Bleak Bliss: September 2019

Brittle Foundries - Elegy

2004 3"CDr by a relatively short-lived project of David Reed, the man behind the Snip-Snip label and Luasa Raelon.

Brittle Foundries - Elegy

Building Of Gel - Flashback

Almost impossible to find trio of Yukihiro Shii, Yasutaka Nakajima and Masahiro Yamada.

7" released on New Noise in 1997.

Flashback

Various - New Catastrophic Forces

I posted this six years ago ... so maybe it will have been missed by some. Anyway ...

A stone cold classic compilation of quality noise: MSBR, Facialmess, Mo・Te, K2, Macronympha, Dogliveroil, Stimbox, Incapacitants, Crack Steel, Skin Crime, Building Of Gel, S·Core, Grunt, Kazumoto Endo, Mlehst and more.

C90 and C60 set released on Hideki Kato's United Syndicate in 1997. The final track goes to his own Crack Fierce and the title might hint at some of the reasons why he just walked away: "Hey Masaya! I Don't Hope To Become Thurston's Favorite Noisician". Who knows?

"Dear all my Friends and Listeners! This double cassette is first United Syndicate compilation and third release on my label. The compilation concept isn't exactly established, But all contributors are my favorite and respectable noisicians. I like both of all sounds and all personalities. I wish each contributors and listeners would enjoy all sound! I think so!!!"

New Catastrophic Forces

Crack Fierce - Red Flag

Hideki Kato blazed a fierce harsh noise trail for a few short years prior to the millenium ... and then this turned up completely unexpectedly. Apparently recorded in the year of it's release, it's entirely plausible that somebody like Kazuma Kubota could prise him out of retirement. However, after this he disappeared back into "normal" life ...

3" CDr released on Kazuma Kubota's Noise Ninja Records in 2008.

Red Flag

Kazumoto Endo / Crack Fierce - Split

A match made in heaven.

7" released on United Syndicate in 1998.

Kazumoto Endo / Crack Fierce

Black Sand Desert - Blight

The 23rd Snip-Snip, released as a 3"CDr in 2004, was by Black Sand Desert, a moribund noise project by Greh Holger, who you'll know as the man behind Hive Mind and the Chondritic Sound label.

Black Sand Desert - Blight

Seplophobia - City of the Dead

Another underground noise mystery, released as a CDR on Snip-Snip in 2005.

Seplophobia - City of the Dead

Monotract & Astro - Collaboration

A four-way live collaboration between Carlos Giffoni, Nancy Garcia, Roger Rimada and Hiroshi Hasegawa recorded live at Muriki Muzendera, Tokyo on the 25th of August, 2002.

CDr released on RRRecords in 2003.

Collaboration

Skin Suit Highway - Steele

2005 CDR on Snip-Snip by a group I know nothing about, who seemed to exist for a year and then call it quits.

Skin Suit Highway - Steele

Analog Suicide & Astro - Live In Tokyo

A live recording from somewhere in Tokyo on July the 25th, 2006.

Synthsploitation that starts off in a fluxan tumble dryer before reaching for the outer limits ( ... of a fluxan tumble dryer).

A CDr released on Transmit Records in 2006.

Live In Tokyo

Ahlzagailzehguh & Foutredieu!!! - Untitled

Snip-Snip #22 was a split CDR of classic harsh noise by Ahlzagailzehguh & Foutredieu!!! (aka Wapstan), released in 2004.

Ahlzagailzehguh & Foutredieu!!! - Untitled

Astro + Reiko A - Lilith's Ilium

Gorgeously expansive synth noise recorded live at the Penguin House in Tokyo on March the 14th, 2007.

It sounds literally immense as a recording so I can only dream about how it must have felt to have been present. Completely immersive and a stroke of genius ... play it very loud in the biggest space that you have!

CDr released in 2007 on Doufu Records (a Chinese label that seems to have appeared briefly, released a few really great things and disappeared?).

Lilith's Ilium

Ryan Oppermann - Oxide Lullaby

This 2004 CDR on Snip-Snip is, to my knowledge, the only release by Ryan Opperman under his own name. You may know him as death industrial/noise/power electronics projects Redrot, Xombie, Klinikal Skum, Neuntoter der Plage, Post-Mortem Junkie and others.

Ryan Oppermann - Oxide Lullaby

Astro / Tabata / Reiko.A / SynYo - Live At Velvet Sun

Hiroshi Hasegawa with Mitsuru Tabata (guitarist with multiple incarnations of Acid Mothers Temple, Zeni Geva, a founder member of Boredoms and a generally essential person), Reiko Azuma (who apart from recording in her own name has been a member of Merzbow) and Yuichiro Ohmura (who I know very little about).

Recorded live at Velvet Sun in Ogikubo, Tokyo on October the 23rd, 2004.

CDr released on Utsu Tapes in 2007.

Live At Velvet Sun

Merzbow / Xome - Merzbow / Xome

This time, Xome is Bob Scott with Shin'ichi Tanaka and Eriko Sato with Masamia Akita contributing a track that would later appear in longer form on Space Metalizer.

7" released on Gentle Giant Records in 1996.

Merzbow / Xome

Xome / Oscillating Innards - Untitled

Here's Bob with Gordon Wilson Ashworth's rather excellent Oscillating Innards project.

CDr released on Iatrogenesis Records in 2004.

Xome / Oscillating Innards

Likasa Shiflon - Vidi

Twelfth Snip-Snip album, this one is a laptop/theremin collaboration by Ohioans Mike Shiflet and David Reed/Luasa Raelon. Released as a 3"CDR in 2003.

Likasa Shiflon - Vidi

Xome - Itch

The 4th release on Snip-Snip Records, a label run by David Reed (aka Luasa Raelon, Envenomist, Imvixor), which appeared as a CDR in 2002. Xome, as everyone reading this should know, is the harsh noise project of Sacramento California's Bob Scott, who lived and recorded in Japan for many years.

Xome - Itch

Bastard Noise - Our Earth's Blood: Japan Tour 2015

Two collaborations with Toshiji Mikawa and Yoshida Yasutoshi's Government Alpha.

I am not worthy. You are not worthy. We're all not worthy.

What’s been killed? The atmosphere!

C66 released on Skull Records in 2015.

Night 1

Astro - Gas

Hiroshi Hasegawa recorded live at The Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood that's in Victoria which is in Australia. It sounds more as though it's been overheard next door rather than pulled from the soundboard but it's still great.

CDr released on Altered States Tapes in an edition of 50 in 2011.

Gas

Bastard Noise - Our Earth's Blood: Japan Tour 2015 Night 2

In 2015, Eric Wood played what certainly go down as two epic nights in Tokyo. This tape catalogues Bastard Noise's collaborations with Facialmess and Hiroshi Hasegawa. Timisoara was also on the bill that night ... c'mon, I don't just throw this stuff together y'know.

C84 released on Survivalist in 2017.

Night 2

Timisoara - Cells Of Heaven

Samba rhythms sometimes sped up to techno thresholds and smothered with warped atmospheric noise scree. I hadn't heard this until quite recently and it blew me away. Definitely my favourite of her releases that I have heard so far.

CDr released on the mighty Denshi Zatsuon in 2004.

Cells Of Heaven

Sloth & Dot[.] + Timisoara - Split

The sound and vision of doomed sludge.

Sweet Bottom / Detonator Of Torture-I

TADM / Timisoara - I Am Not Dying In A Nightmare

Two "solo" pieces from each with a couple of collaborations. Quality.

CDr and 3" CDr set released on Cipher Productions in 2007.

Oh yes, you are!

Facialmess / Timisoara - Split

More of the similar with Kenny Sanderson's harsh knob destruction coupled with Keiko Morita's harsh crawl. She wasn't prolific but she was very creative.

C46 released on Xerxes in 1999.

Facialmess / Timisoara

Embudagonn 108 - Requiem

Another great tape on Vitrine, this one by Nobu Kasahara's main noise project, Embudagonn 108. I haven't yet heard anything else by Kasahara, but he appears to be very prolific.

Embudagonn 108 - Requiem

69 Passion + Facialmess - Split

More old school harsh ... apparently, 69 Passion is the work of a Canadian called Jayson Campbell that I have no knowledge of and it was released on a label that I have no knowledge of. Apart from that, the entire thing is very good.

C32 released on Shithammer Tapes in 1997.

69 Passion + Facialmess

Facialmess + Armenia - Poxcontorsionista

Old school harsh noise face slappery courtesy of Kenny Sanderson and Leonardo Sabatto.

C58 released on Bizarre Audio Arts in 1997.

Poxcontorsionista

010001111000 - lmof

2015 cassette by a mysterious Japanese (?) artist called 010001111000 (no actual name is listed on any of the tapes), minimal non-music released on the remarkable Vitrine label.

010001111000 - lmof

Facialmess - Dub Made Flesh

Several short choppy pieces that became more typical of his later work with a couple of longer tracks including the excellent "Lost Sleep".

CDr released on Obscurica in 2006.

Dub Made Flesh

Facialmess - The Madcap Barely Smiles

Any similarities to Syd Barrett are purely non-existent.

C46 released on Spite in 1997.

The Madcap Barely Smiles

Nihilist Spasm Band - Every Monday Night

An answer to the age-old question, "How often do the Nihilist Spasm Band perform?" Released as a CD by Alchemy in 1999.

Nihilist Spasm Band - Every Monday Night

Facialmess - His And Hers

I reckon it's pretty much up there with his best work ... a little gem.

3" CDr released on Pitchphase in 2010.

His And Hers

Facialmess - In The Facialmess

Here's Kenny!

C20 on Troniks from 2004.

In Your Face

Nihilist Spasm Band - Volume Two

First released by Toronto's Music Gallery Editions in 1979, reissued on CD by Alchemy in 1996. Essential!

Nihilist Spasm Band - Volume Two

Nihilist Spasm Band - No Record

It's hard to believe that this album, Nihilist Spasm Band's debut, was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world in 1968. It sounds just as magnificent in 2019 as is did decades ago. This was a major influence on Japanese noise legends Hijokaidan, whose main antagonist Jojo Hiroshige reissued it as a CD on his Alchemy label in 1996.

Nihilist Spasm Band - No Record

Nihilist Spasm Band - What About Me

CLASSIC RECORD ALERT! I don't have the time or patience to recount the history of London, Ontario's heroes, so look them up if you aren't already familiar. These classy gents have been performing every Monday night since the late 1960s, playing an exponent of free improvisation that influenced scads of "noise" artists in the ensuing decades. Hijokaidan's Jojo Hiroshige eventually reissued their early recordings on his Alchemy label as well as subsequent albums such as this one from 1992, which happens to be my favorite thing they've recorded. Aggressive and dense with a great sense of humor, "What About Me" is an ideal intro for new fans.

Nihilist Spasm Band - What About Me

Facialmess & Guilty Connector - Nothing Left Inside

One half is Kenny Sanderson who left this festering stinking and sinking little island to move to Japan to become a glitch-core harsh noise head the ball. Kenny, Kenny, Kenny ... where did it all go wrong? And, you get Kohei The Fast Connector messing with your head as well.

CDr released on Kalifornia Love Addiction in 2002.

Nothing Left Inside

Grim Talkers - Grimy City

Kohei Nakagawa and the sampler, visual artist and improviser blahmuzik aka BrothersGRIM (?). A found-sound industrial-lounge-core noise-anticipation fest that interests me a lot. Unfortunately, this is all that I have by them.

CD released on Gravity Swarm Recordings ‎– UT-40, Live.pro in 2013.

Grimy City

Sudden Infant - Sidewalk Social Scientist (1989-1999)

Ten years, 17 short blurts of loopy noise from Joke Lanz' Sudden Infant project. Released on wax by Tochnit Aleph in 2000 as the first volume in their "Punk Series".

Sudden Infant - Sidewalk Social Scientist (1989-1999)

Guilty Connector - Different Water

And now a word from our usual sponser ...

CDr released on Utsu Tapes in 2000.

Different Water

Fear Konstruktor & Defektro - Split

Split cassette from the mighty Phage Tapes. One side by Japanese industrial trio Defektro and one side of noise electronics by Russian artist Fear Konstruktor. Released as a cassette in a run of 100 copies.

Fear Konstruktor & Defektro - Split

Electro Hippies - The Peaceville Recordings

Nifty compilation that brings together the "The Only Good Punk... Is A Dead One“ and "Live" LPs and the tracks from a couple of Peaceville compilations. It brought the curtain down on the Hippies but it's a great way to bow out.

CD released on Peaceville in 1989.

The Peaceville Recordings

Electro Hippies - Play Fast Or Die

Sometimes spending a day getting drunk seems like a good idea. If only I could, in those moments, project myself forward 24 hours to view the resulting shambles. Ugh. Anyway, Electro Hippies were a fucking great bunch of anarchogrinders from the North-West of England that burned brightly and briefly during the mid to late eighties.

12" released on Necrosis Records in 1989.

Play Fast Or Die

Lawnmower Deth - Ooh Crikey It's...

Yep. ABV increasing. Happiness quotient experiencing unprecedented rise in fortunes.

CD released on Earache in 1990.

Ooh Crikey, it's Sheepdip

Lawnmower Deth - Return Of The Fabulous Metal Bozo Clowns

So.

Work has been really shit. In an unremittingly shit way. I've just woken up from a 10 shift in the past 11 days stretch. I could carry on with what's been going on but then decided that rooting through the shelves and getting really drunk and playing what the fuck I felt like at ultra volume would cheer me right up. Guess what? It worked.

Channeling Bad Taste ... here's deth by rotating blades. Think deliberately shit cock out metal with deliberately great grind that channels Crass and Cardiacs.

CD released on Earache in 1990.

Bozo Clowns

Sewage & Sewer Election - From Lilla Paris To Björngatan In Full Moon

Sewer Election gets one long blast and Sewage has 13 short nasty outbursts on this split CDR. Both halves are solid. Released by L. White Records in 2003 in a limited edition of 200 copies.

Sewage & Sewer Election - From Lilla Paris To Björngatan In Full Moon

Guilty Connector - Devil's Grip / The Skull's Grief

Culinary kitchen clatter that is more in the style of manipulated field recording ... that is, until it gets utterly obliterated by righteous harsh noise.

A 16 minute CD released on Human Flower Records in 2004.

Devil's Grip / The Skull's Grief

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