Execution Techniques update ...

within the last couple months, i acquired an old boss dr groove 202 drum machine and decided i wanted to start making some fast, japanese influenced noisegrind with it in place of the current percussive sludge effort i'd been working on. it started going really well, getting the hang of the drum machine, and, today, i ended up recording 11 songs for the first edition of SACRED TAPES titled "save your breath". so far, it looks to be a (program repeating) c15 with the usual visual aesthetics in mind. there'll be a special version for a handful of people, too.


you might not like it, but after trying my hand at one recording session, could absolutely NOT be happier with how these have come out.



take a listen here.




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More "Best of 2009" ...

WALLS "tread on me" 12in (iron lung records)



i hear//read a lot about how some get automatically soured on a band just because they're hyped up, seemingly without ever deciding for themselves if there's any kind of legitimate backing to the hype ... and it's records like this that i can't help but just laugh in their faces at.

after checking out their first lp ("s/t", painkiller records), i was really eager to hear anything to follow. it was so unusually burly ... kind of unsettling, honestly. really sludgy, weird riffs, driving percussion all around and really desperately aggressive vocals. it felt like a hardcore record SWANS fans would want to listen to.

when i finally heard "tread on me" (first as a really diy tour version ... i think only 200 of those were made), though, it was a totally different experience. still really burly, unusual and kind of unsettling, this is a lot faster and ... well, here's what jensen had to say about it:


"We all decided that after the first batch of noise rock that we wrote (S/T lp and "The Crawl" 7") we would make a punk record. Something we could really bug out to. Something we could break shit to. This is that record. It has the same ugly, negative vibe that the s/t lp has but it's faster and shorter. In the vein of the COLD SWEAT's "Blinded" lp but much much better."


there's not really much to say after that ... i've played this about 10 times in the past 2 days and don't see myself reshelving it any time soon.




check out the blogs here and buy yourself a copy stat.

check the link to PAINKILLER RECORDS in the second paragraph to get their first lp.




playlist today
ahab "the call of the wretched sea"
burning witch "towers"
creation is crucifixion "ep's collection"
disappearer "winter sessions"
excruciating terror "divided we fall"
gridlink "s/t"
hail of rage "fucking pissed"
invasion "la caza"
kill the client "cleptocracy"
lords "swords"
mihai edrisch "l'un sans l'autre"
neurosis "through silver and blood"
nukkehammer "demo"
orchid "gatefold"
sweet cobra "forever"
salome "s/t"
walls "tread on me"
walls "tread on me"
walls "tread on me" ... told you!




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Long Time Coming ...

i finally got a new record player hooked up!!







my dad was nice enough to let me use one he hasn't used for ages now that i'm camped out with him for a while ... now i can catch up on the way-too-many records i've acquired since my last one went kaput. here are a couple that were WELL more than worth the wait:

PISSCHRIST "nothing has changed" LP
GHOSTLIMB//ZANN//TRAINWRECK//PERTH EXPRESS "split" LP
WARCRY "nausea" 7in
DESTINO FINAL "atrapados" LP
ACURSED "tunneln i ljusets slut" LP

and, without question ...


WORLD "space grind osaka" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



as for the first physical issue, it's shaping up rather nicely ... just finished an interview with nevin who runs IFB records, triple checked a movie review and laid out some cut-ups. once my beautiful pal, rosie, gets all settled in at her new place in london, she and i will be discussing one of cinema's greatest directors and his overall progression. definitely count on seeing a list of close friends and their bands/labels/distros, too. after that, only a couple more pieces will be left to finish putting together ... the first tape seems to be coming together pretty well, also, so if it's ready in time expect a short, but huge, 10m cassette of violent noisegrind and pummeling, industrial sludge.




playlist today
metallica "ride the lightning"
o'death "broken limbs, hymns and skin"
parallax view "destruction of property"
rocky + the sweden "hard core grass hoppers"
rocky + the sweden "split w/extinct government"
rocky + the sweden "wake up anarchy rider"
shitstorm "split w/magrudergrind"
thank god "the fertile crescent"
ulver "blood inside" ... easily one of my most favorite and most eclectic albums of all time
world "space grind osaka"
ahab "the call of the wretched sea"
bastard "wind of pain"
control de estado "acto criminal"
control de estado "ladron"
depressor "book of the dead"
depressor "split w/unholy grave"
employer employee "mother spain and the wayfaring myth"
employer employee "sic [sic]"




...

Another for My "Best of 2009" ...

CONTROL DE ESTADO "ladron" 7in (ifb)




man, such a ripping 7". i knew nothing about this band until my good pal, nevin, sent me some in a trade and another good pal, ricky, talked it up really well. he'd been familiar with their first effort, "acto criminal", and i definitely took his recommendation well.

from start to finish, this 7" pulls out a lot of classic sounds while keeping a fresh style to it all. nevin (who released this record on IFB) gave it the best comparison, as well ... it sounds like CRUDOS playing some wicked d-beat thrash with a gnarly recording quality that keeps it really gruff and distorted, but clear enough to not miss a beat. no bullshit guitar riffs (and plenty of lonesome distorted bass intros) are smothered all over this, trampling the bounds between fast, mid-tempo and slow, almost giving it a PV feel ... but the dissonant guitar wanks thrown in here and there pull everything together in a way i just wasn't ready for. the drumming blares right along with it all, too, adding an enormous, punching drive to the overall experience. my favorite part is probably the vocals, though. the lyrics are almost wholly in spanish and they're a totally different kind of scathing. it's easy to call a lot of vocal styles "in your face", but this cat just sounds like he's grabbing you by the ears and screaming everything straight into your brain. i hate reading (and practically NEVER use) the word "urgent" when describing hardcore, since it's so prevalent nowadays, but all of the elements this band throws down continuously make me want to jump out of my seat and make some shit happen.

any readers should do the same, too.



hit up IFB and get yourself one immediately.

the insert folds out into an absolutely beautiful screened poster that has to be seen to be believed.




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Unexpected Epiphanies ...

i'm not typically a sentimental guy anymore. it's probably made me a lot colder, but at the same token i think it's made me a lot wiser ... and i think that helps the revelations i have stand out more true.

such as one was last night, after a bit of drinking and walking with one of my closest friends. earlier in the evening, he and a new acquaintance to my life had a pretty in depth discussion about philosophy (as they're both students in the field) and i sat back, listening. there were plenty mentions of authors and their explorations in thought, which only left me scratching my head ... both at the context of it all and the reasoning. most of it flew right past me, due to how little i really know about the topic, but the basic principle of philosophy does that as well. i can fully respect the idea of studying a subject to encourage further enlightenment, yet in the case of philosophy find we can develop that well on our own ... perhaps even should, as any purveyors are searching for a meaning based on intellectual discoveries. i denounced religion a while ago, so i have a hard time supporting those who might be trying to find that meaning for us as a whole, which only leaves it to be found for one's self. in that way, wouldn't we be more pleased to have these kind of epiphanies creating our own morals?

regardless of how contradictory that might be, my revelation brought me there mere steps from my friend's house ... that i wouldn't concern myself about finding a meaning, that it didn't matter either way because i am, we are alive right now. it's odd because i also denounce nihilism, but i feel that's a bit more broad of an ideal as i'm well aware that things do matter and know how to appreciate them (despite my lack of sentimentality). the more we might concern ourselves with the discovery or explanation of "why", it seems we have an easier chance to overlook the potential for it to find us.

a large taboo i find people write these kind of things off with is that of inebriation, yet it's impossible to tell whether or not those thoughts would have ever found me in sobriety. i fully respect the straight-edge lifestyle and those who wish to stay true to it, but am always discouraged if/when that may cast a negative shadow over these kind of perceptions. discovering something under any circumstances is still beneficial and i will always welcome them in any state i may choose to put myself in.



big thanks to matt, vanessa and amanda for putting up with me while i came to all of this, though. i'm sure i was a handful.




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Lots Happening // Another for My "Best of 2009"

moving is never a fun task ... usually, the main benefit is finding the opportunity to go through your possessions and truly decide what's necessary (with plenty of inner argument over sentimentality). there's always more hassle involved: packing up those items you decide to keep//acquiring the materials to do so, disposing//recycling of the items that didn't make the cut and probably the worst ... CLEANING.

i'm about to the final stage of all that right now. my roommate joined the peace corps and actually headed back home for a month before making his way to burkina faso, the third poorest country in the world, to help set up computers in schools. knowing this was unavoidable, i made the (relatively easy) decision to leave toledo behind and head back to central illinois. especially after this last month ... more unsavory encounters than usual and 5 flat tires to boot.

the former of those reasons, along with some regularly recurring ones, has made me question the time i spend on the internet and how detatched we can truly become because of "social networking" sites, instant messanging, etc etc ... the convenience is self-destructive and i'd rather keep genuinely in touch with those i care about instead of weeding through a sea of self-concerned assholes who'd rather have a high "friend-count" than really make a connection.

so, away i'll go ... for the most part, at least. i've (finally) started progressing toward the first physical issue of SACRED TEXT and plan on spending 90% of the time i would be on the internet, working on new material. it'll serve moreso as a bi-monthly update (fingers crossed on that kind of frequency) for those i'd like to keep in touch with, hoping it will be encouraging enough for them to respond in a similar medium. it'll also serve as a refresher to TSO, as i'll be freeing up more time for music and art projects, too.


i like telling myself i make so many drastic changes in life for the better, but have a hard time proving myself otherwise ... i'm looking forward to this.






now, onto a necessary addition for my "BEST OF 2009" list ...


RAEIN "ogni nuovo inizio" 12in (sons of vesta)

easily one of the most recognizable screamo bands from europe, they continue to amaze on this one-sided 12" with their musical progression. most times, i agree with henry rollins in that being a bad thing ... but RAEIN's case is undeniably fantastic. i'm a fan of all their work and it blows my mind hearing some of the earlier, more spastic and chaotic sounds to how beautiful they can compose something as texturally fluent as this. the 6 songs are all untitled and were meant to flow as such, completely without expectation, though. i also wouldn't dare leave out the incredible artwork and b-side screen print that make this as visually pleasing as it is audibly ... SONS OF VESTA does a great job, once again.

i'd describe this a little better to encourage any readers to check it out if i could pick up my brain and find the right words. i'm not sure how many copies of this are actually left (especially here in the states), but don't sleep at all ... this 12" will easily make my top 10.


'muricans, email IFB and see if you can snag one.

euros, get up with SONS OF VESTA asap.




playlist today
bastard "wind of pain"
crude "immortality"
deathrats "7in"
electric wizard "dopethrone"
hiretsukan "invasive//exotic"
iron lung "sexless//no sex"
jenny piccolo "discography"
kris kristofferson "border lord"
la piovra "the first discovered treasures"
nukkehammer "demo"
otesanek "s/t"
padlock "strike of crimson"




...

Charyou Tree ...

plagued by failure and tired of bringing up the rear.








...

Freeway ...

FREEWAY (1996)



this film stands out easily as one of my favorites from the 90's latter half. with the era being overwhelmed by a poor cinematic presence (barring my heroes in schwarzenegger, seagal, van damme, etc), FREEWAY no doubt has one of the cleverest screenplays for it's time ... warping one of the most well-known fairy tales into a completely unsettling tale of murderous rape and revenge.

nothing much is prevalent as far as the cinematography, rather typical to say the least (essentially showing the viewer exactly what's being displayed) ... but the actors//actresses pull of their characters and dialogue how they should be to display what a wretched plot is waiting to be unfurled. the main role played by REESE WITHERSPOON immediately caught me off guard, having seen this movie after hearing about other roles she's primarily played (such as CRUEL INTENTIONS or LEGALLY BLONDE), followed by another unusual star in KIEFER SUTHERLAND. there are plenty of secondary roles as well (DAN HEDAYA, BRITTANY MURPHY, BROOKE SHIELDS, ALANNA UBACH and BOKEEM WOODBINE) and all but one of them are essential additions to the development.

we start off by finding witherspoon's character, "vanessa lutz", living happily in southern california with her adoring boyfriend, "chopper" (bokeem woodbine) and desperately putting up with prostitute, crack addict, molesting parents who end up being carted off by the police for their habits ... beforehand, hearing a news report about a vicious serial killer, preying on girls close to vanessa's age along a certain strip of highway. even more desperate now, vanessa subdues her parole officer and steals her car to make a getaway north toward her grandmother's. car trouble persists, and vanessa is met by sutherland ("bob") ... who offers her a ride, dinner and psychological evaluation (being his profession). along the way, we discover bob ends up being the highway killer and that vanessa will be his most challenging conquest yet.




without disclosing too much of a great scene, vanessa makes him beg forgiveness and leaves him for dead ... but winds up getting caught by the authorities. she shows no remorse for her actions (why should she under the circumstances?) and finds herself up shit's creek ready to be tried for murder as an adult, after learning that she didn't kill bob very well at all. his wife (brooke shields) is hellbent on a death sentence while hedaya ("detective wallace") and his partner (wolfgang bodison, "detective breer") start a heavy investigation, instead of assuming the evidence speaks as clearly as shields wishes it did. all the while, vanessa is planning her escape from a girl's institution with the help of ubach (after discovering chopper was murdered shortly after she left, leaving her no legal bail out) and bob's true nature is revealed upon wallace + breer searching his home more clearly, traumatizing shield's to the point of suicide.


closing in on the finale, the movie displays it's utterly twisted comparison to "little red riding hood" and i'm convinced that pulls it all together. the opening credits give it away with some lusty cartoons, but you don't truly get that feel until the denouement.




this movie is an easy 10 on my "wtf" meter ... bizarre, yet crucial, shit happens at every turn and your expectations are constantly questioned (a big help there coming from the wildly mixed-up cast). that puts it in personal high regard because any movie that can regularly change my emotional perception is one i refuse to forget. another two easy thumbs up here.

a sequel was also made (starring NATASHA LYONNE, DAVID ALAN GRIER and VINCENT GALLO) but i'm afraid i haven't seen that one yet ... have definitely heard good things, though.




...

Another Addition for My "Best of 2009" ...

divisions "fin" cs (human crush)


DIVISIONS has totally uplifted my hopes and expectations for new music by pulling together an utterly devastating mix of traditional and original styles. they infuse the best things about lo-fi, old-school black metal with a killer shot of modern hardcore and blast it out from a mere 3-piece collective (one member previously being in THE HOLY MOUNTAIN). plenty of bands try this, or at least label themselves as such, but i can't honestly think of one that does it anywhere close to how perfect all three (official) releases from this band have sounded ... not to mention live. UNHOLY CHRIST they were easily one of the best bands i'll see all year (if not being at the top of the list). more on that later.

first was a demo tape on drugged conscience which features the first recordings (including a POISON IDEA cover) as well as some seriously rad packaging ... but don't bother chris about this cuz they're long gone and he's got a lot more rad projects to stay focused with. next was a s/t 7in on human crush that was probably played more than any other ep i got throughout all of 2008 ... it sounds absolutely PERFECT and was all i had not to throw my couch out the window while it was on. finally was this tape, "fin", which human crush also released for their one and only tour in march. if you were lucky enough to catch 'em, your copy came with a live bullet ... but don't expect to get one via mailorder. get off your ass and pick up a copy of both the 7in and "fin", though, cuz john should have plenty of each and i'll guarantee you won't regret it. they also made some rehearsal tapes, but i'm not positive how many sessions they did or how many existed from each. i don't have any of 'em if readers would be into selling or trading.





now, seeing this band live was another uplifting moment in my regular musical experiences. after having listened to their demo tape + 7in so much, one could easily assume the three members listed on the inserts all played something ... but realizing they were just a guitar/drums/vocals trio was mind-blowing. they might have skipped a beat, but it didn't matter at all ... they sounded crustier than ever and each member looked ready to fucking murder (despite how gorgeous they all are). complete with a flying v, topless hard-bodies and a terrifyingly frantic performance, i wished to anything unholy that justin won't stay in europe forever and they'll reunite to continue bathing the world with an evil hurricane of christian blood.



email john to grip a 7in and "fin" tape

see more pics from the show in columbus, oh here (myspace content)




...

US Government creating biological weapons out of pandemic diseases ...?

or just creating the diseases for biological weapon use ...?




FLU "ODDITIES"


starting at the bottom and working your way up to more current events puts it all into pretty wild perspective. make your own call, but this is pretty fucked up to me.




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