Gangleri – music reviews

I have gravely neglected the current that I call “rhythmical industrial”, but which since years has been called “rhythmic noise”. I never liked the latter term, since however the style is rather extreme, I seldom found it really noisy. Then again, Winterkälte’s last album (“Disturbance” 2004) is quite noisy and this album of Imminent is too at times. Around 1998/9 I shortly listened to this music. Winterkälte’s “Drum & Noise” (1999), Imminent Starvation’s “Nord” (1999) are great albums, but the “Industrial Frequencies” compilation series and other projects in the style were too tame for me. Another problem that I often had with the style, is that the music is often a dustbin of ideas with tracks stuffed with different rhythms, breaks, sounds, samples and ideas completely losing the idea of ‘danceablity’. My interests shifted to other musical currents and for about 10 years I probably did not even hear a single “rhythmical industrial” release. Then at last years Wave Gotik Treffen I saw Winterkälte which was great. Then I noticed that Imment has a new album so I figured I might want to find out what it is that “rhythmic noise” is nowadays. “Cask Strength” opens with two IDM/breakcore tracks, but then goes on full throttle with extremely loud dance music. A lot of breakbeats (while I love the regular blasts of the “Lost Highway” track) and also more tranquil tracks, mostly very nicely done and a good listen. Danceable? I do not know, sometimes I guess. Apparently with Winterkälte out of the way, Imminent is the best project in this style. Ironically too by the way, since both Winterkälte and Imminent are the projects that have made this music since 1993/4 while all the later bands are less skilled to make this kind of music. Too bad in a way, since I have the same with other styles (harsch EBM, old Wumpscut style for example, noone ever topped the earlier releases, especially not Ratzinger himself), but at least Imminent has made a new release! However much I like this music when it is well done, just as with extreme tekno or power electronics, I will not play a release such as this too often, since I usually feel like listening to a little more easy music. In any case, should you -like me- have missed the last 10 years of “rhythmical industrial”, this new album will not sound shockingly new, but Moreau is still a guy to make this sound good.
Links: Imminent, Ant-Zen

So Argentina also offers loud electronics. I did not know Synchro Mode, nor the “new and promising harsh electronic label from USA, Soviet Media Kontrol”. No worries of course, since Synchro Mode offers “strong rhythmic noise tunes with breakcore influences”. Fortunately there are not breakcore breaks in all tracks, most of the tracks are more of a Winterkälte harsch industrial style which is not bad at all. The result is pretty energetic and enjoyable. The tracks have a varying length (4 to 11 minutes) and enough variation to keep my attention. An interesting release in the style. It seems that the earlier releases can be downloaded from the project’s website, but I have not tried that yet.
Links: Synchromode, Soviet Media Kontrol

I do not visit the Cock Rock Disco website enough I guess. When I did last week I noticed that there are 7 new free releases since the last time I looked. They are mostly mix cds and not all as extremely breakcore as often happens on this label. As a matter of fact, there seem to be more DJ Donna Summer ideas here, with mixing the weirdest and silliest tracks from soul to AC/DC, happy hardcore and speedcore. Unfortunately the DJs are not as gifted as DJ Donna Summer, the label owner. Kid Kameleon has a rather standard mix if you have followed the label. All kinds of popmusic mixed with a regular beat. The Beast Within is a mix of CRD project and does contain the more extreme forms of electronic music. There seems to be a (new?) liking for electronically made metal, but mostly you will hear the extreme breakcore that you might know from this label. Projects such as The Teknoist, Duran Duran Duran, Bong-Ra, along with new and crazy names such as Toecutter and DJ Floorclearer. There are some way too unstructured f**ked up tracks, but there are also surprisingly calm tracks this time. Another nice free compilation of extreme music. Nero’s Day In Disnleyland is a quite typical CRD mix with music varrying from The Cure and Skinny Puppy to Hole and Morrisey to a whole range of bands that I don’t know, hiphop, rap, soul, jazz, rock, metal; all very weird of course, but not mixed together too well; it just sounds like a weird bunch of musical styles. DJ Rainbow Ejaculation has got to be a country mate, since (s)he mixes the most faulty happy hardcore of 12 years ago that I can not image ever left our country. People of my age (well 30+) will recognise many things that have been repressed from our memories and all that layered with “gabber” beats, truely awfull . CDR then “is a Japanese dude who has been fucking Amen breaks for years…” and so he does with his extreme breakcore “CDR on CRD”. Way too chaotic for my liking, but as often with these kind of releases, it contains weird findings and crazy humour, but musically all build around the same breakbeat. And yes, there is some more crazy free stuff there, so just have a peek if you are interested in (a new kind) of digital extremism.
Cock Rock Disco believes in free music!

Cock Rock Disco, a label with an stupid name, but interesting music. From extreme breakcore, to more weird poppy things like Jason Forrest and About. Every once in a while CRD puts some free music on their website, so it is nice to be able to download some different music from time to time. In the course of a few months I collected the following free releases:
“Rock Rock Rock”, a compilation with remixes of DJ Donna Summer’s track with the same title. In style this album goes from happy hardcore, to extreme breakcore, softer experimental dance music and much in between.
The Teknoist “Cock Rott Columbo”. This actually reminds quite a bit of Hellfish. Extreme, loud, odd samples and relatively danceable, because there are many ’straight beats’. Not as good as Hellfish, but this album comes pretty close.
DJ Donna Summer (also Jason Forrest and the man behind the label) earlier made a magnificent “BootyBreakTranceClubCore-Mix”, a completely “ADHD” mix with the weirdest tracks. This time the sound is more (happy) hardcore and though nice, not as good as the earlier mix.
Dev/Null “92-94 Oldschool Jungle Mix”. Dev/Null can makes some serious breakcore, but here we get his influences in the form of “oldschool jungle”. Remember “The Prodigy Experience”? Well, the “rave” and “jungle” (nowadays called “drum & bass”) are put together to a 48 minute mix. Funny, but not great.
Ladyscraper “The Death Of Mary Poppins”. Here we have it, some of the most extreme and f*cked up breakcore. No regular beats here, no returning themes, no melody, nothing of that all. This is Aphex Twin going berzerk or Squarpusher in overdrive. Too much for me, I might add. I can enjoy these twisted electronics, but I prefer some regularity here and there too and that is why I love Hellfish. Ladyscraper is something that you actually shouldn’t listen to get acquinted with the style, because it is about the extreme of it.

Since it is all free, have a try if you are up for new and extreme music. CRD also has paid download releases and a back-catalogue large enough to try a few things. Also more free music (including a label compilation), so I would say: have a look at the labels free music page.

Jason Forrest is also known as DJ Donna Summer under which monicker he makes ADHD mixes between techno, breakcore, soul, jazz and whatever he can lay his hands on. A few years ago Forrest decided to form a one-man-band under his own name. “Shamelessly Exciting” is a complete novelty (as far as I know) in the music bizz. Forrest mixes fucked-up breakcore beats with poprock guitars, punk samples and towards the end the album gets a bit pop-idm-jazz-like. Eh? Hard to describe, but energetic, fresh and magnificent.

I was tipped about Duran Duran Duran, a completely hellish fast and fucked-up breakcore act. Searching the internet I landed on the label Cock Rock Disco which has a free online compilation. I figured that this would be some kind of breakcore compilation. In a way this is true, but Cock Rock Disco has more tricks to offer. Besides the main man’s magnificent poprock breakcore act Jason Forrest Band (also a bit to be heard in the band About), there is IDM on this album, but also metal-like breakcore (Drumcorps) and all kind of new weird sounds. Be sure to download a copy of this compilation and see if you are in for crazy futuristic music. <4/3/07><3>

I don’t think that I heard of the label before they sent me an email to notify me about their free compilation. “IDM” I am not sure if this is still the name this music goes under these days. In the beginning I called it “abstract techno” by lack of a tag, later terms used in the media were “cuts and clicks”, “dub”, “electronica” and later “intelligent dance music”. The most funny thing is, is that the music isn’t really danceable (in my opinion). The music seems to go back to weird electronic acts such as Autechre and Aphex Twin, but it seems that in the evolution of this cut-up breakbeat music seems to have gone in two directions. One is a more soft and melodic sound (Funckstörung, Funckarma), the other fucked-up and violent (following Venetian Snares). The first then is “IDM”, the latter “breakcore”. Of course there are numerous crossbreeds and novelties. What -for example- to do with a weirdo such as Kid 606? Anyway, in the beginning I had the idea that the music is still the same as seven years ago when it was still new. Soft music, crazy rhythms/beats, a bit of orchestrations. But as the cd continues there come some harder tracks and some tracks with new elements. There are some very nice tracks on the compilation and you can heard the sound of both old and new. <4/3/07><3>

Sharing labels with the brilliant Hellfish & Producer is no guarantee for geniocity. Doormouse managed to take the style of Hellfish a step further. There are much more crazy rhythms and beats, much more crazy samples, much more noisy elements. The result is… too much! Almost nowhere there is a regular beat, no real “tekno” and Doormouse is at times closer to digicore than tekno in general. At a few times great, but most of the times totally overdone. <22/10/02><2>

A couple of years ago I saw Kid 606 live in Den Haag (Netherlands). There was a festival with a then fairly unknown kind of experimental techno. All the acts had releases on the French label “Mille Plateaux” who just released the second issue of their “cuts ’n clicks” compilation cd, giving the music a name. Later it became “intelligent dance music” (idm), “electronica”, “electronics” or whatever. Inspired by artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre and Squarepusher, a new generation of laptop artists made tranquil music with weird cut-up beats and samples. Kid 606 had a show with problems and proved to be a bit louder than the rest. For years I never paid much attention, not even much to the music in general, but then I heard that I should listen to the new Kid 606 (thanks bro). I listened to the mcd “The Illness” which has the two brilliant and loud tracks from the 12” with three other tracks of which two are not too good. Then I listened to “The Action…”. It is a 60 minute cd that is crazier then Hellfish, but not as loud. Tons of samples, many extremely well-known (Kylie Minogue, Bangles, Radiohead), the weirdest rhythms with here and there are regular ‘gabber beat’. All in all much better than other things I have heard from this ‘scene’, but Kid 606 does seem to have the same labels as other acts reviewed here. Some tracks are completely brilliant, but Kid 606 is very obviously showing off. First drum & bass, then digicore, then a piece that sounds a lot like Squarepusher. Sometimes it is a bit too much. At times great, at times not too great, but overall a very nice cd. There is a new one coming up. Hopefully the 12” tracks will be on it. <21/8/03><3>

Yes it has been a while since I reviewed a tekno cd. I’m afraid that this will be a slow-growing section… I love the music, but it is not the kind that I play very often. Besides, too much tekno is shitty.
So what about this French act? I didn’t know them, but I saw them in a local recordstore. They are compared with DJ Producer (who contributes on one track), which was promising enough to listen to this double cd. The first cd is very technoïsh. Straightforward beats, here and there some ‘cuts-n-clicks’ and around the end some slightly harder material. On to cd two then. This is a total gabber-cd, but with a bit of a twist. Not 100% regular beats, but much more than Hellfish & Producer for example. Not extraordinary extreme though, but also this cd gets harder as it continues. A few very nice tracks, but to buy a 2cd for four tracks? The search continues… <15/8/03><2>

I have known about this band for quite a while, but I don’t think that I ever heard their music. I do know that people always had a problem catagorising this band. They have been filed under ‘industrial’ for a while, when there was digital hardcore, MOM suddenly was digital hardcore and now that they have found names for vague techno music, MOM shares shopspace with Autechre, Aphex Twin, Plaid and Funkstörung under “electronica” or “cuts and clicks”.
And indeed, when you listen to “Idiology” this isn’t the strangest idea either. However every cd is said to be different, “Idiology” definately fits between the mentioned names, but actually will still be a ’strange’ cd. There is odd techno, crazy beats, insane vocals, but also nice orchestrations, real instruments (from piano, to violin and trumpet) making “Idiology” to a cd for lovers only. I don’t think people who like the mentioned names, will automatically like MOM. Weird stuff! <6/9/01><2>

However this is one of the first DHR projects, I don’t believe they made any full-lengths. This mcd is a mcd completed with live- recordings and deleted vinyls. In all lasting for 74 minutes for the price of a cd-single! Musically the Sonic Subjunkies make quite typical digital hardcore going from drum & bass-like techno to extreme straight-forward stuff. The live tracks are nice, but expecially the ‘Twin Peaks track’ is wonderfull. Some of the best digital hardcore from the early days! <20/4/02><4>

Tom Jenkinson has been trying out the possibilities of recording equipment for a long time and is regarded as inspiration for projects like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Speedy J or younger projects like Funckarma or Fuckstörung. When the first Squarepusher cds were released, people didn’t know what to file them under, so they used the tag “drum & bass” which doesn’t really cover the music of Squarepusher. Some tracks may give a bit the idea of d&b, but while that music is mostly built around a certain rhythm (however strange), Jenkinson’s music is hardly the same for three seconds. As a matter of fact his music is completely crazy and often drives unwary listeners that very mental condition. Squarepusher is extremely ‘full/busy’ music with the most insane sounds and ‘rhythms’ and seems to lack every sence of structure. What I like about some Squarepusher tracks is that they are can be a lot harder than most similar music that is made these days. Unfortunately “Go Plastic” is mostly (relatively) tranquil, but there are a few completely idiotic tracks on it. I know better Squarepusher tracks than those on “Go Plastic” as well, but it seems that Jenkinson has gone totally mad when recording this one. Squarepusher sure dares to take things a few steps further than many of his colleagues/followers, so listen to “Go Plastic” if you dare. <11/8/01><3>

Hm, I don’t keep up with techno well enough it seems. I accidentally ran into this new Squarepusher which is probably from late 2003. Squarepusher was one of the first to make this fucked-up kind of techno with crazy ‘beats’ and weird sounds. I have a few of his cds, but hearing this new one, they tend to keep the same all the time. “Ultravisitor” does contain some brilliant tracks which must have taken a lot of time to make and also the jazzy more tranquil tracks, but it is not like Squarepusher is pushing his own borders in my opinion. But if you like the other cds, you will also like this one. It is pretty long and even seems to contain (some) live-recordings?? <26/9/04><3>

And here we have proof that the closing question of my N-Vitral review cannot be answered with a “yes”. “Masonic” is the name of a 4×12″ compilation which was also released on 2cd. Basically it is a techno compilation, but it is also sold in the industrial scene. Musically it shows a wide range of techno(ish) sounds, giving a nice overview of what is available. From the electro-sounds (in the ‘techno explanation’) of Bochum Welt and soft “intelligent dance music” of Funkstörung to drum and bass, hard techno like that of Venetian Squares or danceble industrial of bands like Imminent, Gridlock or Substanz T. The compilation is not overall brilliant, but there certainly are great tracks on it and the majority is enjoyable enough. Both for industrial and techno lovers! <8/11/04><3>

Aaron Funk was in Hungary and you will know. The title means something like ‘It was born under a bad star’. When I heard about this album I downloaded the teasers from the label’s site. 2 Mins of every track was enough for me to write a review, but also to make me decide to get a copy of the album. Venetian Snares is known to most people for his extremely experimental and most of all loud “breakcore”. On the latest album you will get (live) orchestrations with ‘intelligent dance music’ on the background. Strange and nice, but not entirely original. Fuckarma did somthing similar and I also have a Fuckstörung track in this vein. But still, Venetian Snares is a bit harder than the other two and a whole album makes a nice diversity between my usual kinds of music. From orchestral music to fucked-up Aphex Twin techno. Visit the label’s site for a teaser. <11/9/05><3>