Vomir - Enragement Contraint

70-minute HNW assault by Romain Perrot, released as a CDr on Dutch label Muzikaal Kabaal in 2013.

1. Enragement Contraint

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The Rita - Toe Cleavage

"With his flagship project, The Rita, Sam McKinlay has, for nearly two decades, explored and distilled into sound various permutations of fetish and vice. Recognized as the creator of wall noise, McKinlay's conceptual intent and the singular intensity of his focus established something novel and profound. McKinlay's compulsive reverence for noise is a fetish of sound. Frequently, McKinlay utilizes field recordings and other sounds sourced from the objects of interest before encrypting them in an opaque shell of noise. Listening to McKinlay's recordings, it's often difficult to determine whether one actually hears the sounds of the source material or if the power of suggestion is so strong that the listener extracts phantom sounds. In recent years, McKinlay has increasingly focused on the female form, particularly the modes of body augmentation that define classical femininity, such as make up, nylon stockings, etc. The progression of this focus culminated with the most archetypal projection of femininity in Western Culture: the ballerina, her feet, and her pointe shoes. The foot of a woman has long been identified as the most common source of unusual sexual preoccupation. 'Toe Cleavage' is the most comprehensive expression of McKinlay's recent endeavors. For the uninitiated, the term 'toe cleavage' refers to the display of the upper portions of toes in low cut shoes - an essential detail for many shoe designers. Across the seven tapes in this set, McKinlay, through his music, dissects, indulges, illustrates, and worships the feminine foot. To that end, McKinlay worked with Los Angeles based visual artist Olivia Burr and recording artist Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota). In addition to photographic contributions, Burr and Hayter provided much of the source material for McKinlay including: dance studio floor recordings; contact mic'd ballet shoes; and the repeated unboxing, unwrapping, trying on, walking in, and re-boxing of various designer shoes (Valentino, Miu Miu, etc.). Adding depth to the overall experience, McKinlay interspersed interludes throughout the recordings featuring audio samples derived from discussions and tutorials about pointe shoes, toe cleavage, and various designer ballet flat and stiletto reviews. This set of recordings is arguably McKinlay's most focused and obsessive effort to date and perfectly embodies the cultivated stylistic traits that have defined his work through the years. Seven-tape set come in a wooden box with a 16-page book, a colored poster, an insert drawn by Sam McKinlay in Ivory paper, and a sheet with notes. Edition of 99 (hand-numbered)." (Review from Forced Exposure. See here.)

A. Toe Technique 1 

B. Toe Technique 2 

C. Toe Cleavage Dialogue 

D. Ballet Flats 

E. Olivia Burr Sources 1 

F. Olivia Burr Sources 2 

G. Properly Walking In Pointe Shoes 

H. Properly Running In Pointe Shoes 

I. Chanel Ballet Flats 

J. Aquazzura Ballet Flats 

K. Ballet Flats Comfort 

L. Pointe Shoes Comfort 

M. Lingua Ignota Sources 1 

N. Lingua Ignota Sources 2 

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The Rita, NFW & Christian Nicolay - Atlantis

2011 split/collaboration between The Rita (Sam McKinlay), NFW (American harsh-noise artist better known under his Taskmaster moniker) and the relatively anonymous Christian Nicolay. The Rita and NFW join together for the A-side which is an extremely dense and overdriven noise wall assault. The B-side has harsh sections but is much more varied over the same ~25 minute running time, making use of dynamics and samples. The third track shared here is both sides played together, which also makes for great listening. Released as a double cassette run of one hundred copies on intriguing but apparently defunct US noise label Satan's Din.

A. The Rita & NFW - Water

B. Christian Nicolay - Fire

(AB). The Rita, NFW & Christian Nicolay - Water & Fire

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Vasculae - Receding Stasis

Self-released tape from American noise artist Jon Borges under his Vasculae moniker. Cover describes as "crude electronics, tapes, microphones, field recordings" and the resulting sound is one of intense, droning dread almost akin to wall noise. Edition of one hundred copies released in 2012.

A. Virulent Lapse

B. Inferential

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Kadaver - V-Day

Eight-part compendium by Israeli noise artist Michael Zolotov, combining his own remixes of original (and some unreleased) material with remixes by seven peers: Sweden's In Slaughter Natives, Americans Steel Hook Prostheses, The Vomit Arsonist and Richard Ramirez (Black Leather Jesus), Italian Davide Tozzoli (N.), Canadian Sam McKinlay (The Rita) and French wall maestro Romain Perrot (Vomir).The styles range from more industrial-oriented noise work (In Slaughter Natives, Steel Hook Prostheses) to the more extreme wall-noise of McKinlay and Perrot. Released on (presumably?) the artist's own T'an! Kaven!! Ash!!! label, which is a noise sublabel of  the broader industrial/neofolk The Eastern Front. Edition of one hundred CD collection, released in 2018 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Kadaver's 'Kadaver's Valentines Greetings Release'. 

1.1. Kadaver - Heartshaped Torture

1.2. Kadaver - Funeral Escort Service

1.3. Kadaver - Love Hurts

1.4. Kadaver - For Lovers Everywhere

1.5. Kadaver - V

2.1. In Slaughter Natives - Heartshaped Torture

2.2. In Slaughter Natives - Funeral Escort Service

2.3. In Slaughter Natives - Love Hurts

2.4. In Slaughter Natives - For Lovers Everywhere

2.5. In Slaughter Natives - V

3.1. Steel Hook Prostheses - Heartshaped Torture

3.2. Steel Hook Prostheses - Funeral Escort Service

3.3. Steel Hook Prostheses - Love Hurts

3.4. Steel Hook Prostheses - For Lovers Everywhere

3.5. Steel Hook Prostheses - V

4.1. The Vomit Arsonist - Heartshaped Torture

4.2. The Vomit Arsonist - Funeral Escort Service

4.3. The Vomit Arsonist - Love Hurts

4.4. The Vomit Arsonist - For Lovers Everywhere

4.5. The Vomit Arsonist - V

5.1. N. - Heartshaped Torture

5.2. N. - Funeral Escort Service

5.3. N. - Love Hurts

5.4. N. - For Lovers Everywhere

5.5. N. - V

6.1. The Rita - Heartshaped Torture

6.2. The Rita - Funeral Escort Service

6.3. The Rita - Love Hurts

6.4. The Rita - For Lovers Everywhere

6.5. The Rita - V

7.1. Black Leather Jesus - Heartshaped Torture

7.2. Black Leather Jesus - Funeral Escort Service

7.3. Black Leather Jesus - Love Hurts

7.4. Black Leather Jesus - For Lovers Everywhere

7.5. Black Leather Jesus - V

8.1. Vomir - Heartshaped Torture

8.2. Vomir - Funeral Escort Service

8.3. Vomir - Love Hurts

8.4. Vomir - For Lovers Everywhere

8.5. Vomir - V

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Flatline Construct - Queen West Withdrawal

Harsh noise from Canadian Ryan Bloomer, released in 2009 on the Canadian label Survivalist as an edition of sixty cassettes. While very well executed this material differs somewhat from other output from this project in being very dense, almost to the point of wall noise.

A. Untitled

B. Untitled

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Dead Body Collection - Quite Unreachable Hell

Brief but engaging HNW release from Aleksandar Nenad's sadly no defunct Dead Body Collection project. Two intense walls spanning around eight minutes. Released on Singaporean noise label 4iB as a 7" vinyl record in 2015. Edition of two hundred copies.

 

A. Tearing My Soul Apart

B. I Never Saw The Untold Oceans Of Cold Red Blood

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Last Rape / Pollutive Static

Harsh Noise Wall from Richard Ramirez/Sean Matzus duo Last Rape split with UK maestro Hal Hutchinson HNW/harsh noise project Pollutive Static. Released in 2011 on (for once) still active noise label Love Earth Music as an edition of one hundred and fifty CDrs.

 

1. Last Rape - Close Your Eyes

2. Last Rape - The Sickness Is In My Head

3. Pollutive Static - Razor Room

4. Pollutive Static - Perpetrator

5. Pollutive Static - Penetrator

 

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Vomir - Coma

Cassette on Deathbed Tapes from Romain Perrot. Comes in a camouflage cloth pouch with meteorite fragments and various badges. Released in 2019, the special edition was limited to twenty copies. Audio is Perrot's customary relentless wall noise for 110 minutes over two sides.

A. Coma 1

B. Coma 2

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Harsh Noise Wall - Crackling Armageddon

"Sixteen crackling walls of fire and brimstone come colliding together in this titanic wall compilation - bringing together the very best. These Crackling Wall Demons are of an otherwordly nature when it comes to their wallcraft and their uncanny abilities at sculpting textural walls with such immersive weight and juddering, piercing immediacy. These walls blind and suffocate - leaving naught but ash and cinder in their wake." (From the Bandcamp page. Compilation is available as "Name Your Price". See here.)

This is a mammoth (five and a half hours) and substantial compilation from UK web label Harsh Noise Wall. Many of these textural projects are more ambient in cadence than one might expect from the description, however this hopefully allows the uninitiated to see the craft that goes into the creation of walls by the likes of Sergey Pakhomov (Train Cemetery) or Clive Henry. While there is plenty for the listener craving obliterating walls here (Ivan Sandakov's Cannibal Meat Holocoast or Condo Horro, for example), the overall feel of this compilation is a display of hi-fidelity technical sophistication in a style often written of as a mere novelty (which isn't to say, unfortunately, that it isn't awash with low effort trash which lends itself to this presumption).

1. Train Cemetery - Drouth

2. A Raja's Mesh Men - Smouldering Transmission

3. Cannibal Meat Holocaust - Devouring Rotting Head

4. Eurydyka - Untitled

5. Black Matter Phantasm - Untitled

6. See Through Buildings - Rise Of The Cracklin'

7. Clive Henry - Parliament, Palace, Church

8. Uitgeschakeld - There Is A Crackle In Everything. That's How The Darkness Gets In.

9. Dosis Letalis - Static Prophecy, Crackling Revelation!

10. Big Hole - High Dry Toast

11. Condo Horro - Construction Site Arson

12. Dirac Sea - Angst-rom

13. Visitation - Disintegrating From Within

14. The Baku - Cycles Of Sleep

15. Type 2 - Fumet De Crackles

16. Urban Decay - Simple

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Macronympha / The Rita - Sucking the Toes of the Creature Female (Nylon Electricity)

Split from the two monolithic noise forces. The Rita side (the tracks go in opposite order to the listing of the artists on the cover) is a punchy rumbling wall of fetishistic audio angst, while the Macronympha side creates a similar effect through medium pace drones and screeches, alternating in a pleasingly obtuse and jagged fashion. Released as an edition of 50 in 2018 on Leonardo Sabatto's Bizarre Audio Arts label (he is also a veteran of the scene, recording under the alias Armenia).

A. The Rita - Untitled
B. Macronympha - Untitled

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The Rita - Magazine

"Originally released as a limited-edition double cassette on Swedish label Abisko in 2005, 'Magazine' has since become a near-legendary album, considered by many to be the finest recording from pioneering harsh noise artist The Rita (and equally celebrated for its iconic artwork, featuring a Big Muff effects pedal acting as the magazine for a machine gun). 'Magazine' contains 80 minutes of militant noise music, with Sam McKinlay pushing the limits of extreme sound until they begin to implode. Drawing influence from abstract painters such as Ad Reinhardt and Kazimir Malevich, the four tracks on 'Magazine' are progressively deconstructed, slowly taking the dynamic sonic elements away until the last track is a linear/minimalist 'wall' of texture and crunch. Ultimately the hope is that under a microscope the same slowly deteriorating audio dynamism and viciousness from the first three tracks is still present, just found within the walls of linear crunch during the last track, 'Obsession.' A study in brutality, density, and focus, 'Magazine' tests the listener, challenging them to fully engage with the shifting layers of sound that, through careful study, continually expand beyond their seemingly minimalist form. This militant approach to sound became a call to action for a generation of noise artists who were influenced by The Rita, and 'Magazine' has finally been reissued for all to hear." (From the online notes to the 2019 New Forces reissue.)

A. Magazine 1
B. Magazine 2
C. Magazine 3
D. Obsession

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Bacillus / The Rita - Collimators, The Ocean

Split from US-based pandemic themed noise project Bacillus and noise veteran The Rita released on the latter's Lake Shark Harsh Noise label last year (possibly some left to buy if you go here). On his site, McKinlay describes the Bacillus side in the following way: "The legendary Bacillus envelopes himself in the world of medical radiation with some of his most dense material yet." For The Rita side: "The Rita observes the ocean of Solaris while processing pre-recorded deep ocean samples." This combination of themes is fascinating and, as I have mentioned here before, it's good to see McKinlay returning to his oceanic themes in favour of another foot fetish-themed album. Alongside the description, the following text is given:

"Radiation induced ionizations also directly damage the cellular molecules and can indirectly produce free radicals, which are derived from the ionization of the water component of the cells, which then attach themselves to the mutated genes, damaging it and causing cell death."

"Genius and mediocrity alike are dumbfounded by the teeming diversity of the oceanic formations of Solaris; no man has ever become genuinely conversant with them."

"The nails, still surrounded by traces of clotted blood, had regrown.  There was a pink scar in the hollow of her palm, but even the scar was healing, disappearing in front of my eyes."
 
A1. Bacillus - Conformal Irradiation Of Gene Mutations
A2. Bacillus - Cancerous Growth Arrested By Stereotactic Radiosurgery
A3. Bacillus - Tomotherapy For Tumor Metastasis Containment
A4. Bacillus - Collimators Delivering Intensity-Modulated Radiation
B. The Rita - Natalya

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Vomir - Untitled

Release from Romain Perrot on Canadian experimental label Prairie Fire. An edition of 66 from 2010. As expected from Vomir this is nihilistic harsh noise wall, which means no development apart from the slight change in texture from side A to side B. The sound is quite compressed compared to some of his other more high fidelity work.

A. Untitled
B. Untitled

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The Rita & Skin Crime - Maggie Evans

Collaboration from Sam McKinlay and veteran US three piece Skin Crime. Released on Patrick O'Neil's Self Abuse Records label (he performs in Skin Crime). It's nice to see a return to old slasher movies as a theme from Sam, as opposed to another questionable foot fetish focus. This is dense, rumbling harsh noise, verging on harsh noise wall without being monotonous. 

A. Maggie
B. Jossette

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The Rita & The Cherry Point - Breast Mutilation

Two of the progenitors of the contemporary harsh noise wall style collaborate. An immense, turbo-charged wall of sound that carves a destructive ever-growing, ever-changing path over 20 minutes. Released in 2006 on Troniks, the US-based label of Phil Blankenship (The Cherry Point).

A. Breast Mutilation

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