[2011] Tuusanuuskat - Nääksää Nää Mun Kyyneleet

Fonal Records' latest release, Tuusanuuskat is a collaborative work between their label manager Sami Sänpäkkilä (also known as ES) and Jan Anderzén (Kemialliset Ystävät), both very involved in the past and current finnish experimental scene. This album is a series of disjointed sound collages revolving around similar themes, heavily layered in non-abrasive noise. Defying description, the underlying melodies buried beneath these 5 tracks are both confusing and soothing in nature, concealing its real depth.




Buy it directly from Fonal Records here.

[2010] Marcia Bassett/Jenny Gräf - Paradam

A female duo mapping the mysteries hidden beneath the empty cosmos and the tightly compressed stone crystal with their heavily layered and abrasive noise tapestry, making a clever use of brass instruments and subdued harmonies. Mastered by the veteran James Plotkin.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2011] The Skull Defekts - Peer Amid

Dark, psychedelic rock with some tribal elements, and a healthy dose of noise rock, it's what the new The Skull Defekts is all about. Less out there and more traditional than some of their previous material, this is the rockiest side of the band, still retaining some of the abrasive noise/drone experimentation the fans of the band are already familiar with. I'd say it's a really solid release, if anything is less "out there" than their previous releases but it doesn't take away the best of the band.
This is the vinyl edition, which includes an extra song called Hidden Hymn.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from Thrill Jockey Records here.

[2011] Masami Akita, Mats Gustafsson & Jim O'Rourke - One Bird Two Bird

One of the most interesting releases in which Jim O'Rourke participates this year (the other would be the Ambarchi/O'Rourke/Haino followup of Tima Formosa), One Bird Two Bird is one of the best collabs I've listened in quite a while. I can quite see why Masami Akita is credited with his real name and not his usual monicker (Merzbow), considering his contributions are actually low key and in tune with the building improvisations as the album progresses, of which O'Rourke and Gustafsson (The Thing) are mainly responsible for (and as far of the latter goes, his sax goes crazy on Two Bird, the most awe-inducing track of this album). Without a doubt,  the most intense free improv collab I've heard this year so far.

Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Editions Mego here.

[2011] Whitehorse - Progression

Featuring Rob Mayson from Grey Daturas on drums, the new Whitehorse album is a departure from the live sound that characterizes them to a "cleaner", studio-produced sound, but it doesn't affect their output in the slightest, aside from making the songs less sloppy and well structured. It's a short album so the difference between this and their s/t will be highly noticeable, but it hardly makes an impact on the overall listening experience. Main highlight: Remains Unknown.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Contact Sweat Lung Records here, for purchase info.

[2009] Laudanum - The Coronation

Hateful sludge/noise from Cali, comprised by members of Asunder and Graves At Sea, with an unusual approach, relying a lot in minimal outbursts of feedback and background noise combined with heavy, mid-paced sections of the best hardcore-laced doom the genre can offer. Two vocalists constantly swap parts in the songs, varying from high shrieks to deep grunts, but allowing the lyrics to be clearly heard.

Download it here: [V2][V0]

Buy it directly from 20 Buck Spin Records here.

[2007] Whitehorse - Whitehorse

Released under the Olympia-based record label 20 Buck Spin Records, this s/t is one of the few studio releases of this band since their formation, even though they've released a series of live albums before, which makes them more of a live act. It's not surprising seeing as their heavy, merciless sound in total disregard of duration is a sign of the huge focus on live atmosphere they have. Slow building structures, yet elaborate since the start (don't expect a post-rockish approach to doom metal, so common and tiresome these days), rage-fueled hardcore vocals and chaotic guitar noise are the main highlights here. They've performed with plenty of well-known bands of their genre, along with other excellent australian acts such as Dad They Broke Me and Teargas.


Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from 20 Buck Spin Records here.

[2011] Stephen O'Malley & Atsuo - Uroborus Circuit

Recorded back in 2006 during that whole period in which Boris and Sunn O))) were also recording Altar, Uroborus Circuit is definitely not what I'd expect from a collaboration between these two musicians. First of all it doesn't have any instruments, which throws out of the window the idea that Atsuo might've contributed drums here; it also doesn't have any sort of recognizable structure aside from the tones overlapping here and there. This is very minimal, consisting on feedback manipulation, hardly resembling guitar feedback due to its subtle, harsh tone, not too different from O'Malley's later works in Table of Elements (Keep An Eye Out).

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Inoxia Records here.

[2011] Boris with Merzbow - Klatter

Formerly known as Mellow Peak and due to be released years ago, it's the latest original collab between Boris and Merzbow since Sun Baked Snow Cave. Musically speaking it's closer to the original material in Rock Dream (the noisiest jams present on the first disc) and the best moments out of classic albums like Feedbacker, with the buzzed out solos and heavy, reverberated riffiing. Even though it has the least drone-oriented material they've released with Merzbow (which isn't a bad thing at all) it just shows they're capable of taking the best of their rock-oriented material and level it to heavier grounds.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Daymare Recordings here (recommend using Google Translate).

[2007] Skultroll - Skultroll

Underground noise/krautrock band with ambient black metal leanings, this is as close as it gets to psychedelic kraut/black metal in the vein of Aluk Todolo (specially Descension). Amazing discovery that can't go unnoticed, this CDr material deserves more attention, even though its mastering quality is lacking a bit. Same members as Ice Bound Majesty, Skultroll is conformed solely of a bass player and a drummer.

Download it here: [224][V0]

Buy it directly from Rhesus Distribution here (contact info on the site).

[1998] Keiji Haino With Boris - Black: Implication Flooding

First live collaboration of Boris with the well-known noise/free improviser Keiji Haino. Unlike other collabs, this one really outshines Boris, focusing a lot more in Haino's frantic vocals and guitar fiddling. I consider it great, actually. It brings a lot of Boris' heaviest moments in a live session, which is often mistaken as being only present in albums like Feedbacker or Amplifier Worship (which are slow building and relying on heavy riffs); in this album we have a lot of feedback usage, fast, free-form drumming, and unusual traditional instruments (via Haino). Fully recommended to those wanting to explore unheard of facets of this excellent band.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it directly from Inoxia Records here.

[2009] Tom Hall & Bonnie Mercer - MIDweekMID

A collaboration between the visual artist, photographer and noise/drone musician Tom Hall and the ex-member of the well-known free improv/sludge band Grey Daturas (now defunct and recreated under the name Breathing Shrine), guitar improviser Bonnie Mercer. This collab release contains three heavy tracks, two of them recorded live. Truly another great display of the underground talent present in Australia.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Weird Appendage Tapes here.
Buy it directly from Tom Hall here.

[2007] Sachiko - Kunado

Unobxtrusive noise/drone solo project of Sachiko, it uses her own vocals layered in dense noise walls, creating interesting soundscapes not unlike other noise/noise-rock bands from the same country, but keeping it low key. For those interested in noise music that goes beyond the violent, harsh atmospheres typical of the genre.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2010] White Static Demon - Apparitions

Justin Broadrick is one of the most prolific and somewhat eclectic musicians of the underground experimental scene, surpassed only by individuals such as Campbell Kneale in Australia, with tons of projects with unlimited releases. Broadrick is similar in that aspect, his works firmly rooted in industrial and drone/noise music have a cult following by now, and in this case the interested is rewarded. White Noise Demon (which is another one of his solo works pseudonyms) and in particular Apparitions, is a feedback menace, screeching and squealing like a living entity, almost not letting the listener feel the space between layer and layer of noise.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2010] Aural Fit - 無貌無想 (Mubomuso)

Psychedelic noise-rock, with a big emphasis in noise, is what Aural Fit is about. This japanese trio, like many of their contemporaries, created a highly dissonant album full of noise and dark atmospheres in which psychedelics is the main purpose. Definitely not for the faint, this album will surely please fans of the genre.

Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.

[2009] VagusNerve - Lo Pan

Li and Vavavond, a chinese guitar/laptop duo formed in 2006, created this highly psychedelic album full of layers in which they looked to explore the mysteries of the Lo P'an compass, a chinese instrument which is used for energy flow readings in feng shui. The purpose is as mystical as its sound, entrancing, harsh noise that takes the listener to another realm. Truly recommended.


Download it here: [V0]

Buy it directly from Utech Records here.