your face this time
around. While this is not to suggest
that “Live Sounds Dopa/Live in the U.S.A.” is playful or anything but it does
have a bit more camp. This to me just
signifies the brilliance of subtleties and small changes in setting and
space. Where you do it, the mood you are
in when you do it, and the recipients involved whilst you do it will determine
the extent, severity, and tone of the resulting creation.
“Phantasmagoria” is a crushingly
concise performance that once the heat gets turned up it is go time and it does
not let up for what seems like a really long time. As stated previously, C.C.C.C. is a band in
the sense that they utilize instruments such as keyboards, bass, tapes and
vocalizations. However, this band turns
their instruments up loud and kicks them around. The pacing is pretty intense here and the
pressure feels like it is ever mounting.
By the time it ends, its like the boot gets picked up off your neck and
you finally are allowed to catch up.
Once again, the Helicopter and
Troniks alliance is kicking down the classics from the wild and wooly days of
the early 90s. “Phantasmagoria” is well
worth your time if you like it harsh and face peeling. Get on board the fuck you express and crank
this one up nice and loud. Time to make
your eyes vibrate.
Unsustainable Social Condition / Seductive Distress / CD
/ Troniks
Fucking harsh action of the highest
order. Right out the gate LA’s
Unsustainable Social Condition sets out to out grit and out grind the
competition with some furious full bladder noise pissings right to your
face. 5 steaming tracks of rock crushing
filth and dour emanations all peppered with a clinical approach to pressing
your skull into asphalt while out on a high-speed drive. No fucking around here, no interludes, no
space, just pure crackle, sizzle and scream.
The lows rumble, the mids are searing and the highs are spitting, this
is all about straight delivery. Forget
about philosophizing, reasoning or negotiating because it is time to get your
wig split.
The spaces between the tracks
thrill me in the same way the space between punches to the head do. It is just enough time to signal that more
ass whipping is coming to you. The textural
shifts from track to track are dramatic yet thematically linked, which to me is
one of the great balancing acts in noise.
You know that stabbings are going to happen, but the instrument that is
used to do the stabling changes from one stab to the next. The work on display
here is seamless and violently efficient.
Ultimately, this is a brisk yet
full listen with no single track overstaying its welcome. The tonal and textural shifts keep you
hooked. This will be in heavy rotation
around here for a good long while. Get
this one and get your stab on motherfucker.
Black Sand Desert / Painted Rope / CD / Oxen + Troniks
Corroded and broken bottom scraping
dread from Black Sand Desert. Waves of
mid-fi harshness get into heated entanglements with throbbing waves of rotting
piss. This 3-track audio dumping is
crispy blackened hatred full of busted up passages, dead ends, and unexpected
snap offs. The second track “A Coin
Trick” is raunchy heaping mountain of electronic crackle and gut rumbling
distortion, a brief drone respite and then a final descent into black tar
rage.
“Painted Rope” is another solid
chapter in the Black Sand Desert discography.
It has all the ugly flavors one would want from a black noise
release. Each track has its own distinct
identity despite the purposeful dwelling in filthy tones and dilapidated
blackened thrusts. You like it
filthy? Then do yourself a favor and
take a bite of this noisy last supper.
The Cherry Point and John Wiese / White Gold / CD /
Helicopter
I had never heard of this project
before, at least not that I can remember. I used to smoke a lot of weed back in
the heyday so there is that. This was recorded in 2005 and originally released
in 2016, which begs the potentially non-essential question: What differentiates this material from that
of their other collaborative effort LHD?
Without attempting to assume too
much, I would chalk it up to compartmentalization and timing. It is probable that there was a different
approach taken to the material that appears here than on any of the LHD
releases of the time period. This is me
just theorizing, it really does not matter to me. The important thing to note is that this
material is absolutely stunning.
Two raging tracks adorn this disc
and it is apparent right away that Blankenship and Wiese are engaging in some
serious pedal damage. Tons of synapse
frying skit skat racket that never seems to stay in any singular place or mode
for too long. What catches my attention
immediately is how much clarity there is here.
The sounds are vibrant and crisp, this was recorded and mixed to
perfection.
Track 2 is a different animal
altogether though as it is straight up wall worship. Again, despite the bleakness, the capture of
this piece was done flawlessly. It feels
as thick as it was intended, and you can actually hear the levels and the
layers that would otherwise be lost in translation if left in the hands of
anyone less qualified than this duo.
As I stated at the beginning, I am
uncertain of how their work process differs from that of LHD, but this feels
equal parts crushing and vibrant. Great
pacing, tons of variety especially on track one. The second half of “White Gold” is about as
punishing as it gets. For this moment in
time, for this day, “White Gold” is a killer piece of audio destruction. I will definitely be back for repeat listens
of this piece of glory.
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