Vexations "Terror as the key to pleasure"
The first release on Levi Berner's new label Horseworship, following the demise of Zen Enthusia a while back. This release is Levi's new solo project (he previously recorded under the names Algiers and Pity) and an excellent beginning. The first side is heavy waves of building, overblown synthetic sound drawing to mind the early period M.B. releases. The undercurrent of the heavy noise there is almost symphonic. The second side is more spacious in its separation of sounds yet still overdriven into the red distortion. This side unfolds doomy slow moving electronic moving in shifting layers. This one comes with a b&w translucent j-card with pretty much no info.
L. Berner "Deny at all costs"
Heavy square wave electronics from Levi under his own name instead of the Vexations moniker. Unlike other releases on this label, this one has titles for each side. The first is "Bite Her Lip" and the second is "Someone Who Has Lost a Lot of Blood". Both display intense, crisp electronics - not distorted as one some other releases but that dense, metallic harmonic quality. There are major portions of both than sound like being inside of a machine with its incessant throb. However as suggested by its title, the second side suddenly loses its lifeblood - the pulse - and spreads out, even if only for the final coda. It is nice dissolution of the tape's energy and a transition out of its head space. This is packaged in a double j-card card with both sides of both card being printed in b&w.
Regosphere/Vexations
This split sees the recent analog synth / new age revival strained through industrial eyes. The synths bubble and arpeggiate, but in a harsh way. This gives it a musicality and progression that is shy of harsh noise without giving up the intense edge. Regosphere lean toward this noisier side more than the Vexations do and lay down a bleaker atmosphere with more distortion and tighter repetitions of sound. Vexation is blown out but oddly uplifting, sounding like it could be the soundtrack for a bootlegged outtake from the film "Blade Runner". Although I enjoy the cassette overall, it is the Vexations side which stands out for me with its darkly sci-fi sound which almost suggests destroyed futurist cities that retain some majestic beauty. Both projects are one man outfits, the former being Andy Quitter from the Midwest, and the latter Levi Berner of Portland, OR. Levi is the one behind this label and it is nice to see him putting out recordings again after a period of only focusing on live performance. Like some of the other releases on his new label, this comes with two nested double-sided j-cards with b&w imagery.
Catholic Guilt "Iron Black Cross"
Old fashioned power electronics complete with spoken passages touching on playing with dead animals and being locked up. Well, that is an oversimplification. There are some intense blasts of in the red noise, but there are other passages with richer and more subtle details which makes the atmosphere closer to Ultra than Whitehouse. There is also a more up to date fidelity on this cassette which gives this a wider aural space lacking in a lot of later day noise. No titles are given and that helps me think of this release as one whole suite rather than contrasting individual cuts. It is nicely packaged in a double layer, double sided j-card (ie one inside the other) displaying densely posterized b&w images of nature. A pretty impressive first outing for a 19 year black metal kid just starting to explore this style.
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