D...M...D... highlights from 2018

Fashionably late (As has become a reluctant tradition for me) please behold my 6 favourite records from 2018...

From The Bogs of Aughiska - Mineral Bearing Veins

Released: September 28th via Apocalyptic Witchcraft 

Producer: Ronan Hayes

Bringing together the darkest reaches of folk, Black Metal, Dark Ambient and a sprinkling of Noise, this Irish Trio of lone wolves are intent on an individual approach to their art.

In the past the group have collaborated with a plethora of extreme metal stalwarts including Mories (Gnaw Their Tongues) and Chris Naughton (Winterfylleth) as well as acclaimed Irish storyteller Eddie Lenihen (who makes a re-appearance on this album).

Opening track ‘Scubatuinne’ is a peaceful, melodic harp prelude to this noir affair, which soon becomes apparent with the arrival of the follow up - ‘Poll An Eidhneain’ which is immersed in Dark Ambient flair. A field recording of water slowly trickling down a drain drips through the heart of the track, a synth line intertwined with flairs of feedback sets the scene before giving way to chunky chords and guitar harmonies - reminiscent of Mastodon’s early work - that build up to reveal a blasting, unstoppable force that threatens to break out of your speakers. When it cuts out, the track’s final seconds leave us with only the aforementioned field recording. It’s an awesome opening gambit, and only teases us of what’s to come. 

You can watch a video for the track HERE

In ‘Wake of Buzzards’ the icy ambience looms ominously, while narration speaks of mythology, folklore and dark superstitions that only add to the overall eeriness. ‘Crataegus’ continues the previous track’s work, with the bird calls remaining audible we’re presented with a new narrator now speaking old Irish tongue. Blasting drums hail the arrival of heaviness, distorted vocals howl over a searing Black Metal passage. 

Although this section does admittedly sound a little squashed, I personally feel it works in the band’s favour as it requires the listener to really prick up their ears if they are to gain anything from it at all. 

But it’s ‘The One Whitethorn Bush’ that really is the album’s crowning glory, storyteller Eddie Lenihen warns of the danger of disrupting the abodes of fairies who dwell in common hawthorn bushes, meanwhile the group’s spine-tingling synths embellish the darkened soundscape. For me it harks back to my early adolescence, up late at night with my old battered cassette copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tales of Mystery and Horror’ (narrated by Christopher Lee) whirring away in my walkman, wide eyed and far too terrified to sleep.

‘The Devil is an Irish Man’ leads us through wails of noise, droning chords, blasting drums and screaming guitars that pick up blazing speed and accelerate toward ‘An Speadaladoir’ where the final notes bleed into a layered vocalising of a traditional Irish folk tune.

Finally we are met with epilogue soundscape ‘Lios Duin Bhearna’ comprised of eerie synth choirs and severe blasts of noise, it’s an unforgettable closer to an unforgettable album.    

The fact that this was all assembled on basic computer software just goes to show that the only limits creators place on themselves is their own creativity, not the amount of money available to splash out on pricey audio equipment. Lesser bands take note!

Inspirational, Cinematic and at just under 30 minutes, ‘Mineral Bearing Veins’ is over before you know it, but every step down it’s cold dark path is an incredible audio trip and fully destined to become a future cult classic. 

photo by Nina Kristin

POLIVOKS - Origin of Species 

Released: August 28th via Spider Baby

Producer(s): Death Tape Super Bass, Angel Marcloid, Dennis Jaymes and LessThanOne

“A man is like a computer. He is programmed by heredity and environment.”

Curated by Alex Steinmetz (Death Tape Super Bass) ‘Origin of Species’ features contributions from LessThan One, Angel Marcloid and Dennis Jaymes - as well as Alex’s own audio experiments - this 30 minute is a shining example of old school electronic industrial mixed with dark ambience swirled through a kaleidoscope of progressiveness while aptly commenting on humanity’s unstoppable downward spiral into automation.

On the opening and title track, a disembodied voice (sampled from an IBM advertisement) and a sputtering effect set the scene while warped field recordings are dialled up to screeching point before disappearing beneath a sea of static. 

‘Id Machine’ drives home the point of automation with more voice samples, (who seem to be caught up in an argument) next, ice cold synth tinges on ‘Structure’ brush against a pulsating beat interspersed with spacey sound chimes.

‘Recorded Time’ is a whirr with bleeps and whirrs while short interlude ‘Surviving’ brings together an air-raid siren, clanging metal and some unidentifiable eastern percussion instrument at first beginning life as a soft soundscape but soon the atmosphere turns very threatening, with bombs dropping overhead making me recall groups such as Test Dept but on a more minimalist scale.…

Feedback invades the hearing space on ‘Dream Machine’ before warping into a buzzing drone noise wall, meanwhile ‘Cognitive Electronic’ features a manipulated recording of a piano, our bodiless narrator returns, his voice warped to a slow yet still decipherable jumble. Sound effects squeak away before quickening in pace, giving way to a warped synth pulse works it’s way through a series of filters before emitting short bursts of noise at random.

Closing soundscape ‘Integrated Lunacy’ is a ritualistic feast of dark ambient electronic, feedback looming in-between metallic banging, it’s reverberations bubbling against one’s eardrums make for an ethereal ending.

With a very vintage feel it’s a must listen for older electronic fans but there is plenty here to satisfy any newcomers and I look forward to seeing what the POLIVOKS team put their hands to next!

I briefly caught up with Alex Steinmetz to shed some light on the project as well as his work…

DMD: What was the catalyst in bringing all the different composers together for POLIVOKS?

Alex Steinmetz: My primary recording project and moniker DEATH TAPE SUPER BASS is a very solo-ish recording output. Sometimes I do a one off collaboration with other artists but not often enough. I wanted to create a project where I collaborate with others as kind of a band. Some of my best noise music I’ve made has also come out of collaborations and I wanted to come back to that.

Graham Williams (LessThanOne) and I had collaborated 50/50 on an album called “Eyes Without A Face” after I remixed one of his early albums. It turned out really well and I wanted to continue collaborating with him.

POLIVOKS started as just a collaboration between me and Graham, then I added some other tracks that I requested from my friends Angel and Dennis for the project but Graham and I did most of the recording.

DMD: Will there be another POLIVOKS release in the future? And if so, will it follow a similar concept to ‘Origin of Species’?

AS: Yes! Graham and I are working on a new album. Things are still kinda coming together and in their early stages, but speech synthesis/computer voice and radiophonic sounds are playing a big role in this album. The concept is definitely technology, more about computer sentience and the history of computer voice than anything. If anyone dug the last one they should dig this more.

DMD: Where there any particular releases from 2018 that you enjoyed and would like to elaborate on?

AS: The new Firetoolz album was dope. I also really enjoyed Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s “Kulthan”.  Aaron Dilloway’s “Gag File” came out in 2017 but it’s still in regular rotation as well as all new Wolf Eyes and Wolf Eyes side projects. Also always blasting this years new Oh Sees/OCS releases at my graveyard shift job.

DMD: What does the name POLIVOKS mean?

AS: Polivoks means ‘mutli-voice' in Russian. It’s also named after the Polivoks synthesizer that was developed in the Soviet Union. It was made under a lot of constraints and sounded very harsh and heavy and was a pretty unique instrument.

DMD: Finally, what does 2019 hold for you and Death Tape Super Bass?

AS: I make films as well as recording for Death Tape Super Bass. Weird experimental and messy animation. So hopefully more of that. I’m trying to do more fleshed out concepts with my sound recording output rather than “Oh shit this sounds rad”. I’m also hoping to score another short film that my girlfriend Gaby is doing. I’ll be relocating back to Chicago and I'm hoping to do more live shows.

Also Recommended: Death Tape Super Bass - Screamer

A short but intriguing sonic scrapbook made up of with dark synth ambient (‘Born Again’) musique concrete (‘Rubber and Wood’) and Harsh Noise Wall (‘Empty Room’).

A definite highlight for me is the longest and closing track ‘Creature Feature’ featuring garbled, looped vocals over a batch of audio wreckage that swiftly transforms into a sharp ‘ready-for-take-off’ power drone reminiscent of the old school THX Movie sound intro! 

It’s jarring, schizophrenic, and over before you know it, but it’s still a fine showcase of Alex’s all encompassing dark, altered sound-verse. 

Listen HERE

The Wyndham Research Institute (LessThanOne with JG Sparkes) - Selected Notes Vol 3

A beautiful tape. 

This is some finely tuned deep space ambient / drone that sounds like it’s just been uncovered from the bottom of the ocean and is - at regular intervals - being brought back up to the surface. 

Best enjoyed while contemplating the universe and regretting every wrong turn you’ve ever taken.

Listen HERE

Goshen - Self titled

Released: June 9th via From Corners Unknown

Producer: Erol "Rollie" Ulug

It’s always exciting to follow a band since their first release (+ 9,000 hipster points!) and seeing a band advance, morph and transform is always a pleasure to witness and Goshen are no exception. The West Coast quartet who mix together Grind, Mathcore, Noise and Metallic Hardcore influences into a hellish abyss of contorted sound have had my undivided attention since I reviewed their 2017 demo as part of the DMD Discovery Channel...

This self titled release marks their sophomore recording, with the 4 piece upping their game but keeping their output as synapse-boiling as the California heat they’re no doubt forced to endure while rehearsing in their sweltering garage.

Opener ‘G.A.B’ starts as a glitch-ridden mass of noise then repulsive riffs twisted into dissonant stabs force their way through the ether before transitioning into a quieter, more forgiving sounding passage. 

Not keen to stay in this limbo too long, the group slowly rebuild the monster, upping the tempo in every whistle-stop section until finally navigating their way into a Thrashing Mathcore tirade before they jump to a blistering speed bringing the track to a pummelling end with all the subtlety of a beer bottle thrown at your face. 

‘Sabateur’ sounds built for the mosh pit without resorting to predictability (often a rare occurrence these days) it’s vicious grooves mesh furiously with the ever present time changes while not sounding forced. 

On ‘Cave’ (the first of two revved up re-visits to the demo) the chaos feels unleashed tenfold and amplifies the tension in the bridge section. Although I admittedly can’t shake the soft spot I hold for it’s first incarnation, this new edition of ‘Cave’ gives the track a whole new lease of festering life.

‘Man of Gauze’ is a force of nature in itself, a dizzying mathy display married with primal breakdowns that transitions well into Terminal’ (another re-recorded track from the demo) but this is a much dirtier affair than it’s ancestor, engulfed in an indescribable darkness that compliments the clarity (for lack of a better term) of the original track heard on the demo. 

Closer ‘Cities’ is a Doom-laden riff-scape that soon becomes flooded with abstract noise and booming detonations of bass and cymbal hits. As the band make a swift exit we’re left with vocalist Kyle Ferguson’s possessed screams that are enough to make the hairs on your neck fall off. Judging by his panting you’ll be damn sure he means every word that falls from his lips. 

As a release, ‘Goshen’ is yet another display of brilliance from the group that was well worth the wait, to me it’s slightly longer material offers a deeper gaze into the abyss, not to mention a better chance to indulge in the group’s more complex and brutal patterns. 

At 13 minutes long, (only 5 minutes longer than the demo!) it’s a hell of a ride that threatens to derail any second. This is 103 degree garage Hardcore searing at it’s finest!

***Thankfully ‘Goshen’ was picked up by Ryan Knapp at From Corners Unknown (Link) who released it as a beautiful tape which you can purchase here

You can also listen to an excellent interview Ryan conducted with GOSHEN HERE:

Also Recommended...

More Fine 2018 offerings available From Corners Unknown...

Tired Lord (Black Metal)

Barren of Shape (Jazzy Grindcore)

Hacksaw (Old School Death Metal)

Dylan Carlson - Conquistador

Released: April 27th via Sargent House

Producer: Kurt Ballou 

For decades we’ve been blessed with many a classic album from solo guitarists such as Steve Vai, John McLaughlin and in recent times Guthrie Govan who channel their inner voice through the medium of their trusty six string they bought at the five and dime.

But as far as guitar records go, Dylan Carlslan’s ‘Conquistador’ is much more of a steady ode to the universe than a showboating note salad full of bends, sweeps, taps and whammy bar squeals.

The third solo album from the Seattle based Earth-ling doesn’t wander too far from from his usual stripped down blueprint of warm, haze ridden, luring guitar-scales except this time around he’s reined in any excess jamming, resulting in a reduced running time comprising of only the truly necessary ingredients. 

From the hypnotic, Spaghetti Westernesque tones of the opening title track to the evocative ender ‘Reaching The Gulf’ it’s an inspirational experience, Carlson picks his way through misty pentatonics (‘When The Horses Were Shorn Of Their Hooves’) behind canvases of dazed, bluesy melodic drone with sparingly used noise and sinister, ritualistic percussion (‘With Scorpions In Their Mouths’  / ‘And Then The Crows Descended’) and thus paints a wonderfully layered, blissful exhibition.

Wiegedood - De Doden Hebben Het Goed III

Released: April 20th via Century Media

Producer: Christophe Dexters

I wouldn’t have disagreed with anyone who claimed Atmospheric Black metal had grown a little stale in recent years, that is until I discovered East Flanders based Black Metallers Wiegedood (‘Death in the Cradle’). 

Together since 2014, the trio boast members of Post-Black Metal act Oathbreaker and the Post Metal titans Amenra.

‘III’ marks another in a series of 4 track albums under the same title of ‘De Doden Hebben Het Goed’ - which roughly translates to ‘The Dead Have it Good’ - this third instalment cuts right to the core, utilising forward thinking yet straight up arrangements laced with many twists and turns that are undeniably infectious.

‘Prowl’ opens with a hair-raising scream and brutalising guitars kept in check with razor sharp drumming is a fist pumping call to arms stuffed with memorable guitar leads, chin stroking arpeggiated sections and red-eyed, sharpened thrashy breaks.

Up next, ‘Doodskalm’ races into action, it’s shining moment lying in the fantastic midsection which features some truly harrowing clean guitars until all comes crashing down into a slow, distorted section that is nothing short of heavenly. 

Just when I thought they couldn’t outdo themselves, the band counter with the dynamic and primitive-yet-progressive title track, the video for which can be viewed here:

Finally the closing track ‘Parool’ scratches itself into being, and it’s a dizzyingly fast array of musicianship, tense riffing embedded against a tornado of drums. 

Even it’s slightly slower sections that allow the band to gather their burning speed once again still feel like they are in danger of catching fire rapidly making it’s way toward a frenzied climax.

The song’s visual accompaniment brilliantly captures the degradation of the Downtown Belgian Red Light District and the waste it creates.

Watch the Video for ‘Parool’ Here: (SEIZURE WARNING)

While many of the usual Black Metal elements are at play here (treble soaked riffs, screeching vocals, pounding blast beats) their use is coldly calculated, carefully sidestepping any cliche and no seconds are wasted.

In closing, DDHDGiii is a magnificent masterclass in modern Black Metal, and well worth your time. You can stream or purchase the album here, but if you like it then you should buy a physical copy. You cheapskates!!!

YOB - Our Raw Heart

Released: June 8th via Relapse Records 

Producer: Billy Barnett

Shaking the trappings and breaking the boundaries of Doom Metal by employing the use of more psychedelic and progressive qualities, Oregon’s YOB have been on the cutting edge of the genre for nearly a quarter of a century. 

'Our Raw Heart' Official YouTube Stream

‘Our Raw Heart’ the group’s 8th album was marred by singer, guitarist and YOB founder Mike Sheidt’s well documented brush with deathbed (caused by a nasty staph infection amongst other misfortunes) resulted in the vocalist penning many of the lyrics from a hospital bed. 

While it is a record wrapped in a sweet, dreamy sludge aesthetic, it doesn’t fall short on crushing heaviness (‘Ablaze’) clashing dissonance (‘In Reverie’) soaring vocal melodies (‘The Screen’) cavernous ambience (Lungs Reach) or intense emotional outpour (‘Original Face).

One of the many high points here is the ever expanding, winding peaks and valleys of the mammoth ‘Beauty In Falling Leaves’ that hits all the right spots, while the epic, I-never-want-this-to-end jam of ‘Our Raw Heart’ that cues the credits to roll on this breath-taking listening affair.

Whilst many (myself included) were in agreement that YOB’s last effort - 2014’s ‘Clearing The Path To Ascend’ (Neurot Recordings) - was the band at their creative pinnacle, ‘Our Raw Heart’ sees the group surpass all expectations, embodying the ultimate form of triumph over tragedy and a reminder to us all to never take life for granted. 

Thank you for reading

Wishing you all a prosperous 2019

LOA

xxx

Fakebook link

Destruktionsanstalt: The Extremity Exhibition

“It’s the whole idea of doing some kind of soundtrack music that reflects the world we live in, a harsh reality that we in the western world choose to ignore on a daily basis.”

We head to Viborg, Denmark to meet with Per Najbjerg Odderskov, Post Industrial sound sorcerer and a fellow journalist.

Part of the old guard for nearly 20 years now, he rose to prominence as the brains behind experimental electronic / dark ambient outfit Lidane Livering, (which has been recently resurrected) and since 2015 he’s been building Destruktionsanstalt. 

A furious monster of a project described by Per as “Back to basics death-industrial with atmospheric psychedelic overlays”.

Per also keeps himself busy with other projects God Cancer and Left Hand of God, 

as well as exploring his funny side with The Gordon Ramsey Orchestra.

I had a quick chinwag with the man himself to find out his thoughts on current events, themes behind latest Destruktionsanstalt release “Ex Bello Volaptus” and how he is worming his way into the art world…

Listen below and you can read my thoughts on the album after this interview.

DMD: How did Destruktionsanstalt get started and from where does the name originate?

Per Najbjerg Odderskov: Destruktionsanstalt was an attempt to get into more extreme sounds, whereas Lidane Livering lies within the boundaries of ambiance and electronics. 

As for the name, I think I read it on the side of a truck driving by full of dead, stinky farm animals.

I remembered seeing a cow’s leg hanging over the side of it. A Destruktionsanstalt is a place where you burn dead animals which have died from a sickness. 

DMD: How is the scene in Denmark? 

PNO: Depends on where you are in Denmark, most of the stuff is happening in the capital (Copenhagen) and a few things are happening in Aarhus and Aalborg. Otherwise, it’s quite dead. 

Right now I’m living in Viborg, which was the capital in the really old days. 

I think I’m the only one here doing this kind of music. 80% of all people in Denmark doing some kind of "extreme" music make some kind of death /black metal mostly, 15% of which are doing Electronic / Industrial live in Copenhagen and the last 5% are spread across the other parts of Denmark.  

DMD: Growing up, what music did you tend to listen to?

PNO: Back in the late 80s as a kid I grew a general fondness of electronic based music, it was just way cooler than someone with a guitar. 

Why I had that view is beyond my understanding. I guess one of the reasons was growing up with a Commodore 64, and listening to the music coming from there. 

We had cracked games for it. These software pirates would leave their musical demos with the games. I fondly remember these low-bit cover versions of Kraftwerk, OMD and Depeche Mode. 

When I got older in the early 90s, early techno and house music were where my interest was. I think my first real influential idol back then was Aphex Twin, later on, I stumbled upon LFO, Orb, Biosphere, Model 500. 

There were the first artists who gave me the idea of producing my own music, so I had my first creations on my Amiga with a sampler. It was just some hardcore techno rhythms with a sample of Margaret Thatcher on top of it! 

All of a sudden I got fed up with the rave and love issues that were around techno and house music, and one day a good friend of mine got hold of this tape with a band called Skinny Puppy so that probably changed my direction at that time. 

This band blew my mind since I was already heavily into cyberpunk-based roleplaying games and of course horror based like Call of Cthulhu. 

To actually hear an act, which made this sort of in-your-face soundtrack thing just blew my mind. 

All of a sudden I was creating my own sounds on my newly bought PC. I was heavily inspired by the likes of Throbbing Gristle, Brighter Death Now and Scorn. That was in the mid 90’s when I made Fragments vol.1 (Lidane Livering).

DMD: How did you first discover the darker side of experimental with genres such as Dark Ambient / Noise /  Death Industrial etc?

PNO: When I decided that the extreme stuff was way more interesting than electronic body music and industrial rock, I was searching for whatever act that reminded me of Throbbing Gristle.

I stumbled upon this website/mail order underground thing, which sold all these weird-sounding acts which I didn’t know. 

They sounded interesting so I bought a couple of em, turned out that they were all released from Cold Meat Industry. It was Brighter Death Now, Raison D´être and In Blind Embrace (Controlled Bleeding side project). And again, it blew my mind. I was just thinking why the hell was I wasting my time on industrial-techno with guitars haha! 

Brighter Death Now was the most frightening and challenging shit I had ever heard, Raison d´être was incredible, beautiful and dark at the same time and In Blind Embrace combining powerful classical opera inspired music with harsh industrial aesthetics. 

That kind of stuff was soo fucking unique, so I kept my primary focus on this scene for many years!

DMD: What is your recording setup?

PNO: Following off whatever I learned from software on my Amiga and PC. 

Using Soundforge, Audacity, synth emulators, fields recordings and grabbing samples from movies etc.

DMD: Name 15 records you couldn’t live without

PNO: Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works vol.1

Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats

SPK - Leichenshrei

Brighter Death Now - Pain In Progress

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

Autechre - Amber

Ministry - Twitch

Caberet Voltaire - Code

Earth - Hex

Klinik - Time Plaque

Front 242 - Geography

Tangerine Dream - Stratosphere

Jean M. Jarre - Equinoxe

Atrax Morque - In Search Of Death

Megaptera - Extended Chaos

DMD: Tell us about your other projects God Cancer, Lidane Living and Left Hand of God

PNO: Lidane Livering explores heavy raw ambiance and cold rhythmic brutalism. The themes are mostly dealing with human-made atrocities to real life horrors. Otherwise, it deals in various post-industrial soundscapes. It was my first project, and it kick-started all my projects more or less. 

Left Hand of God started as an occult based esoteric ritual ambient act. Drawing ideas from NON, Archon Satani, and Ain Soph. 

Today, we´re dealing with a religiously inspired act which gets its ideas from the scene of HNW.

I’m thinking, the voice of a judgemental and all knowing god would probably sound to the human ear like a wall of some kind. That’s what I’m trying to do. 

God Cancer is a free based improvisational project which explores sounds and moods without boundaries. Not focused on any sub-genre or anything. 

DMD: What can you tell us about the new Destruktionsanstalt tape Ex Bello Volaptus?

PNO: It´s a more brutal, raw and heavy then former releases. 

The themes of the album also work within shocking taboos connected with death in one way or another. 

Victims of a serial killer, biological weaponry and its experimentations on humans, necrophilia etc…

Whereas former releases worked with sickness and the loss of a close family member. 

In lots of ways, it´s the heavier brother of Vivens Monumentis (released through Craneal Fracture records), which had a slightly more psychedelic approach I think. 

DMD: What inspires you to make music? 

PNO: Whatever I read or experience in the news mostly. It’s the whole idea of doing some kind of soundtrack music that reflects the world we live in, a harsh reality that we in the western world choose to ignore on a daily basis.

DMD: Back in August 2016 you released a cassette of two Destruktionsanstalt and Lidane Livering live performances what was your experience recording these? Do you have any plans for more live releases in the future?

PNO: This was without a doubt the best experience I have ever had, it was actually a music concert in classical terms. It was part of an art venue, where it all concerned sound and installation art. I was so lucky to know some insider people, so I managed to squeeze myself into the art-world. 

The audience was satisfied and bought some releases from me, so I was satisfied too. 

As for the moment, there are no plans for live performances. But I am keeping an eye for another opportunity. 

DMD: What can you be found doing when you are not making music?

PNO: Doing family man work. Cleaning, changing diapers, cooking, shopping etc ... And when I’m not doing that, I spend most of my time being tired at night while watching a supernatural or sci-fi themed series on Netflix over a beer or two. 

Besides that, I read a lot and am trying to find the time to listen to all of my records and tapes and stuff. 

DMD: What does Ex Bello Volaptus mean and what made you choose this title?

PNO: It means the results of war, whatever happens afterward if it all chooses to end which it sadly doesn’t.

A monotonous continuation which carries on like the constant bombardment of information overload.

All about being constantly fed with news about tragic and war, almost to the point of getting numb. 

Something which has been going on in a western democracy. "If we’re comfortable, then why should we concern about others. We have soldiers to do that kind of dirty work".

To me it´s also a reaction against being in the company of people being like that, just being "normal" and being unconcerned about everything. I find it frightening!

While young moms are drinking their caffe latte in a nice and fancy cafe, someone is having their kids ripped apart by militias. I just find it sickening. 

The only tracks on the album that don’t concern this are the last 2 tracks on the album. 

They work more or less like a 2-track EP. These tracks are about the connection between love and death more or less. I also used a sample/recording of a necrophilia trial that I got approval to use. 

DMD: What music do you enjoy listening to these days?  

PNO: These days. Always depends on my mood .. Think I’m still stuck with the dungeon synth and noise wall tapes .. Re-listening to Con-Dom and Grey Wolves, some moody post-punk bands from the 80s like Magazine, Gene Loves Jezebel and Fields of the Nephilim sort of stuff.

DMD: Tell us about your blog (kalteldur.blogspot.dk)

PNO: My Blog…Well, whenever I feel like reviewing a tape release I put something together. It’s focused on obscure electronic based tapes mostly, and moody stuff with an atmosphere, kind of dungeon synth and noise wall releases.

DMD: What does the rest of 2017 hold for you? 

PNO: So far, there is work to be done with God Cancer. I have some cassette releases with this project in the near future. I’m also holding an art exhibition in July at Aarhus artspace 2017, regarding a video and sound /art piece I’ve put together called ‘10000 Fahrenheit - Traffic Collisions’. 

DMD:  How did that all come about?

PNO: Well. At one point I was living somewhere in the sticks. I lived quite close to a road which had high levels of traffic and there was a lot of noise from lorries and trucks driving by. 

I wanted to document that in one way or the other, so I just laid my mp3 player up close to the road.

Afterward, I manipulated the recording and added some extra distorted layers to it. 

I downloaded a 60-minute video about car crashes in Russia, removed the audio, made it black and white and laid my own recording into the video itself.

Then some people I know mentioned that I ought to send it in to Aarhus Artspace, which I did and to my surprise they approved it. 

I’m going to show this installation on a big screen, in a pitch black room with the volume at total maximum. So it’s pretty much bound to overload your senses!

You can watch 10000 Fahrenheit - Traffic Collisions here

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My thoughts on Ex Bello Volaptus

Moving swiftly away from the enthralling dark ambient work of previous album Swedenborg (which comes highly recommended if you haven’t already had a listen) Ex Bello Volaptus marks the combination of a slight return to the classic Destruktionsanstalt sound with rabid experimentation that looks to the future of the project. 

A difficult balancing act for sure, but can it be done? Let’s find out!

The sampling is back in a more prominent position, right there in plain sight on first track ‘Caedes' (the slaughter).

The record begins with an infamous clip taken from the 1969 movie Easy Rider, where Jack Nicholson pulls out a bottle of Jim Beam and declares “Here's the first of the day fellas, to ol' D.H. Lawrence” takes a swig, and well, you can hear what happens next…

Nicholson’s madcap reaction is quickly breached by a flood of heavily distorted synth stuck in a droning loop. The mass of gurgling sound is expanded by a handful of field recordings that have been laid about the place and some more unsettling noises also get added to the melting pot.

It sizzles loudly like a dish being prepared and at one point even replicates a computer mid dial up that someone has set on fire, when it reaches it's peak the gas is turned off and it all cuts back to the main ‘gurgle’ which suddenly whooshes off out of earshot.

Next up, Tacet Occidere (killing is silent) quickly changes the scene to a news report describing President Assad’s use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war.

Musically, the track’s base is full of low rumbles while the top layer features anxious sounding synths cut in and out and the use of delay makes them dash off into the distance which all helps to give the track a very frantic edge, matching well with the current mood of the war torn Middle East.

Cranking up the decibels, the intro for Salo (based on the film of the same title) offers a near deaf experience with a series of eerie tinnitus inducing sounds.

These are joined by an ethereal effect and a grating metallic hum, along with a children’s choir and a brass movement that all mingle within it’s patchwork, resulting in a well executed soundscape but it's one that your ear doctor would probably advise that you avoid. 

Centrepiece ‘Agony of Plasma’ is an extended reinterpretation of the same track by Australian Industrial giants SPK (which appeared on their 1982 album Leichenschrei).

Those already familiar with the track will instantly recognise the looped breaking glass and bloodcurdling screams, although in this case they haven’t been lifted from the original. There is good use of dynamics on this track and in my view does the SPK version justice, making it one of the album’s highlights.

Imperium Suffocatis (control of suffocation) kicks off with the use of pitch shifted helicopter blades manipulated into a brisk, unpredictable pulse that shape shifts rapidly while field recordings of background chatter that help to fill out the space.

Semper Amare (always love) brings back the dark ambience of Swedenborg this time with some very fine isolationist drone entombed in a glitchy static shroud. Left with it’s remnants to loiter ominously at the track’s end it’s a ghostly presence that makes for a spine tingling listen.

Final track Suggero A Mortuis (provides a dead) begins with samples a group of people discussing the actions of a necrophile before igniting a bristling wall of sound that rises and falls in tension, constantly hinting at some more ear damage that doesn’t arrive. Almost personifying that Destruktionsanstalt is a project that doesn’t thrive on predictability.

Overall it’s a punchy, diverse release with a strong creative flair running throughout it’s 37 minutes that continues Destruktionsanstalt’s ongoing evolution.

Being at an age where some critics would consider his musical contributions nothing more than desperate attempts to remain relevant, it’s excellent to see that this album proudly displays Per's never lacking enthusiasm for creating music that is all things uncompromising, unnerving and challenging.

Ex Bello Volaptus will be made available in physical form on the 6th of August.

Snowbeasts: Polar Predators

Since 2014, Dark Ambient/Electronic Industrial act Snowbeasts (comprised of Robert Galbraith & Elizabeth Virosa) have been hell-bent on creating Arctic soundscapes for their namesakes to roam.

Their debut record caught the attention of French Electronic label M-Tronic Records and that year were invited to appear on the label’s 10th anniversary compilation

5 Releases later, the Rhode Island based duo returned to M-Tronic last September with album
‘+ -’ which you can listen to below and read my thoughts on after this interview. 

I met up with Rob and Elizabeth to discuss their beginnings, the new album, and find out what the beasts are on the hunt for next...

DMD: First of all, how did you come up with the name Snowbeasts?

Elizabeth: Rob came up with the name. We had a particularly rough and long winter. I think that is why he chose the name since we felt like Snowbeasts.

DMD: How did you both meet?

Elizabeth: We met through a mutual friend in NYC. I was trying to get back into sound art or music at the time and heard that Rob had put a studio together and was looking to collaborate with other musicians.

DMD: What did you work on together musically before Snowbeasts?

Rob: Our other project, Pattern Behavior, pre-dates Snowbeasts by about a year and a half or so.  We have four EPs and a full length out under that name. We will be doing more under that name in the upcoming year. We also record under the name Mon(o)taur  with our friend David Dodson which was started around the same time. Before that I was doing stuff under the names Logiq (with Matt Crofoot of Informatik), Codec, & Raab Codec.

DMD: Snowbeasts began in 2014, how much has changed these past 2 years?

Rob: A ton has changed for us both personally and musically since 2014. It started out as a solo project with a focus on using modular synths to create soundscapes. Over the last couple of years we have added and developed more percussive elements and also use Elizabeth’s processed vocals more prominently. We have also been starting to play more live shows.

DMD: For both of you, what records had a big effect on you throughout your childhood and teens?

Rob: For me, my musical discovery took place around the time I was 15 or so. The Cure's Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss, New Order's Substance, and Depeche Mode's Music for the Masse & Violator all were in heavy rotation. My tastes shifted a bit more industrial as I discovered college radio.

Elizabeth: I listened to whatever records or albums my older brothers were listening to when I was a child, mostly classic rock or whatever was on MTV. Suburban 80’s music. I started going to local shows in Boston when I was around 16. First punk or hardcore shows at places like the Rat, then raves and later in college I discovered more industrial music. I was really into NIN the downward spiral as a teen. I think that was my gateway album into discovering more electronic and experimental music. That and I ended up taking sound art classes while in college.

Snowbeasts live at the Park Church Co-op,
Brooklyn. Photo credit: Stella Perish

DMD: Tell me about Component Recordings, are there any exciting new releases coming out this year?

Rob: I started Component in 1999 as a vehicle for putting out my own music. It is something that ballooned very fast after putting together the Integral Components comp.  In Component’s original run I put out music by Mochipet, Dryft, Proem, Xyn, Somatic Responses and a bunch more.  I ended up closing down the first incarnation of the label in 2005 due to changes in the industry and associated financial issues. 

After taking a very long break, I decided to bring things back in 2013 and have built up a new roster over the last few years. We have a core group of great artists who are continually sending me new tracks to put out: Witch Eyes, Alpturer, Cathode Ray Tube, Maduro, Solypsis, & Production Unit Xero. The next couple releases from Component are going to be Cathode Ray Tube's 'Famous Monsters & Solypsis's "Smoke Signals".

DMD: What is the electronic/ambient live scene like in Rhode Island?

Elizabeth: I enjoy the scene here. Providence is kind of more known for its noise and metal scene but it has a good mix of other genres and artists. Some shows will mix genres together but it somehow works. There are a fair amount of spaces to play at for a smaller city. There is almost always something happening.

DMD: What is your live and recording setup?

Rob: We approach live and studio with different mindsets. In the studio, everything from the modular, any external instruments and Elizabeth's voice all get recorded into Ableton and are pretty heavily synced up. Our live setup is pretty organic and improvisational. 

We typically start with a few basic sequences on the modular and then build up a bunch of layers from there. Along with my modular, Elizabeth has a pedal board with a pitch shifter, looper and reverb for her vocal stuff. We try to do something a bit different each time with the live stuff and keep it interesting.

DMD: Apart from music, what else inspires you both to create? 

Rob: For me, I take a lot of inspiration from film. I am a huge horror & sci-fi fan especially of stuff from the late 60’s to early 80’s.  Nature also is a big influence as well as emotions.

Elizabeth: Generally the news, emotions, nature, the city and sometimes visual art.

DMD: Who are your favourite artists on M-tronic?

Rob: Mlada Fronta is really awesome! I also really dig the the new albums from Kuta and Mnemonic.

DMD: Do you have any plans to add lyrics to Elizabeth’s singing or will they remain vocalised?

Elizabeth: We go back and forth on that. We tend to have the vocals in Pattern Behavior be more distinct. But in general we are more interested in capturing a mood or atmosphere than telling a story.

DMD: Is there a meaning behind the album title (+ -)?

Rob: + - is about duality. It is about the struggle that we all have inside of us between positive instincts and self defeating behaviours.  From a musical standpoint, it is a contrast between the beautiful and the harsh.

DMD: How would you both compare the new album to the Snowbeasts’ back catalogue?     

            

Rob: I would say it is a progression from what we were doing on our last album Instincts. We wanted to explore the directions we laid out on that album and push them out further. I would say that if you compared it to our debut or Ice & Shadow they would seem like quite a departure but if you listen to all the albums back to back a path can be found.

DMD: You guys used a de-tuned Autoharp on the track ‘Midnight’  did you use any other new instruments too? 

Rob: Other than the autoharp we used an EBow on Elizabeth's guitar for some of the textures on 'Tangled Wires'. For this release, our primary instrument was an Elektron Analog Keys. We just picked this up while we were starting the new album and it is all over it. 

My modular rig took a bit of a backseat on + - but we did use a ton of the Basilimus Iteratus from Noise Engineering for the drum sounds.

DMD: Any plans for CD and Vinyl releases in the future?

Rob: There is some talk about that but nothing set in stone.  Right now we are just focusing our energies on writing music and performing.  We would both love to see a Snowbeasts release on Vinyl in the future but in the meantime digital allows us the freedom to do what we want.

DMD: When you guys aren’t writing music or performing how do you spend your time?

Elizabeth: Aside from working as a software developer, I try to travel as much as I can, go to shows and play with our cats. 

Rob: I work full time as an engineer and that takes up a good portion of my waking hours. What is left after that and working on music goes in to running the label, going to shows and watching movies.

DMD: What does the rest of 2016 hold for Snowbeasts?

Elizabeth: We have some remixes planned for a few artists, a collaboration track with Displacer to complete, and possibly some live shows coming up.

DMD: Anybody you want to give a shout out to?

Rob: M-Tronic for releasing + -, everyone who supported the Component releases, DJ Deftly D for his support over the years and all the artists who we have played with and have remixed our music.

My thoughts on + -

First track ‘Disruption’ pauses to take in the view of the vast icy landscape that is ‘+ -.’ Sinister looped strings riding distorted beats with snare cracks resembling falling chunks of ice smashing on the ground set the tone. Elizabeth’s unearthly voice seems to stretch out to the horizon of this imaginary cold world.

‘Phantom Limb’ is a bit more Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross flavoured, a thickened clicky drum pulse, an oozing bass line and a trembling synth pattern all help bring out the sci-fi/horror vibe too.
Third track ‘Secrets’ picks up the pace and threatens to kick into full on dance club tempo but instead pulls back, filling the space with metallic bounces and chants that resemble some kind of esoteric ritual. 

Meanwhile during the more cautionary tones of ‘Bridges to Nowhere’ night has fallen and the beautiful sub-zero scenery now becomes a less inviting place, which leads into my favourite track ‘Midnight.’ 

This is where the eerie-ness on the record reaches fever pitch, a heavy echoing percussive effect kicks the track off and the more distorted beats return this time with cymbal crashes sound off like gun-fire. In between all this lurks a scraping sound interchanged with ghostly tapping.

On the shortest track ‘Empathy Gap’ things get a little more chilled out rather than spine-chilling, Elizabeth’s powerful voice illuminates the glacial earth like the rising sun but it doesn't stay positive for long, and transforms into a sonic breeze that hints of more malevolence to come.

The marching beat and driving feel of ‘The Sky Cracks Open’ replicate an animal colony traversing through dangerous predator ridden territory, while ‘Tangled Wires’ features metallic synths married with guitar drones that evolve into a keyboard melody that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Porcupine Tree record.

Ending track ‘Selfless’ made me envision someone slowly climbing a snow covered mountain, creeping synths build as they get higher and the air thins, a stacked vocal ostinato and locked synth pattern signify them stopping to admire the view before the track fades out. 

In conclusion, the 6th Snowbeasts record delivers a numbing shot of cold energy that will have you reaching for the thermostat, the duo sound 100% focused on grabbing the listener and taking them to another dimension, leaving them wanting to re-experience that journey again and again.

It also helps that this time round they haven’t over indulged on track lengths (‘Selfless’ being the album’s longest at 6:20). ‘+ -’ is a record that I would recommend to anyone from the Witch House crowd, Industrial listeners and fans of the darker side of Ambient/Electronic music. 

Wrap up warm folks, because Snowbeasts are here to stay.

8/10

Photo credit: mind on photography

You can also listen to a Snowbeasts ‘best of’ release assembled by the duo here

Snowbeasts Facebook

Component Recordings bandcamp

M-Tronic Official Website

KIRA: NOISE JERSEY

Noise still and probably always will remain a genre for the outsiders.

Only being pursued by the 110% dedicated, hiding away unseen honing their craft full in the knowledge that such a musical goal isn’t going to win them stadiums full of admirers and mainstream media coverage. 

They follow the static ridden path in pursuit of making the ultimate artistic statement and self expression by pushing boundaries of what is deemed musically acceptable and bearable.

Vincent Ceraso is one such lone ranger, only 21 years of age, and based in New Jersey Vincent began laying down primal monolithic walls of harsh noise with first such project Blutbad (German word for carnage) which in total had 23 releases (2 of which were demos) before ending in September.

Adapting a different approach and experimenting with new equipment, the next month KIRA was born.

At the turn of February 2016, Vincent released his first full length album under the KIRA moniker entitled: Modernism Tragedy. 17 mind melting, nerve shattering tracks of demented audio. It is undoubtably his most accessible release to date and sees KIRA knocking down several of the noise walls he once resided in, and letting inside drone, dark ambient, minimalist and more eclectic influences.

(You can read my thoughts on Modernism Tragedy at the bottom of this feature)

Despite the dark and radical nature of his music, Vincent seemed a cheery lad and was more than happy to have a quick chat and answer a few questions on KIRA:

DMD: What were your first musical instruments and musical influences growing up?

K: Growing up, I was a HUGE fan of Green Day and Blink-182, two bands that opened me up to the world of music! They were the bands that got me into playing guitar and drums. I still play guitar, but not so much the drums anymore. In high school, I was introduced to the band Silverstein, and that was the band that made me want to start playing bass guitar, and in 2012, I was pulled on stage very briefly to play a song with them!

DMD: Wait…you performed with Silverstein? or did I just read that wrong? 

K: You definitely DID NOT read that wrong! They did a tour in support of "Short Songs” and as a joke, my old bass teacher and I learned the song "See Ya Bill!" which is only a few seconds long. Long story short, I met Billy Hamilton at the venue and told him that, and he asked if I wanted to play with them later. They then pulled me on stage to play the song three times, and it was amazing!

DMD: Sick! So what do you like to do in your spare time when you're not making music? 

K: The very little time I spend not making music (I have over a dozen music projects), I'm usually in school or at work. I also like to draw and watch cartoons. Sorry, but I'm just a very boring person that loves music!

DMD: What music are you currently into?

 K: I’m into a little bit of everything! Country, metal, hip-hop, you name it! My favorite genre would probably be powerviolence, which is very raw and incredibly fast-paced, just the way I like music. I tried to start a powerviolence band months ago before KIRA got started, but that didn't exactly go well…Some of my favorite bands in powerviolence and extreme metal include: Infest, Coke Bust, Full of Hell, Napalm Death, Nails, Dying Fetus, etc. In fact I'll be seeing Nails and Dying Fetus in Philly this April, so pray that I don't die!

DMD: Do you play in any bands that make ‘normal’ music? 

K: I played bass guitar in a band called Tragic Life from August of 2014 to June of 2015. Our sound (at the time I was in the band) combined heavy hardcore music with some elements of fast-paced Power-Violence. Sadly, I had to leave the band because of school and other priorities I was faced with. I played a total of four shows with them. They're still a band, and have an EP called "Cathedral of Despair" coming out soon!

DMD: What does the name KIRA mean? does it stand for something?

K: I get asked this quite a bit. KIRA is a reference to the popular Japanese Anime "Death Note". As explained in the show, "Kira" is derived from the word "killer", and is used as a nickname for the anti-hero Light Yagami. Around that time, I was having a hard time thinking of what to call the project. I heard Kira and thought the name and meaning behind the word sounded pretty interesting!

DMD: Why did Blutbad come to an end?

K: Blutbad was extremely sloppy and very un-organized. For starters, I used an old alarm clock radio to record walls with. Sometimes, just because I was incredibly lazy, I'd take a previous wall from one of the older tapes and re-use it, but change it around a bit to pass it off as a brand new recording, when in reality, I was practically copying and pasting the older tracks. Once I purchased pedals and a mixer, I thought about continuing with Blutbad, but then realized I wanted a fresh start. A couple weeks later, I dropped the first KIRA demo, and it was very well received!

DMD: Is there a scene for the music you make in New Jersey?

K: The music scene here in New Jersey mostly consists of metal, punk, emo, etc. Not much in the way of an actual "noise" music scene, compared to Massachusetts and California, although from what I've heard, Pennsylvania has a bit of a noise scene unlike Jersey!

DMD: what first inspired you to start making noise music?

K: My old band mate Spencer at practice one day showed me a video of Vomir on YouTube performing at Ende Tymes Festival a few years ago. At first I thought, "What the hell is this garbage? Its just a bunch of people wearing bags over their heads and listening to some guy produce static for 30 minutes!!" As much as I hated it, I was so intrigued that I found myself going back to that video, and listening to his tapes on YouTube. Eventually, it became an obsession, and before I knew it, I was on a mission to find whatever Vomir tape I could download on the internet!

DMD: How would you describe the music of KIRA?

K: At first, KIRA started off as strictly HNW. All I wanted to do was make 20+ minute walls. But that got old pretty quick, so I wanted to experiment a little bit. After purchasing more equipment, I tried adding elements of power electronics in my tracks, which is what my most recent releases consist of! Whenever I do splits or collaborations, I might go back to my roots of making those full-length walls!

DMD: So what equipment do you use in KIRA?

K: I use a tiny, 10-watt amplifier from Dean Guitars that I got for my 14th birthday, DigiTech Death Metal and DigiTech Grunge pedals, Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff Distortion pedal (borrowed from a friend), and a FAB Distortion pedal! As for recording, I used to use Garageband and a Blue Yeti microphone, and while I still use those, I've been trying out the voice recording app on my phone a lot lately!

DMD: KIRA and Blutbad have a lot of releases on band camp in a short space of time why is that? (Co-incidentally KIRA released a split with ​Koobaatoo Asparagus on February 23rd)

K: Simply because I have a lot of free time on my hands! As for Blutbad, as I said before, it had some releases that were lazily done using that "copy and pasting" method I mentioned earlier, so if I really wanted to, I could release 20 tapes in one afternoon. For KIRA however, I spend hours at a time in my basement recording tracks. I have a decent-sized archive of recordings in my computer I plan to release very soon, either as one big tape or several smaller tapes to be released gradually over time.

DMD: In BB and KIRA there are quite a few WW1 and WW2 references, care to elaborate on that? 

K: I’m a huge war history buff. I'm in college to study some history. Initially, I wanted my themes to be real dark (as for most noise artists), so I took what I figured were the most disturbing and controversial photos from those war eras and used them as artwork, as well as having some songs reference things like the Vietnam War, WWII, etc.

DMD: Any plans to release some physical copies of KIRA’s music? 

K: Physical CDs for Modernism Tragedy are in the works, as well as CDs for the recent KIRA/Koobaatoo Asparagus split "In the Heat of the Night". As for actual tapes, I'm not sure when (or if at all) I'm gonna make some, mainly because I don't know how to dub tapes. I do plan on making physical tapes in the future, after I've made the Modernism Tragedy and ITHOTN CDs!

DMD: Who does the art/photos for KIRA?

K: When KIRA first got started, I would literally go to Google images for the album art (I obviously didn't draw the artwork for "This Man"). I would actually type in the search bar "abandoned hospital", "scary forest at night", "dark trees", etc. I'd then edit the hell out of them. That was just for the first six or seven releases. Nowadays, I take the photos myself on my phone and edit them a bit! The Modernism Tragedy album art was the hardest to make, as I used a method called "sound wave art". Looking back now, I feel kind of horrible for blatantly taking pictures from Google images.

DMD: Modernism Tragedy is a bit more experimental compared to the last few releases, did this approach come out naturally or was it more of a conscious decision? 

K: The idea for Modernism Tragedy was to take a different approach with noise. Around this time, I started listening to Prurient, now one of my biggest influences. His albums mix elements of noise, harsh noise, industrial, ambient, etc. I wanted to do something similar to that, however, I didn't want to stray too far away from what KIRA was in the beginning, harsh noise wall. At the same time, I seriously didn't want this album to be 10-15 tracks of 20+ minute walls. Because Modernism Tragedy was my first true full-length record, I wanted to leave a lasting impression on the listeners. The tracks on the album range from industrial, to power electronics, to harsh noise, and of course HNW. I wanted to limit the number of ridiculously long walls, so thats why "Death Aesthetic" clocking in at 15:07 is the only track on the record longer than 10 minutes. I had a lot of fun making this record, and while it was relentlessly difficult and stressful, I'm incredibly proud of it, and will most likely do another similar album in the future. 

DMD: Tell me about the split with Verrukt and do you plan on any more in the future? 

K: Verrukt is my good friend Mikey from Delaware, and that split was his debut! We've been close friends for a while, and always talked about wanting to do a future split. After months of talking about it, we finally made it happen, and it got a lot of attention from friends of ours and noise enthusiasts! Believe it or not, for a short amount of time, his track on the split had MORE plays than any other track on my entire Bandcamp page! We definitely plan to do more in the future! I also have a split with See Through Buildings in the works, as well as a few others!

DMD: Any plans to play live?

K: I'm not entirely sure if I want to start doing live shows... yet. I had one scheduled in Mantua, NJ for late May, but due to circumstances out of my control, that show has been canceled. I think eventually I'll start playing shows. I just need to get my act together…..

In MT, At times you’ll feel like you’re being laser-gunned to death by an unseen alien firing squad, (‘A face, a Name a Voice so Synonymous’) or sucked into a white noise whirlpool (‘Nasal shift’). 

I really have to commend Vincent on his approach to the drums and samples on this release, which on tracks such as ‘Stigma Multiplex’ and ‘Frozen’ made me recall ‘Merciless’ era Godflesh taken to more brutal extremes.  But It is when the foot is taken off the accelerator that the innovation truly shines out: Track 10 ‘Poltergeist’ is one such example of a sunken bass line married with ricocheting echoed samples to make absorbing percussive textures. 

The Harsh Noise Walls of KIRA (and formerly Blutbad) architecture are still standing proud and screaming on tracks such as ‘Narrative Homicide’ ‘Biological Chemical Nuclear Threat’ and ‘Death Aesthetic’.

My favourite track of the full length has to be ‘Frozen’. Which, if set to the 2013 Disney Children’s Classic would definitely make for a more interesting view! Ghostly synths lead the way before thundering drums pummel your mind into nothingness, savage static clouds loom ominously overhead when all is replaced with the sounds of an eerie tolling bell just one of the many tracks on Modernism Tragedy that definitely wouldn’t be out of place on a horror movie soundtrack. 

If I were to describe final track ‘Sirens and the Color of Sound’ (and I do hate to make this comparison once again) just imagine the ending atmosphere of your favourite horror/slasher movie, where you just know the director has one final scare in store before the credits roll and lights can come back on.

All in all, I can safely say ‘Modernism Tragedy’ is a stellar piece of work because: there is a fine mixture of industrial, drone, soundtrack (among many others) wrapped up in all the noise to make it more digestible for the newbies and still appeal to a more tinnitus craving listener without compromising KIRA’s sound. 

And…it’s available entirely for free download on bandcamp so there are 0 excuses. 

Noise freaks, dark ambient addicts and drone-workers everywhere….pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair and relax. 

8.5/10

KIRA bandcamp

KIRA facebook

Enjoy this interview? Check out more HNW reading below:

Interview with Ben Rehling of See Through Buildings

Interview with James Shearman of A Raja's Mesh Men

Interview with Nemanja Nikolić of Dosis Letalis