KYLE FARRELL/NATE SCHEIBLE - "Rumours" CD-R (SKSK)
Sometimes I get stuff in the mail and I think, "Ewww...". The minimal/not very attractive packaging for this release is an 8 1/2" by 11" piece of paper xeroxed (with a picture of some industrious miscellany) and folded up into a sort of 5"x5" envelope. The CD is a store bought TDK brand CD-R labeled with a sharpie. I'd never heard of either of these guys and because of the "barely trying" artwork I was expecting some sort of "barely tyring" noisy junk-racket (not that that's always a bad thing). So I open up the envelope and am surprised to see that Kyle Farrel plays the vibraphone (not an instrument usually associated with junk/racket/noise). From the opening plunking on the vibraphone I am relieved, surprised and ecstatic to discover that there is some amazing improvised music on this CD. Kyle Farrell and Nate Scheible are 2 very talented improvisers. The four long, contemplative tracks on this CD-R all fall into what you might call free improv and are centered mostly around the vibraphone and drums although there is some percussion and electric guitar fumblage creeping in often. This is what it would sound like if the drummer and vibraphoner(?) from a '70s funk band ditched their other band members, did acid instead of coke, and got ear infections from swimming in the funk. Killer CD-R with crap ass packaging. Limited to 40 copies so contact SKSK to see if it's still available... http://www.angelfire.com/droid/sksk.
JUTE GYTE - "Where We Go When We" 3" CD-R (Jeshimoth Entertainment)
Holy Shit! What was that?! Oh, it was just the the opening crackle of the new Jute Gyte 3" CD-R. Don't ever put CDs of classical music in a CD changer right before a noise CD. The changeover isn't pleasant and the differences in mastering levels is usually pretty drastic. Jute Gyte is Adam Kalmbach. Adam uses computer, guitar and voice to construct epic noise pieces. This particular piece is a 23 1/2 minute excursion into the finer points of distortion, crackle, and distortion. Jute Gyte seems to have somehow harnessed the power of ocean waves crashing and managed to run it through a few distortion pedals. Not full on "HARSH(!)" but maybe I'm not listening to it loud enough. It maintains a "medium-harsh" dynamic that I really like and the mastering job is superb. It's loud without being too loud and the EQ is boosted in all the right frequencies. I'll bet there was a genorous amount of overdubbing/editing in the creation process, not that that's a bad thing. I myself have been guilty of letting the overdubbing spiral out of control. The cover is beautifully laser printed on nice paper and stuffed in a slim 3" jewel case. Nothing extravagant but it's still a very professional looking package. Limited to 50 copies... http://www.jeshimoth.com/jutegyte.
CRITICAL THEATRE - "The Last Crisis of Pleasure" CD-R (Feral Dungeon Recordings)
Portland, Oregon's Max Benedetti has created something hideous with his grimnoise project, Critical Theatre. This CD is just what I needed after listening to a few hours of "academic" noise and "contemplative experimental acoustic instrumentation". You don't need to read the track list to tell that there are definite black metal and early industrial vibes in the fusty air what with all the grim atmospherics and cold reverb fuzz in the recording. Not to worry though, there aren't any shit-ass Burzum covers. This actually lets off sort of a SunnO))) smell at times but maybe with more layers and less cloaks. Less metal, more noise. Oh wait, here we go... This shit sounds like a more ramshackle Throbbing Gristle posessed by the spirit of SunnO))) slathered in corpse paint. I'm digging it maximum. Oh, and about the track list... how about "Meat Machines", "Blind Dungeon", and "Transcendental Forest"? Fuck Yes!!! ... http://www.myspace.com/criticaltheatre
-Fred Avila
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