Controlled Bleeding - “Distress Signals I + II” 2xCD

Early violent noise remasters

A surprise deluxe reissue of the ultra-rare 1984 cassette originally issued on the legendary Broken Flag label, this debut album from NY based Controlled Bleeding includes an extra disc of previously unreleased material that was originally intended to be the Broken Flag release, but somehow the tapes got mixed up and, well, 30 years later we get both albums, remastered and together for the first time.

The initial disc is the Broken Flag album, here titled “Distress Signals I”. With track titles given from Broken Flag owner and Ramleh member Gary Mundy (and favoring his early affinity for Holocaust shock value), this, like the band’s vinyl debut “Knees & Bones” (also rereleased at the same time), is harsh and jagged power electronics / industrial noise. There are moments of reprieve, as with the use of Middle Eastern religious tapes in “The Spitting Cell” or “A Human Invention”, but it's all based around overloaded feedback and unintelligible primal screams. Brutal, uncompromising, and not for unadventurous listeners.

Cd2 is the recently unearthed “Distress Signals II”, a set of 11 never-released harsh noise tracks from the same era, and these follow the same pattern. This is destroyed music, full of primal violence and anything resembling structure or melody. Fans of Controlled Bleeding’s later forays into textural gothic soundtracks or industrial dance should think twice if they can handle this scarring assault on their eardrums. Me? I enjoy, but only in smaller doses. 

A great thing to have this rare material available again after so many years. Here’s my vote for Artoffact to release all the other obscure Controlled Bleeding albums and tapes that have sadly never been reissued, and some that are just plain unavailable. Great, legendary stuff for experimental and noise fans, for certain.

Artoffact Records

Controlled Bleeding site

Controlled Bleeding - “Knees And Bones” CD

Classic noise debut

This was the vinyl debut of the prolific noise/experimental group way back in 1985, and this latest reissue is the most comprehensive version yet. Emerging at time when the avant-garde, industrial and experimental music community was far-ranging and deeply set underground, this Long Island group crafted this set of ultra-harsh walls of screaming noise and feedback, as inspired by fellow subversives like Whitehouse and SWANS. The original LP, which comprises the extended opening tracks “Knees” and “Bones”, are shrill, gouging, and terrifying assaults of grinding electronic feedback and the incomprehensible agonized shouts of either Paul Lemos or Chris Moriarty (I can’t tell). There are moments where the noise settles a bit into a moody (yet still ultimately a primal and visceral) sound, but overall, this album is a raw and edgy collection of power electronics that doesn’t hold any semblance of structure, order, or melody. 

Bonus tracks are included here that only add to the noise and confusion. There’s a lengthy remix, called “Knees Power Mix”, another installment of the ongoing “Swallowing Scrap Metal” series of harsh feedback forays, and a remix of a wild and frantic track from CB’s out-jazz/scat side project, Breast Fed Yak.

Among a slew of other early releases (mostly on cassette), Controlled Bleeding’s earliest recorded output was a destructive primal scream that showed little evidence of their later trajectories into ambient, dance, or metal music that gained them a following in the late 80s and early 90s. This is about as harsh and noisy as you could ever hope to hear. Bravo! Here’s hoping Artoffact will consider other reissues of long-lost Controlled Bleeding recordings of this era.

ArtOfFact Records

CB website

Anenzephalia - "Kaltwelt" CD

Industrial death noise from Genocide Organ member

German death-industrial project Anenzephalia has been around for 20 years now, but this is my first exposure to them. Centered around Genocide Organ member Michael Keck, this is pure retro-noise, with obvious parallels to early industrial pioneers SPK and Whitehouse. 

Tracks like "Frostschrae" wed simple and fuzzy electronic noise nihilism with distorted vocals. It's a morose, oppressive atmosphere that permeates the whole of "Kaltwelt". "Bodies Of Gold" is another bleak, evil celebration of death, disfigurement, and possibly, murder. All the requisite distorted sounds, tape voices, overloaded electronics, and a simplistic semblance of rhythm are here to create a mood of unease and foreboding. Imagine an alternate soundtrack to "Nekromantik", and you wouldn't be too far off. For hardcore death industrial fetishists only, I'm afraid.

Tesco Org

Anenzephaliaspace

Soil Of Ignorance / Wadge - "Split 7""

This split 7" features a pair of underground Canadian metal/grind bands who can shred well, thank you very much. Soil Of Ignorance's side is a series of bursting, gutteral grindcore blasts that remind me of classic, early Napalm Death. Cool retro noise for metalheads. Wadge, on the other side, are more crusty speed/thrash metal. Their "Maim To Please" starts things out right, with lightning-speed guitars and spastic drumming. "Sir Gimply Biscuits Of Gibletshire III" shows the group's sillier side. "Topsy's Curse" is a violent minute or so. A lot of fun, for the 10 minutes you get. (Give Praise)

Soil Of Ignorancespace

Pan Sonic & Keiji Haino - "In The Studio" 2xLP

This unexpected meeting of the extreme music minds works out very well, with Finnish avante-electronic noisemongers Pan Sonic meeting up with Japanese psyche-guitar conceptualist Keiji Haino in a Berlin studio back in 2007. The resultant sound was captured and pressed up on this deluxe double vinyl, for you and me to enjoy and ponder. And "In The Studio" is a sheer joy to behold.

The brief "If I Could Incarnate This Feeling..." is little more than a minute of gutteral Haino shrieking, but "Imperious Doppelganger..." is a cavernous and percussive jazz-noise beast, with scattered beats, microphone distortions, and waves of sizzling electronics around the edges. Effective and disorienting. The primal and jarring "As Far As The Left Goes.." sees Haino's strained vocal madness and bowed guitar noodles accompanied by Pan Sonic's shrill, ear-splitting frequencies. "In The Hollow Between The Eyebrows..." is an ominous ambient hellscape, recalling early Lustmord. "Perhaps There Is No Need To Return" is a darkly introspective piece of psychedelic guitars and dark soundscape. "Preparation Is Unnecessary..." closes it out with a moody and organic drone.

Overall, a masterful work from some proven sound artists, with plenty of atmospheric & experimental flair. Top marks! (Blast First Petite)

Pan Sonic site

Pan Sonicspace

Keiji Haino site

>wirewall< - "Terminal Man" CDR

With what sounds to me like a cross between the old BBC Radiophonic Workshop electronic experiments of the 60's and harsher underground noise (think "Dr. Who" theme meets Merzbow at his most ear-draining), this mysterious project contains some of the more abrasive sound I've heard in some time. Contained in a deluxe DVD-sized case with obscure art, >wirewall<'s seemingly freeform electronic textures are jagged and difficult, with swollen shards of digital feedback alongside analogue synth burbles and gurgles. The initial track, "electrode", is packed with wicked bursts of static and squealing pulses. The rest of the album isn't exactly easy listening, either. "memristor" is lower key, but still a clot of alien electronica with disorienting machine whines, whirrs, and proto-computer gibberish. "Terminal Man" is recommended only for those who favor chaos and noise, so fans of tuneful sounds approach with caution here. (Cohort Records)

PBK / C. Reider - "Discorporate" CDR

Ten years (off and on) in the making, this 7-track, 46-minute collaboration between drone composer C. Reider and abstractionist PBK is a curious and immersive set of noisy, textured, alien soundscapes, with a very proto-industrial feel. Beginning with the befuddling, loopily surreal opener (we'll call it 'Track 1'), the album gels into a far-out set of abstracted sounds, textures, and sound collages. Track 4 is a densely-collaged mass of squelch and what sounds like manipulated and layered field recordings. Track 5 is more woozy, like waking up from a horrible anesthesia experience with your head spinning and throbbing. Track 7 wakes from the dream to a lilting, ambient journey at the beach, complete with what seems like distant waves and seagulls (or was I imagining that? Didn't hear it the second time through). It's a fitting conclusion to an otherwise disorienting journey, and a marvelous one, at that. (Impulsy Stetoskopu)

PBKSound blog

c.reider's Vuzh Music blog

Thomas Dimuzio & Andre Custodio /Conure - "Street Of Errs" CDR

Another in the splendid split release series from Monticello, Indiana's Cohort Records, this one pairs a sound artist familiar to me with some relative obscurities, with mixed results. Famous veteran sound sculptor Dimuzio here collaborates with Bay Area improv drummer & electronic artist Custodio for a single 19-minute deep, ominous, and resonant drone, recorded live with electronic processing and spontaneous feedback, loops, and synths. The track, 'Air Way', feels much like falling into a deep, metallic cavern -- bleak and spacy, with plenty of reverb and unsettlingly cold textures. It is quite engrossing, and the full duration had passed me by without hardly noticing. The other track on 'Street Of Errs' comes from American noise artist Mark Wilson's Conure project. Recorded live at the Pussycat Lounge in New York City, the 27-minute 'Murray Street' is a thunderous, abrasive, and unforgiving feedback attack, with distortion and processing drowning out any of the street sounds that are the basis for this composition. This one's strictly for the more jaded noise-heads, as it's really pretty relentless. Still, it's enjoyable to hear some good old fashioned noise once in a while. (Cohort Records)

mp3 samples

tBH - "Book Of Salms" CDR

This brief (26-minute) release of strange electronic improvisations sprung forth from late-night jam sessions involving ex-members of obscure UK industrial outfit The Brainhole. First off, the cleverly hand-made and recycled packaging is tactile and interesting, and gives these abstracted alien soundscapes an air of terrest-reality. Jumping into the music, we have 'Alumni 2' - a short slice of atmospheric static and texture that (almost) approaches a melody, though that may be a by-product of some repetitive motifs, rather than a preconceived plan. 'Untitled 1' devolves into a series of annoying sound-globs and ear-testingly shrill tones - ominous at times, but overall patience-trying. The brief 'Prescopate' is an early industrial-sounding mix of cutups, electronic blips and samples - reminding me slightly of very early Cabaret Voltaire. 'Preu' continues with this vibe - shrill tones, blasts of noise/sirens, random environmental sounds, and electronic tensions. Good, solid avante-industrial work. The final track, 'Seething Sours', is another tense bit of random sounds and glitchy static - effective and nicely atmospheric. Overall, some solid and surreal audio work - rough and raw in spots, but ultimatly rewarding in it's unpredictability. (Noecho)

Ginger Leigh - "Merchant Of Death" CD

Seemingly a 'best of' selection, this 71-minute set from the prolific composer once again infuses some offbeat sounds into a generally harsh and unforgiving musical climate. Beginning with the dour industrialisms and martial drums of the title track (fans of In Slaughter Natives or Cold Meat Industry take note), the set heads into the wild, feral screams and even elegant classical/Middle Eastern vibes of 'The Charcoal Man'. Confused yet? Good. Predictability is overrated! Ginger Leigh has been producing his own off-kilter melding of disparate elements for some years, and his unusual pairings of frivolous surf/go-go music ('This is Ginger Leigh', 'Get It Right!'), harsh, noise-laced industrial, and exotic ethnic theatricalities ('Love Letters', the Joujouka-ish 'Black Rainbow') - and often in the same song - is uniquely his own. And check out the virulent Sabbath-trib, 'al-Ironman', that closes this disc out. It's huge and mean and threatening in such a marvelous way. 'Merchant Of Death' is a compelling selection of avante-experimental-electronic-noise-pop that deserves far more attention. Get this weird and eccentric mix for only 6 bux through his website...and pick up some free mp3s while you're there. (Ginger Leigh)

Drug Honkey - "Death Dub" CD

I've been a big fan of these Chicago boys for some time. Suffice to say, if you like music that is mean, ugly, greasy, and hateful - here's something that may float your boat. Drug Honkey (great name) create a twisted and subversive collision of noise, grindcore, and heavy electronic dub that transcends any certain genre.

On this, their third monumental slab of ugliness, Drug Honkey sucker-punch you with tracks like 'Communion'. See for yourself - it's heavy and dense as any death metal or industrial noise act, but even more disjointed and dirty, even. I mean that in a good way. Brutal? Most certainly. But whereas other acts may use speed to convey aggression, Drug Honkey are a slow, deliberate, plodding punch to the gut. Imagine if Flipper has a bastard love child with (early) Napalm Death, then did a threesome with the freeform dub madness of Kevin Martin's God. Insidious, dark, and feral, Drug Honkey has your number. Lock your doors - I wouldn't trust these chaps with the pets! Hah! (Drug Honkey)

R.I.P. Donna Klemm and Artware Productions

Sad news to report here.

An old friend, from the glory days of Godsend Magazine, has passed away.

Donna Klemm, founder and head of extreme/experimental record label/mailorder source Artware Productions, died on June 17, 2008. She was 59 years old.

I befriended Donna in probably the early 90's or so, as my then-very active experimental/industrial music zine was at it's peak. She distributed it in Germany for me, and she also provided me with a top-notch international source for odd sounds, through her label (which released wonderful limited art-piece CDs from artists as diverse as Italian occult-industrial act Sigillum S, Canadian abstractionists Violence & The Sacred, Irish sound sculptor Roger Doyle, Belgian modern tribalists Hybryds, Dutch collagists De Fabriek, Paul Lemos and Joe Papa of Controlled Bleeding, the Dedication comp of international noise music, and plenty more). Her Artware mailorder catalog was an incredible resource for obscure and weird items, many unavailable elsewhere.

She was always kind and her letters were always a pleasure to receive.

We fell out of touch in the mid-late 90's, as my magazine slowly converted itself to an online entity, and I retracted a bit from the noise scene. She continued her mailorder source into the 2000's, though it seems she ceased label operations some years ago.

She was a true spirit and dedicated herself to her arts, and Donna Klemm will be missed. R.I.P.

For more info, visit the Artware site at:

Artware

"The Elephant Table Album" 2xLP/CD

This is arguably (probably) the most comprehensive and complete survey of the classic 'Wild Planet' (i.e. classic industrial/electronic music) scene of the early 80's. Compiled by noted journalist Dave Henderson, this set encompasses nearly all the early UK-based 'industrial' and avante-garde artists of note from this era. These are the folks who were truly 'out there', from the proto-EBM Portion Control ('Chew You To Bits' is cheekily dated, but still kinda feral, and certainly a step above the usual synthpop) to one of Chris & Cosey's finer and darker early cuts ('Raining Tears Of Blood'). Coil contribute the rough 'S Is For Sleep' (certainly not at the level of their later work, but a nice and weird piece nonetheless), while Nurse With Wound's 'Nana, Or A Thing Of Uncertain Nonsense' is a classic slice of delirious audio-surrealism. Lustmord gets uncharacteristically funky on 'Bonening Of Men', while SPK contribute the brutal death-industrial dirge of 'Despair'. Still hard to believe that former SPK mainman Graeme Revell is now a top-shelf Hollywood score composer, coming from his horror-noise background! Anyhow, Nigel Ayers and his Nocturnal Emissions present the rather silly 'Suffering Stinks', which they would thankfully leave far behind with their amazing 'Spiritflesh' LP a few years later. Also represented on this amazing double-LP set: Konstruktivists, Muslimgauze, David Jackman (of Organum), Attrition, Legendary Pink Dots, Bourbonese Qualk, and others. Well worth a listen, and a definitive piece of history, here... (1983 Xtract Records UK)
Pick up this rare and out of print collection:
Part1
Part2