Older Rope

Thanks Cam for this review of the Flesh Police demo. There are still copies available.

Marrow & Soot - Hearth

Weird noise and downtempo come together in this highly experimental record by Marrow & Soot, resulting in an eclectic mixture of pure sound manipulation and a more palatable brand of rhythm.

While it might be cliched to say, Hearth does indeed 'transcend' genres, with the only real applicable and consistent descriptor being 'experimental'. There are a lot of different soundscapes and moods displayed throughout the record, ranging from dark ambient-esque claustrophobia '(Just a Cough') to minimal synth ('Hide All Promises'), but it all manages to come together quite well.

In some respects one could view Hearth as a trial record, with Marrow & Soot exploring different sounds and styles in an attempt to discover their own; in the same way though, one could see the record as a mish-mash of varying styles uniting under the one conceptual theme. While the atmosphere of the album is not always consistent, I feel that there is some level of cohesion to the tracks and that the artist intended to convey this multidimensional approach to electronic music.

It's simply a matter of my own preference, but I feel that Marrow & Soot are best when they employ a sense of solemnity and emotion, such as on 'Often Alone' or the aforementioned 'Hide All Promises'. The latter track in particular is very well done and reminds me a lot of Martial Canterel's newer material. A venture down this compositional path might be a good thing for Marrow & Soot.

Hearth has so far only seen a digital release, which while unfortunate will hopefully garner interest and result in a physical pressing. Marrow & Soot is a newcomer to experimental 'scene' as a whole, but they show remarkable promise on this record and will hopefully continue with the project.

free download and stream at bandcamp

Tempest - Solace EP

Some of you may remember my review of Tempest's debut LP Passages from last year - this record was an instant hit for me and it still gets a regular workout on my turntable - it just has that little something that keeps me coming back. I can't quite decide whether it's simply because I go nuts for the overall sound Tempest have achieved, or whether it's because Passages itself is immaculately composed, but I have no qualms in heaping mounds of praise upon the LP.

With Passages still fresh in my listening rotation, Tempest have followed it up with another release in the form of the Solace EP. The record contains a single song, broken up into two parts. What was so good about Passages is evident here too - the EP almost feels like an afterthought of the LP, taking similer musical ideas and streamlining them around a singular concept that is expressed through one fluid composition.

If Passages caught your attention or you have any interest in dark and menacing crust, Solace is a must listen. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that its briefness leaves me wanting more. Tempest is easily the best band I know of currently playing this style of music, so do your thing and support. Physical copies of Solace are not yet available, but you can stream it here with the option to buy digital copies. Passages also has a full stream here. SUPPORT.

SMM - Context

An "ambient" compilation by Ghostly International that I picked up blindly a week or so ago. The faggots over at pitchfork are calling this "post-ambient" so... yeah. Whatever, this album features some artists that readers of this blog may be familiar with (the Fun Years, Aidan Baker), and a whole host of others that I didn't know. This album is more on the minimalist classical side of ambient music, there aren't a whole lot of drones or enveloping atmospheres here. Instead, careful, minimal melodies and the silence that dwells in the spaces between the notes creates a very varied "feel". Sometimes uplifting, sometimes despondent, sometimes poignant, sometimes soothing, this compilation has a lot of different motifs, but doesn't sound like a mish-mash. The tracks are very well sequenced and flow together. If I didn't know it was a comp, its believable that this is all the work of a single artist. Kudos to Jeff Owens at Ghostly International for curating this work. This is the kind of record you put on at the end of the day, and kind of leave behind everything that happened.

As for what SMM means, I don't know. GI says that its "an unknown acronym used to evaporate the already-unspooling musical boundaries between classical minimalism, electronic and drone composition, film soundtracks, and fragile imaginary landscapes." I'd say that's a good description, but it doesn't capture the feeling of this record. The emotional imprints that these sounds leave are as powerful as they are varied.

mediafire mp3 320

John Flannelly - Spaced

from the label:
"Proving the power of modern audio programs as tools for composition, "non-musician" John Flannelly channels the spirits of retro space-travel without ever picking up an instrument, save for a simple synthesizer on select passages. Created almost entirely with the free program Audacity, Spaced presents sounds alien yet familiar, retro yet full-frequency, obnoxious but curiously intriguing. While coming off as seemingly schizophrenic at times, the songs bounce back and forth between explorations of planetary surfaces and a lone spacemans thoughts seamlessly, weaving a unique journey into the lo-fidelity of outer space."

basically a tripped out, lo-fi NES influenced by Tangerine Dream

i was lucky enough to get the last in print copy at TD's CD's and LP's
(Bloomington, IN readers of this blog, if you don't support this establishment, shame on you!)

download for free (or donate) in any high quality format you want at the labels bandcamp

Auris Apothecary - the Marketplace - AAX-040: John Flannelly - Spaced

Lo-fi by Default - Sampler

Lo-fi by Default is a DIY label that eschews genre bounds and brings together artists from all around the world who follow a line of DIY, lo-fi recording practices. Their roster contains artists in styles ranging from math rock, post-punk, hardcore, electronic music, hip-hop and chillwave, though that's barely scratching the surface. You can hear 10 different artists across the 18 songs on this compilation, all of which are genuine in their DIY expression - the pretension that can come with being 'lo-fi' is not a valid criticism here.

I would have liked to go through some of the bands here in various detail but I've decided I won't bore you (or simply because I have little time to continue writing this blurb). What I can say with certainty is that there actually wasn't a single artist on here that I didn't find compositionally or at the least thematically interesting. Some definite highlights were the mid-west emo interpretation of John Lithgoat, the lo-fi, fuzz-meshed jangly post-punk of The Latecomers, the garage pop sensibilities of Turning Jew or the droney shoegaze of Metropolitan Intent. I could have kept going with the wordy descriptions but I'd like to leave a little of the surprise of discovery to the rest of you.

If DIY/lo-fi music interests you, if you are in a band that follows a similar recording aesthetic or if you get a little wet over compilations, Lo-fi by Default's sampler is most worthy of being picked apart.

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1. Negative Feedback Loop - Intro (Demo)
2. Adult Video Arcade - Natural//Shaven
3. John Lithgoat - Hotcakes
4. The Latecomers - A Walk on the Coldfront
5. Kamas - My Second Chance
6. Metropolitan Intent - Proto Evanelium 2
7. Starnoise - Somewhere Else
8. Turning Jew - Not Really Your Father
9. Marigold Bones - 3 Step
10. The Floor's Trick - Laugh
11. TBATLR - Again
12. Kamas - Free
13. Starnoise - No One
14. Metropolitan Intent - Midnight Wander (Excerpt)
15. The Latecomers - Wooden Man
16. Turning Jew - Hands
17. TBATLR - Armadillo Dance
18. John Lithgoat - Jampoline

Other Music - Incidents Out of Context

Wow. This is music treads the careful line between being challenging and engaging and does so magnificently. Compositionally, these pieces are intricate and complicated but are still very accessible and interesting. The second track "Music With Too Many Parts" is probably the most "experimental" song in terms of songwriting; they use a scale of fourteen unequal intervals per octave. It also sounds like an Eastern European scale, there are some notes here that you just don't here on a regular basis when listening to music based in Western European scales, keys, etc. "It is It" (parts one and two) both feature tempo and time signature changes that are impressive and striking, yet occur so effortlessly and naturally. "The Spirit is Willing" shows off their syth and drum syncopation skillz. And the title track, well, I'll let you discover that one for yourself.

The actual textures of the instruments themselves are as interesting as the songwriting. 80s synth voices that would be cheesy otherwise fit nicely in here and sound great. In addition to synth, bass, and flute, there are many unorthodox instruments at play here, such as the marimba and other things that I've never even heard of. Upon first listen to this record, I actually chuckled to myself a few times just out of sheer surprise. And apparently this band uses 'just intonation' tuning a lot, which is really complicated and makes cool sounds so if you really wanna know click here

the link can be found below

mediafirez




EDIT: While I haven't been able to find a full rip of their other release, Prime Numbers, you can hear three of the songs here: http://www.dbdoty.com/OM/OMRecordings.html

Rations - How Much Land Does a Man Need? 7"

'His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from head to his heels was all he needed'

Rations are a Long Island NY punk group, and How Much Land Does a Man Need? is their second release. I've actually struggled to think about things to talk about in this review, as I hadn't previously heard of this band nor do I know too much about the style of music they play. Nonetheless, since receiving this 7" a little over a week ago I've played it about 3 times a day, every day.

The 5 songs here consist of mid-paced and well-defined punk music with a strong melodic edge. Some might (loosely) call it pop-punk, but I personally don't see too much of a pop aesthetic in these songs. Regardless, the 7" shows great musicianship and while the songs themselves are not compositionally complex, they are absolutely not generic. Perhaps we should avoid my shitty descriptions and let you all hear it for yourselves - you can stream the title track at this bandcamp page.

Rations' songs just have a little something that makes every moment poignant no matter what you're doing, provided the record is spinning. I've been lying in bed looking up out of my windows at the sky or doing something as mundane as eating cereal and I've just stopped to reflect. The music has a definite authenticity that allows you to lose yourself in it without any worry of anxiety or negativity. Put in simpler terms, I would call How Much Land Does a Man Need? a 'feel-good' record.

The 7" comes with a 12 page booklet designed by the guitarist, who also runs one of the 10 labels who've co-released the record. 1000 copies were pressed, so they're currently in abundance and you would do well to pick one up. This comes with my strongest recommendation.

Perth's Jerk Store Records is selling them for $5 postage paid anywhere in Australia, or $3 in person. If you're from down here, definitely do not miss the opportunity as I'm not entirely sure how many copies Alex has. Those of you from other parts of the world, here's a list of each label involved and its whereabouts - I'll let you do the googling.

Jerk Store Records & Fanzine (AUS)
Drunken Sailor Records (UK)
Lost Cat Records (USA)
86'd Records (USA)
Rad Girlfriend Records (USA)
Intense Human Victories (USA?)
Square of Opposition Records (USA)
Pavones Records (CAN)
Messner Records (SWE)
Eager Beaver Records (Jap)

Red Nightfall - Red Nightfall

While I'm most certainly a sucker for genre labels, it just so happens that sometimes I'll come across a record that will make me avoid categorising at all costs - while it's so very easy to label a band or record, putting a box around something simply means that that particular thing cannot venture beyond the boundaries of that box (at least in the boxer's mind). This sort of discussion is usually up in the air, and while it's easy to 'box' almost any type of music, sometimes it's just better to forget your critical faculty and enjoy the emotive side a piece of music has to offer. For the first time in a long time I did just that with Red Nightfall's debut LP, and I like to think that it fostered a stronger connection with the music. Initial listens of the album made me realise that if I were to write a review talking about how they're an indie rock band and how they either fit in or deviate from the typical tenets of the style, I would not be doing the Toronto based quartet any justice.

The band label themselves as both 'sad bastard indie-rock' and similar to 'early Pink Floyd or King Crimson'. While I believe the former description fits perfectly, I personally do not hear any Floyd or Crimson at all. Maybe I'm listening out for the wrong things? Regardless, I'll be taking this review down the sad bastard track; Red Nightfall as a record consists of 9 stripped down and sombre songs which more often than not build up in intensity as they progress. Generally speaking this is an indie-rock record, but there are folk, slowcore and perhaps even loose post-rock elements thrown into the mix, all which collude to give Red Nightfall a distinct character.

Instrumentally, this record is immaculate - rather than give a detailed description of what each member does and sounds like, I'm going to point out two particular elements which stick out to me as defining facets of Red Nightfall. Firstly, Addison Siemko's vocals suit the solemn and often melancholic atmosphere perfectly, and his ability to convey a completely different mood with the slightest change in his voice allows a great deal of introspection on the listener's behalf. The second notable thing is Patrick Illian's bass lines. The way they give life and urgency to the songs needs to be heard rather than described, so I'll just say that the bass' prominence in the mix is dearly welcomed.

I've done nothing but praise this album so far, so I'd like to end things on a more realistic note. I really enjoy this record, and I can state with no inhibitions that Red Nightfall are definitely onto something. Nonetheless, I think the band could spend a little more time fine-tuning their 'album-craft', if that makes any sense. Individual songs on the record are great - in fact, I don't think there are any that I didn't care for (double negative deal with it), but writing a collection of songs and putting them in an album is different to writing an album. I feel that Red Nightfall could very easily construct a highly cohesive record which oozes thematic continuity, but that's not quite the case here. All 9 songs have their own emotional 'rides', but when I pop this into the player, I feel that I'm sitting there listening to a song at a time rather than all 9 in a row.

All of that aside, this is a great record and being their debut it's a bit much to criticise them for such minute details. If artists such as The National, Vic Chessnutt or Jeff Buckley are your thing, Red Nightfall is well worth hearing. You can listen to the band at their bandcamp, as well as ordering both physical and digital copies.

XfrankgrimesX - Pretty Buzzy

'XfrankgrimesX once again delves into the depressing nature of modern life, covering a diverse range of topics including vending machines stealing your money, getting nits and looking like Robert Smith when you cut off your dreads, the horror of public transport and pizza places that still can't cut eight even slices'.

XfrankgrimesX have followed up their Old Grimey EP with another release of short, raging powerviolence numbers, all with some really great samples. Pretty Buzzy has a more crisp and sharp sound than the Old Grimey EP, but the song structure is mostly the same. One thing which stook out to me however is that Pretty Buzzy has a few songs that employ some slower and doomier parts, though in the loosest possible sense. It still fits within the overall XfrankgrimesX sound however.

Another nifty little surprise here is a cover of Iron Lung's Sexless/No Sex, and though this cover is musically faithful, they lyrics have been slightly altered - the song is now called Snackless//No Snacks. While I would not say that XfrankgrimesX are a groundbreaking band, they have a certain charm to them which I simply cannot ignore. Their songs are basic but well written, and overall they're just hilarious. Their use of samples is perfect - we have more Simpsons ones on Pretty Buzzy, but one of the best lines from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is used too.

According to their bandcamp Pretty Buzzy is XfrankgrimesX's second and 'final' release. I'm not entirely sure if the band is dead or not, but all I can say is go listen to Pretty Buzzy (it's streaming on their bandcamp) and contact the band for physical copies. Support.

XfrankgrimesX

SHACKL∑S - Maunder

Up and coming hardcore punx from Byron Bay are putting out a 7" on Arrest Records. I wouldn't go so far to say that Arrest Records hosts the best of Australian hardcore (a lot of it is generic and totally forgettable) but they've made a name for themselves nationally and if they keep putting out records from quality bands like Shackles then I'll keep up the support.

Shackles have been around for a while and have played shows, put out a demo etc. etc. They first came to my attention through Sean's Skullfucked blog, as he has some level of involvement with the band (putting out one of their demo tapes).

As far as I know this is their first vinyl recording and it's extremely solid. Reminds me a bit of Taipan, playing heavy handed hardcore with metallic flourishes and even hints of powerviolence (though it's not overt). 11 tracks here, and overall the 7" is a ripper.

You can stream it for free from the Arrest Records bandcamp.
You can also put in a preorder for the record at the same place.

Tenement - The Blind Wink

There are days where nostalgia grips me so strongly that I'm rendered incapable of doing anything but putting on my favourite albums of yesteryear or just lying on the couch and rewatching early Scrubs episodes. What I listen to really depends on whether or not I want to get out of my fuzzy, sentimental stupor - if I'd rather lie there comatose, I'll spin something like Disintegration, but if I want to smile in teary bliss then I'll put on --. Nothing you idiots, happy music is for faggots.

Okay, not really. But to be perfectly honest, I'm usually overcome with melancholy in these aforementioned 'episodes' I experience, and most of the time my musical therapy matches that mood. This is where Tenement comes in - their second LP The Blind Wink was only released this year, but it feels like I grew up listening to this record. After about three listens, I felt like I already knew the songs and that I had already bonded with them over the years. This isn't because they imitate anybody (though obviously their influences are displayed proudly on their sleeves) nor is it because their music is generic in any kind of way - it's simply because they've perfectly captured the youthful exuberance that the fuzzy pop/punk of the 90s impressed upon an entire generation.

The Blind Wink takes on board a host of previous styles - as Amos from the band states, 'it runs the gamut of fuzz pop like the Swirlies, punk/pop like the Descendents, and more minimalist Big Star styled pop songs'. The overall punk feel to the record is probably the most pronounced aspect, but the incorporation of various indie rock tenets really complements Tenement's sound. Bands like Grandaddy or even Built to Spill are channelled through the music, reinforcing The Blind Wink's even greater grounding in the 90s.

If you're 22 and embittered by your vanishing youth, this album is probably perfect for you. While it makes me feel like a child again, it does it in a way that is far from childish. With mature composition and a mature approach to the genre, The Blind Wink's entire purpose is to recreate the naivity and optimism only someone half my age could have. And believe me, they have succeeded.

The Blind Wink can be streamed from Tenement's bandcamp page.
Cassette version can be bought at Dead Broke Records.
Vinly version will soon be available at Cowabunga Records.
Follow Tenement at their blog.

Scorpion Violente - Uberschleiss

Here's a little "synth pop" for you guys. Always thought that calling modern bands that use analog synths and a little noise experimentation "synth pop" was a little strange. Nevertheless, these are some great tunes. Fuzzed out analog synths dance on top of almost garagey/grimey beats. The beats are very strong in this music, they really give some songs the umph that is commonly missing amoung peer artists that take a minimalist approach (Lust for Youth). While LFY is one of my current favorite bands out, Scorpion Violente, with their more aggressive take on synthpop, set themselves apart from all of the cool shit currently coming out of Denmark and Sweden.

The beats do become repetitive, however. The title track is a perfect example of this. The beat isn't bad, it just can't sustain a four and a half minute song with only minor variations. There are several songs here that would be better off if a minute or two had been trimmed off.

The vocals may be an issue for some. Its typical of post-punk: moaning and reverb-laden. Newcomers might be turned off by the style, but if you listen through the whole record, they are easy to adjust to and you might actually end up liking it.

Overall, this album is refreshing. The more aggressive style (like some contrepoison tracks) makes it stand out against the other projects that are currently cranking out cassettes on posh isolation, ark tapes, release the bats, utmarken and avant!.

http://www.mediafire.com/?xhg86oy2sqtcibl (Scorpion Violente)

P.S. i'm also including a 7" by His Electro Blue Voice entitled "fog". This release isn't really representative of their discography, as guitar is the prominent instrument used here. However, it's pretty fucking cool. If anyone comes across a link to their new ep "dead sons" (its got more synth and a touch of noisey filtering) it would be great if you could post it. Below you'll find a link to their bandcamp where you can stream all of their releases.

http://hiselectrobluevoice.bandcamp.com/

http://www.mediafire.com/?xdbrnnkjx4wow8b (His Electro Blue Voice)

Craig Colorusso - Sun Boxes

Sun Boxes is a 7" comprising of two reasonably short field recordings. The catch is that these recordings were done through solar panels, which give off ambient texture depending on the amount and consistency of its input. I've chosen not to speak at length about this record, but to simply say that not only is the concept behind it excellent, the music itself is absolutely exceptional. Soothing tones that warp and pulse to the rhythm of something we cannot see and can barely feel.

listen

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Neat Beats - Cosmic Surgery

Coming out on Hop Skip Jump Records (who put out the great Moonbeams record earlier this year) is the project of Alvin Fenner, suitably called Neat Beats. Cosmic Surgery is his first LP under the Neat Beats moniker, yet the maturity displayed here gives off the impression that Fenner has been doing this for a long time.

Cosmic Surgery is an electronic record, but it does not fall into the traps that often put me off the genre - there is no meandering, there is no identity crisis - and it doesn't actually try to be anything more than it is. Inarticulate visions of grandeur (the new M83 anyone?) would have ruined this record - Fenner keeps it thematically simple but compositionally coherent. At a fundamental level, this is an album of beats and samples. Fenner probably spent a good portion of his time splicing and dicing samples until he felt that the songs had actually become more than the sum of their parts, and I feel he has completely succeeded.

Whether you look at Cosmic Surgery as an electronic record, or as an 'instrumental hip-hop' album, the songs are all remarkably well crafted - there are very few albums of this kind I feel comfortable listening to while I'm doing nothing else, but Cosmic Surgery is one. Songs like 'Video Game Characters' or 'The Machine Destroys Everything' have strong pop elements which work entirely in their favour, but Fenner retains flow across the record by delivering different moods with each song. 'Turning on the Large Hadron Collider' and 'I Love You, Vashti...' are perhaps more solemn in relation to the aforementioned tracks, yet sit alongside them with marked continuity.

What perhaps characterises Cosmic Surgery is best explained in one of its tags - 'downtempo'. This is music to relax to, music to chill to, music to take drugs to. Offering technical descriptions of the music here seems almost pointless - despite there being a high level of musicianship displayed - because this is all about mood, and Fenner has undoubtedly hit the spot. I could talk at length about how this record makes me feel or the best way to listen to it, but nothing really would compare to the words of the artist:

'Cosmic Surgery by Neat Beats is a compilation of emotionally obscured and forgotten sounds warped and rewoven into an experimental downtempo beat album that takes hints from DJ Shadow, The Microphones, Animal Collective, Prefuse 73, and Flying Lotus, to name a few. I'd suggest waiting for a rainy day, smoking a cigarette indoors and throwing this record on...'

Download and/or buy here.

Also check out Hop Skip Jump Records - Alvin runs it with Ryan of Moonbeams.

Kronofogden - Rid I Natt

It was only earlier this year that I realised Scandinavian hardcore wasn't left behind in the 80s. Bands like Heratys and the like are still carrying on, perhaps, as some will argue, without originality or the same inspiration that made the style so great. However, like any 'revival' that's taking place, the band's records that are being produced should be judged on their own merits and not so much on whether they are refreshing to the style or just plain derivative. Kronofogden belong to the former - this tape isn't by any means a 'highlight' for me, but there's just a shit ton of Euro raging to be heard across these 15 songs. If you worship Totalitar on a regular basis, this is probably for you. A CD-R version is available because the tape was severely limited, but I do know that Coffin Cut Records still has a few cassettes available.

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Violent Pink - The Propaganda of the Deed

Sooo, my gf bought me this (she's awesome) along with the 2x Cassette In Currents. Both rule, and I'd say that In Currents is a little better. I'd upload them both, but my ripping abilities suck ass at the moment. As soon as I get a rip that does the record justice, I'll post it here.

Now, Violent Pink (Tyler Keen) produces some very tight, rhythmic and layered noise. On most tracks, you'll find slowly oscillating drones of static, whirling sine-wave synths that are "syncopated" with jagged rhythmic bursts of feedback. "October 19, 1977" and "Attacks" are the most archetypal examples of this. One stand-out feature of this release are the vocals. Completely distorted beyond belief, wretched, writhing, hateful, desperate; they're simply some of the best screams I've heard in any noise release.

The album is also mixed very creatively. The main components (screamed vocals, voice samples, noise/static drones, feedback, synth) are brought to prominence/buried appropriately across the different tracks. Sometimes the synth and vocals will be on top and most prominent, other times feedback and drones prevail. It definitely keeps things interesting, which is important with a somewhat limited sonic palette.

Point is: get this. Violent Pink is one of the best emerging noise artists in 2011.

Mediafire MP3 320

Since this is from my personal CD collection, I can upload a lossless high fidelity copy that I use for my music library, but I have to split the album into multiple .zip to get around the "free" uploader limit, so I won't unless it is requested.

Total Abuse - Prison Sweat

For those who weren't paying much attention in the hardcore department, Total Abuse's Mutt was an ugly offering of noisy hardcore with stomp, and attitude and all that lovely stuff. At last we are pummeled with their latest Prison Sweat, and will probably be their last offering but who knows we will see. Right from the start we are where last years effort had just left off, it's almost as if we are given Secret Passage III. Once you are oozed out of the noise of "Final Passage" it is up to the listener to survive from then on.

you can stream Prison Sweat in its entirety here
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Auris Apothecary Sampler #2

Hey bitches, this is kitsch. The music I post is different.

Auris Apothecary is a DIY label based in Bloomington, Indiana, USA that releases, punk, metal, avant-garde, noise, drone and the like in very limited quantities and with very unique packaging. Whether you think its pretentious or adds to the aesthetic of the music, one can't deny the creativity of packaging a cassette in a recycled library case with a library punch card that holds the liner notes. In addition to oddball packaging, they also release obscure formats, such as a loop of reel to reel tape, a 17" lathe cut made to be played at 17 rpm, and floppy discs. One such release this summer came wrapped in dried sunflower leaves with mysterious “magical seeds.” Anyway, you get the idea. Its the kind of stuff that hipsters would eat up if they could stomach the auditory “variety” that this label releases. This “variety” is nicely captured in their most recent “Sampler #2.” For every lo-fi indie bedroom jangle and autumn emo anthem there are also jagged and piercing power electronics, shrieking black noise and “samples of torture victims.”

This variety makes for quite an uneven listen. Just when you get in the groove of a nice indie song by The Constants or Fair Fjola, the next track blasts in with a scream of feedback from the likes of Dante Augustus Scarlatti or Torture Corpse. The tape isn't completely random, however, the label did a nice job of establishing a flow with the extremely eclectic array of material at hand. The poppier stuff tends to be at the beginning, and the more noisy and experimental songs populate the latter half. There are some nice transitions, too, where the minimal synth of Pendra Gon fades nicely into the layers of noise in Rob Funkhouser's track.

The point is, most of the material is excellent stuff. If you are familiar with the kind of label that has the tag line “We exist because fuck you” you pretty much know what you're getting yourself into with this compilation. Everything on the label can be purchased (cheaply, I might add) on their website aurisapothecary.org.

This sampler is available to download there for free.

Willing Feet - Willing Feet 7''

I could only count down the days until this nasty little seven inch would surface on the interweb. I've been spinning this destruction since it was released and due to my incredibly poor ripping abilitys there would be no way i wouid degrade one of my favourite releases this year. Willing Feet are a local band from here in Winnipeg and i've had the pleasure to see live many times. Two re-recorded songs you've heard from the demo and the sound is more menacing then ever. Right from the start you are whirled into the punk-y stomp of Deep With the Dead, and not much bands these days seem to be pulling off this style without coming off as tired and recycled.

buy here
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