Violet Noise: 06

Actress asks us to crack the code. Boris says NO. Diamond Soul says Maya'[b]i, and more!

Jul 21, 2020

“I never listen to the radio unless I rent a car.” - David Byrne

Hi everyone. My name is Sam Tornow. Welcome to the sixth edition of Violet Noise, a bi-weekly newsletter/gathering place for all things experimental music, focusing on curation rather than criticism.

Thanks so much for the all kind words and emails about Violet Noise's Favorite Album of 2020 (So Far) issue. I’ve never written so many blurbs in my life, and I’m not sure I want to ever again, but I surely will. Today, VN is back to its normal programming: Videos, new music, old music, and tweets from Phillip Glass. In the coming weeks, interviews and artist deep dives will be appearing in the newsletter as well, so make sure to stay tuned for that.

If you haven’t yet, follow @VioletNoiseNews on Twitter to stay 100% up to date on new issues, scheduling changes, experimental music tweets, etc.

Feel free to invite any friends or enemies to subscribe. I’m happy to do this for any amount of readers, however, part of the reason for Violet Noise’s existence is to shine one more light, no matter how small, on the artists who are often snubbed by Spotify and YouTube algorithms and the mainstream music press.

Lastly, a bit of house-keeping: Violet Noise will now be hitting your inboxes every other Tuesday instead of Monday!

Let’s get into it.

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The Media Lab

Miscellaneous Moving Pictures

Virtual Utopia #2 Electric Vapor-roo

100% Electronica’s Virtual Utopia 2, the second installation in the VR concert series is up on YouTube for all your vaporwave needs. The concert, hosted by George Clanton, features performances by Windows96, Negative Gemini, FM Skyline, 猫シ Corp., and Clanton. Between sets, there are video premieres from Equip, & death's dynamic shroud.

Barker Voted World’s Worst Upstairs Neighbor of 2020

Bass-drumless techno-wizard Barker takes us on a little home studio tour (complete with the cleanest modular setup I’ve ever seen) and demonstrates how he built a plate reverb that surely annoys the hell out of his neighbors.

Max Volume Recommended

To celebrate Boris’ horrifyingly aggressive new record NO, enjoy this video of the band’s guitarist, Wata, shaking the Criminal Records store while other members of the band and unsuspecting customers shop around with earplugs in.

New Music

“New” Doesn’t Stop at The Next #NewMusicFriday

NO by Boris (Sargent House)

Some records immediately conjure up images in my mind. NO does that.

During “Genesis,” and the first half of “Anti-Gone,” it’s a monolithic bulldog trapped in a cage, rabies dripping off his fangs. It’s heaving and snarling, being taunted by its prey, let’s call it a rabbit, standing freely outside of its reach. In the second half of “Anti-Gone,” through “Temple of Hatred,” the dog slams through the cage’s bars, breaking free of its confinement, and starts eating up the meters between it and the rabbit.

The dog’s eyes are red. The rabbit doesn’t have time to react.

On “Zerkalo,” “HxCxHxC -Perforation Line-,” and “Kikinoue,” the dog rips the rabbit to shreds. The dog isn’t even hungry, just pissed.

The rest of the record is a killing spree. Now, completely unchained, the dog runs out of the bull-fighting stadium where its cage was housed, gets out into the streets and starts mangling up unsuspecting ankles.

NO is our collective bottled rage. NO is an emotional release we all need.

FFO: Sleep, Sunn 0))), Earth, Thou, Bongripper, Eyehategod, Electric Wizard, Liturgy, Slayer, Thrash Metal, Doom Metal, Owning Pitbulls

Purchase NO. on Bandcamp here.

RePorpoised Phantasies by Machine Girl (Self Release)

The relatively recent critical recognition Machine Girl has received for its last two, more aggro, records, BECAUSE I’M YOUNG ARROGANT AND HATE EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR, and The Ugly Art, is well deserved. Each album gives the listener a picture-perfect idea about what being at Machine Girl show is actually like — pure, ruthless force physically moving the attendee whether they actually enjoy the music or not.

That out of the way, Machine Girl, to me, is at its most vicious and memorable on 2014’s WLFGRL and 2015’s Gemini. Less live drums and screaming and more finely chopped breakbeats. RePorpoised Phantasies is a call back to that anime-sampled, 170 bpm+, beachy era. Right off the bat, those quick synth hits give off a pulse that sets the momentum for the entire EP. It's 20 minutes of that beautiful, blistering anime rave music.

FFO: 99jakes, sewerslvt, Doc Scott, RP Boo, GOJI, Venetian Snares, Five Star Hotel, Dreamcrusher, Black Dresses, Goreshit, Kitty on Fire Records, Secretly Running a Sailor Moon Fan Page in 2020

Purchase RePorpoised Phantasies on Bandcamp here.

Maya’mi by Diamond Soul (Orange Milk Records)

Hit play on Diamond Soul’s latest release Maya’mi and prepare to be overwhelmed. It begins, like most sound-collage albums do, with a show of strength. An uncountable amount of samples start being thrown at the listener, with only a few key, repeating sounds for them to latch onto. What Diamond Soul does after that, though, is what separates Maya’mi from similarly tagged records.

The moments where Maya’mi shines are the tiny pockets of ideas that pop up and then immediately get swallowed up by the next thing. There are the ambient pads, floating in the background of “Night Drive Fan Fare,” that last only a few seconds, or the heavenly MIDI-choir at the end of the title track. These moments reward careful, repeat listening. Maya’mi is full of details and paths worth exploring, don’t let the opening bars scare you off, there’s enough beauty stashed away for everyone.

FFO: Seth Graham, Euglossine, Nico Niquo, Koeosaema, Muqks, Velf, Honnda, Astral Projecting, Rain on Sunny Days, Visual Overstimulation

Purchase Maya'mi on Bandcamp here.

Nam June’s Spirit Was Speaking To Me by Aki Onda (Recital)

In 2010, New York-based artist Aki Onda spent four days at the Nam June Paik Art Center in South Korea. One night, after seeing a performance, Onda was scanning radio stations and found something that he claims "sounded like a submerged voice." He took it to be a direct signal from Nam June Paik, a Korean-American artist who pioneered the use of video art.

Onda continued channeling Paik's spirit in seances over four years across several continents. The audio from Nam June’s Spirit Was Speaking To Me is comprised of recordings of the audio broadcast signals Onda received via radio from Paik.

FFO: The Caretaker, Lawrence English, The Advisory Circle, Pye Corner Audio, Demdike Stare, The Writings of Robert Desnos, Early Industrial Music, Automatic Writing

Purchase Nam June’s Spirit Was Speaking To Me on Bandcamp here.

1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues by 100 Gecs (Big Beat Records)

Lately, it’s all 100 gecs THIS and 100 gecs THAT, and now, it’s all 100 gecs REMIX, which means even more 100 gecs. And you know what? I’m fine with it.

I’ll take some more gecs. I’ll even take an additional 1000 gecs plus some remixes from other artists for extra spice. “Money Machine” remixed by A.G. Cook? I’ll take that. “745 sticky” cut up by Injury Reserve? Yes, please. A umru version of “ringtone?” Absolutely?

“hand crushed by a mallet” remixed by Fall Out Boy, Craig Owens, Nicole Dollanganger? You know, I’ll actually pass on that one, but that’s okay.

FFO: Rock-afire Explosion, 200 Gecs, 300 Gecs, 429 Gecs, 12 Gecs, 35 Gecs, 11 Gecs, Infinite Gecs, Void Gecs

Purchase 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues here.

88 by Actress

Actress has stepped out of the shadows with his latest release 88. The UK producer announced the project on Twitter mere hours before the release. If you visit his website, whoisactress.com, and answer the fill-in-the-blank clue (fate with love) on the homepage, you’ll receive a free download. For those of you who hate fun, a quick Twitter search should yield the answer.

88 has that signature disconnected, black-and-white Actress sound. Understated beats and simple ambient pads swim through the run-time, not reaching for the listener’s attention, or even acknowledging them. Long-time Actress fans will find comfort in the return to a sound similar to Ghettoville, R.I.P., and Splazsh, and new listeners will be greeted at the entrance of the artist’s unique space with a subtle head nod.

FFO: Demdike Stare, Andy Stott, Babyfather, Wiley, Jan Jelinek, Skee Mask, Dark, Burial, Alleys, Bucket Hats, Watching Security Footage, Playing Clue and Winning

IF YOU’VE GOT THE HAMMER by COACH CAMPA (Already Dead)

There’s a razor-thin line separating the border between rock music and noise, where distortion happily lives. Often boringly categorized as noise rock, that line takes rock music’s storied overdrive and pushes it a little too hard, like a car that’s going a little too fast in its given gear. Imagine, you’re just sitting there, laying into the gas, waiting for the gear shift. The best part isn’t the shift, it’s the anticipation of it. In noise rock, it’s the anticipation that the rock part of the equation will fall out, and the drums will bash on underneath pure harsh noise.

Coach Campa mounts a motorcycle and rides that line, sitting right on the edge of a gear. The first thing most listeners will notice on IF YOU’VE GOT THE HAMMER is the punchiness of the drums and how the player moves around the kit instead of sticking to the rock beat. The second thing they’ll notice is an evil low synth. It’s not even traditionally distorted, just so low that the foundation shakes. Those two things, along with some back up from the occasional horn and guitar scream, move the record forward for 16-minutes.

FFO: Hella, Lightning Bolt, Deerhoof, Ssalvia, Black Pus, Melt-Banana, The I.L.Y.S, Lifting Weights in Your Room, Owning 15 Broken Drum Cymbals

Purchase IF YOU’VE GOT THE HAMMER on Bandcamp here.

Healing is a Miracle by Juliana Barwick (Ninja Tune)

FFO: Grouper, Windy & Carl, Julia Holter, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mary Lattimore, Midnight Choirs, Watching Musicians Play Solo Sets Only Using A Looper, Non-Secular Prayer, “Good” New Age Music, Checking Co-Star Everyday

Purchase Healing is a Miracle on Bandcamp here.

Seafoam & Dust by r beny

FFO: Emily Sprague, Lightbath, Suzanne Ciani, Yanni, Ray Lynch, Dan Deacon Instrumentals, Albums Made for Plants, Floating in Water, Soft Wattage Light Bulbs, Bob Ross

Purchase Seafoam & Dust on Bandcamp here.

</3 by more eaze & Claire Rousay

FFO: TALsounds, CVN, Lucy Liyou, JC Leisure, Bedbug, Sean McCann, Pickle Darling, Eavesdropping, Talking About Crushes, Describing Synth Music as “Bleep Boops”

Purchase </3 on Bandcamp here.

goddexx by galen tipton (Self Release)

FFO: Jlin, Kai Whiston, Fire-Toolz, Swan Meat, umru, Arca, Shygirl, Iglooghost, Internet Fights, Ironic Mullets, Nightcore Versions of Jock Jams

Purchase goddexx on Bandcamp here.

Amblyopiac by Tiger Village (Suite 309)

FFO: Aphex Twin, Ka Baird, Prolaps, Bonnie Baxter, Carl Stone, RXM Reality, NAH, Deli Girls, Overheating your CPU, Adjusting Your Glasses, Sci-Fi, Looking at Manga Art but Not Reading The Actually Graphic Novels

Purchase Amblyopiac on Bandcamp here.

“Old” Music

There’s Always More

…and the Water Cycles by Motoro Faam (2007)

In 2007, the Tokyo-based band Motoro Faam set out to pay tribute to the water cycle on its second album ..and Water Cycles. The trio, comprised of Ryuta Mizukami, Daisuke Kobaras, and Ayumi Kato, brings together an elegant combination of glitch, neo-classical, musique-concrete, and ambient sounds to recreate life's most important, oldest pattern.

Rightfully, the sounds of water spill all over the record, relaxing the ears and creating a base for cinematic piano arpeggios and pastoral field recordings of bells, wind-swept grass, and a scribbling pen. Mizukami's use of electronics stylistically warps the record, depending on the part of the cycle each track is named after. At times, there are hints of simple Japanese environmental music in the melodies, but here, they have more shading, increased depth, and complexity making the listener feel closer to the scene as if they can feel the gentle mist hitting their face.

Buy …And Water Cycles here.

Yellow Swans on Bandcamp

The retired noise duo Yellow Swans have begun putting up archival material from its discography on Bandcamp! Whether you’re a long time fan of the group and already bought both of the available cassettes or just interested in dipping your feet in the water by listening to the duo’s final album Going Places, this is by all accounts a good thing that’s happening during a time when many good things are not happening.

So far, each release comes with previously unavailable background information on the records. The one from Detestifi Yellow Swans that describes why the band often changed the first word of its name is my favorite.