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Karl Runau * Beyond Frequencies (1998/2000 galakthorrö)

This rather old release was the second project on Galakthorrö not being mr. and mrs. Arafna themselves. Galakthorrö seems to use the following terms to describe their releases: “angstpop”, “Kalte Welle” and “Intensiv Elektronik”. About the first term, I recently wrote a few thoughts. The second term is German for “cold wave”, so I guess that makes a Galakthorrö version of that style. I don’t know what is meant with the last term, but who knows it refers to Karl Runau.
Karl Runau goes from minimalistic ambient with some rhythm to bleepy electronics. It surely fits on Galakthorrö and perhaps the sound reminds a bit of some November Növelet tracks here and there. “Beyond Frequencies” is a nice album that could definately appeal to people who listen to minimalistic electronics outside the industrial scene too. The computer sounds have been popular in some techno movements a while ago, so… Anyway, something less noisy than many other Galakthorrö releases but of course very strange.
Galakthorrö

v/a * OEC 100 (7cd 2008 old europa café)

OEC100For their hundreth release The Old Europa Café label has released a 7-cd compilation with a track of each band and project they have been involved in during the years. However looking around the internet it seems like the bands are featured alphabetically, this is not the case, the cds are ordered somewhat thematically / according to style. “Somewhat” I say, since it is not completely that there are industrial and folk cds, there is some overlap. That is only for the better, the compiler of the cds has a rather good ear for things. In the beginning I had the idea that there are alternally more industrial and more folky cds, but this is not entirely true. The compilation opens with a cd with mostly not too extreme noise, a nice cd. Then follows a cd with more (neo)folky music, but not the too typical sounds of a compilation that I reviewed a few days ago. Then we have cds with power electronics and the extreme, chaotic style that isn’t mine, but also more old industrial things, strange experimental soundscape music and more of an old neofolk cd that I find awfull (Ain Soph, that sort of bands). Having heard the whole thing, my temporary conclusion is that the first cds are the most interesting and towards the end are some cds that I will probably never play. I think that four out of seven cds are enough of my taste to put in the player every now and then, so the “price/quality balance” is not that bad.

We didn’t put limits to the sound stiles, so here you can really hear all the sounds of the Industrial sub-culture featured on OEC !

This is a sure thing and it would be utterly impossible if everybody would love everything on this “mammoth compilation”, but I guess that for people who like the better stuff from the scene, there will be plenty to enjoy on “The Old Europa Café”.
-3-

Peter Andersson * Perception Multiplied, Multiplicity Unified (cd 2001 cold meat industry)

“The manifold of Peter Andersson” says the cover of the beautiful discboxslider. This is some introductionary cd to Peter Andersson who most of you will know for being Raison D’Être. I knew Peter had a whole bunch of other projects. Of some I had only heard, of others I have most or all releases. All projects are brought together on this cd. The best part is that all tracks are (fairly) recently recorded and so far unreleased. You will get 58 minutes for 9 tracks opening with a good and heavy industrial/noise track of Stratvm Terror. Next up is Peter’s most famous musical outlet itself with nice track. Then follows a very ambient track of Atomine Elektrine which is usually more a trance/dance like project; I don’t like this track too much. Next up is Cataclyst, which was a one time event split-act with the female half of Institut, an atmospheric track whereas it used to be more industrial. More noise under the monicker Panzar and then another more well-known name being Necrophorus; on the cds this is very tranquil and minimal ambient and so it sounds on “Perception Multiplied…”. Then a project that I hadn’t heard off until now; “Bocksholm” is a collaboration with the other Peter Andersson that has been releasing his material on CMI and who grew up in the same city (better known as Lina Baby Doll) and is a noisy piece of industrial. Then Svasti-Ayanam is up with a not so rhythmical/tribal track as in days gone by. The last project is Peter’s oldest project called “Grismannen” which is a strange sounding track.
Overall inspite of all different projects and often different kinds of music, quite a nice cd and peak into the mind of one of the best known and oldest CMI artist.

15 Delights Of Dionysus * The Nightmare Muzeum (cdr 2002 the fossil dungeon)

15 Delights is one of the many musical incarnations of the Riddick twins who are best known for The Soil Bleeds Black and who also run The Fossil Dungeon. This last is a young label that started with a compilation with the same name on Dark Vinyl and which included material from bands on the deleted Dark Age Productions label from the USA. The Fossil Dungeon has released a few cdr’s are recently two ‘normal’ cds. This one is another black cdr. It comes in a wonderfull half-transparrent silver ‘bag’ of larger size than a normal cd-case. The twins are supported by a Mike Bull for this project.
In the past, 15 Delights could be heard from the “Baited Breath” compilation 2mc (1999 Live Bait Recording Foundation) and the “On The Brink Of Infinity” compilation cd (1999 chthonic streams) and they released 4 (split) cdrs that I never heard. “The Nightmare Muzeum” contains industrial sounds and not only soundscapes. “Minimalistic” is the word for the whole cd. The industrial tracks are very soft and fairly orchestral and the other tracks are really strange soundscapes. The industrial tracks are nice, the soundscapes a bit too minimalistic for my ears.
It seems -by the way- that the Discovery Channel uses music from this cd in an alien abduction documentary.

4th Sign Of The Apocalypse * Lost Hour World (cd 1998 the order of the suffering clown)

I knew 4th Sign from several wonderfull contributions to compilation cds. It was not before Black Magazine 21 that I knew that this strange American band actually already released a couple of cds. A two page advertisement of Suffering Clown spoke about a “Frolic Of The Demons” cd, a “Box Full Of Demons” box and this “Lost Hour World” cd. I haven’t been able to find the other titles. The webpages of the Suffering Clown don’t give much of a clue and they don’t answer emails. The distributor of this label is World Serpent and they only have “Lost Hour World” which eventually remained the only title that I could track down. Since it is still available, I decided to review this cd afterall.
If you know the tracks of 4th Sign on a growing number of compilations, you won’t be surprised when I say that this is a pretty weird cd. 9 Long tracks making a cd of over 70 minutes with strange experiments and soundscapes, or in the words of Suffering Clown: “dark and humorous sentiments share equal time in eclectic visions coupled with unconventional electronics. Travelling through the subconscious via illbient loops, bizarre soundbites and an experimental tapestry of sound.” I couldn’t think of a better description!
If you are not afraid of strange stuff, try to get your hands on this cd.