Somehow we had not yet covered a Ground Fault CD, so we rectify that with a wallop of a disc in the form of Government Alpha “Sporadic Spectra.” Pure Japanese harsh noise oozes from our speakers, sends us to science fiction futures, and cures Tara’s headache. Heed the opening warning signal and enter the harsh world of Government Alpha.
Sounds shrouded in mist hover as we discuss “Normal” by Brume. While it’s hard to put this CD into words, we do our best as we talk about split brains, psychological planes, and the places Christian Renou’s work takes us. Fade into its haunted essence and discover new ways for sound to ignite fires.
Japanese industrial psychosis plows through the wastelands in the form of Dissecting Table’s “Between Life and Death.” We are fully on board for Ichiro Tsuji’s unique industrial art and have a blast digging into his post apocalyptic sounds. Hop into a flamethrower-equipped car and crank this dystopian masterpiece. Everyday is one more day of insanity.
Damion Romero’s project Speculum Fight rides the American noise railways as we discuss 1997’s “Highball” CD on WIN Records. Damion gave us some background information on this album as well as his equipment and inspiration around this time. Put on your engineer’s cap and enjoy the scenery thru the lens of Speculum Fight.
As nearly every classic Japanese noise artist has sited Tangerine Dream as a huge influence, we thought it was time to cover them and their “Zeit” double album from 1972. One of the very first full on experimental ambient records, “Zeit” sends us all on an abstract sonic path while we dig up the roots of what makes up everyone from Aube to Merzbow to Nord and countless other noise legends. Touch the haunting heavens with this masterpiece of experimental art.
Are we in the cosmos? Underwater? The jungle? It’s possible we are in all three at the same time with Nord “Electronic Initiation.” Nord is one of the earliest Japanese noise projects, and this brain buster of a CD came almost 20 years into Nord’s existence. Midway through the episode, we got messages from Kimihide Kusafuka, aka K2, aka owner of Kinky Musik Institute, the label that put this CD out. Kusafuka gave us some behind the scenes info on “Electronic Initiation” including one bit of information that changed our whole perception of the album.
Shredding down the sun-drenched modified noise guitar highway we go with Solmania’s “Trembling Tongues.” A very unique Japanese noise project, Solmania delivers some psychedelic overdrive noise. We go through an interview with Masahiko Ohno from Bananafish #9 and and get into his own noise world. Greh pronounces Solmania one way, Tara pronounces it another way, and Mike bounces between the two, which is only fitting when discussing this wild CD of noise madness.
Pete Swanson joins us to melt icebergs and flood alleyways with “Cities in Fog” by Jeff Greinke. Swanson recommended this strange ’80s muted atmospheric haze for us to cover and we couldn’t have been happier to swim in this watery abyss. Pete brings his deep knowledge of obscure experimental scenes and sounds as we discuss where this album comes from and where it takes us. Let the dark tides roll in.
Through the advent of teleportation technology, Chris Sienko returns to Noisextra and we all go the farthest back in time yet with Robert Ashley’s “The Wolfman.” Sienko lays down some serious information. “The Wolfman” is an absolute precursor to noise as we know it, and we dig our claws into this destructive piece of sound as well as Ashley’s work in the 1980s. Noise history lesson is in session.
It is time for another entry in the Pure series as we dig into one of the more obscure titles under the Pure banner in the form of Rend “Proberta Gerber.” We were able to get in touch with Sean, the man behind Rend, and he provided us with some great information not only on this CD, but also on his work with the Plague in Perspective label. No time like now to dig deep and get washed away by Rend.