Bastard Noise & Christian Renou – Brainstorming
This is a 6 track collaborative release, between Bastard Noise, and Christian Renou, best know for his project Brume. I’ve always kind of felt Bastard Noise were pretty hit and miss, and Brume I like, but never feel compelled to listen to for some reason, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one. What I got is really something quite excellent, and certainly my favorite thing I have heard from either of the involved parties. “Upgrade To Extinction” is a nearly 20 minute epic to open the disc, combining pained screams, and an excellent mix of heavy, burning electronics, glitchy cut up and subtle tonal ambient that shifts and evolves throughout and builds a strong fluid but dense atmosphere that fits the tracks title well. “Evipan Natrum” is next at just over 13 minutes, rooted on a deep pulse as it begins, static and drift textures fade through the stereo field, creating a sort of scientific barrenness in feel. An uneasy calm that is a bit jagged around the edges courtesy of some upfront injections of digital fragments and more biting electronics. “Sodium Annethal” incorporates an analog synth melody into a rather hallucinatory froth of rhythmic loops, sampling and odd electronic hums and squawks. It’s a very swollen sounding track, large in presence, and grandiose. “Königstiger” begins with eroding throb of heavy distortion that falls away to a liquid expanse of airy tones and rippling soft sonics. While it begins rather luminously as the piece builds more ominous textures, and sizzled sonics find there way in and corrupt that atmosphere to something grimier. “Solaris” balances the distant atmosphere of a forgotten train station, reverberating against the environment with the volatility of the lab beaker. Slow drifts and clanks echo out and volcanic gurgles of harsh electronics rise and fall in the foreground. “Remains of Paradise” ends the disc, coming it at just over 11 minutes. It begins with an almost ethnic ambient sort of feel in the percussive sounds and windswept drift, but the percussion is rather random rather than rhythmic. Then the growled shouts and pained screamed emerge, and the music takes on a plodding, warlike rhythm, the textures assume a darker posture and the noise elements become more and more evident. “Brainstorming” is a really exceptional release, for its well conceived sound design, absolute clarity in its production, and the way in which the pieces build and evolve. There are a lot of dynamics and details in every corner of the music here, and it is pristine in its delivery of those. The packaging is also very nice, and even features the lyrics to the tracks with vocals printed in a clear varnish. In a time where must have releases seem fewer and farther between, I would call this a must have for the fan of evocative Noise. – Scott
DESOLATION HOUSE
Worm Gear 