Various Artists
Mind Your Release
[Relapse]
I picked it up out of curiosity, and it proved to be fairly interesting.
That is, if you are into this sort of thing. As you can judge from the
title, this is a promotional teaser released by Relapse prior to unleashing
their juggernaut compilation - a 3 CD set of experimental electronic/noise
entitled "Release Your Mind Vol.2." This promo presents us with 12 tracks
out of 32 that are on the actual compilation. All the artists are pretty
obscure. Prior to this, I only heard of Trial of the Bow, Amber Asylum,
James Plotkin and Masonna.
The way this thing is set up is that the CD starts off with the gentle tracks and then gradually increases the levels of extremity to the absolute max. In the beginning, there is tender ambience of Trial of the Bow (spiced up with a middle-eastern vibe), Solarus, and a really cool track by Amber Asylum. Their song is all violins, acoustic guitars and female voices, really sad and atmospheric. We enter the noise part of the CD with very long, spaced-out, noisy ambient pieces by Namanax and James Plotkin. The frequencies and modulations become harsher with Con-Dom, Subarachnoid Space (with a track called "L.A. Makes Me Uncomfortable" - definitely something I can relate to after living in Los Angeles for almost a decade), Runzelstirn & Gurglestock, and industrial noisemakers Dissecting Table. The final three tracks by Haters, Japanese Torture Comedy Hour (great name) and - that notorious Merzbow's rival - Masonna break down the remains of form and structure, unleashing pure electronic violence upon the unsuspecting listener. The latter part of the CD is not recommended for senior citizens, people with heart condition, pregnant women and pets, but if you have any interest in this type of experimental music, there is plenty for you to investigate on "Release Your Mind Vol. 2."
© 2000 boris
The way this thing is set up is that the CD starts off with the gentle tracks and then gradually increases the levels of extremity to the absolute max. In the beginning, there is tender ambience of Trial of the Bow (spiced up with a middle-eastern vibe), Solarus, and a really cool track by Amber Asylum. Their song is all violins, acoustic guitars and female voices, really sad and atmospheric. We enter the noise part of the CD with very long, spaced-out, noisy ambient pieces by Namanax and James Plotkin. The frequencies and modulations become harsher with Con-Dom, Subarachnoid Space (with a track called "L.A. Makes Me Uncomfortable" - definitely something I can relate to after living in Los Angeles for almost a decade), Runzelstirn & Gurglestock, and industrial noisemakers Dissecting Table. The final three tracks by Haters, Japanese Torture Comedy Hour (great name) and - that notorious Merzbow's rival - Masonna break down the remains of form and structure, unleashing pure electronic violence upon the unsuspecting listener. The latter part of the CD is not recommended for senior citizens, people with heart condition, pregnant women and pets, but if you have any interest in this type of experimental music, there is plenty for you to investigate on "Release Your Mind Vol. 2."
© 2000 boris