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Satori

Satøri – The Woods (2023)

  • noise

In 1987 Dave Kirby started Satori after having been active in the noise duo Psychopath for a few years. In 1994 Justin Mitchel of the Cold Spring label joined and after a pause in 2007 Satori became a three piece project. By 2012 Satori was a solo project again, but the new album is announced to be released on Cold Spring within a month.

“The Woods” is another massive wall of noise with highly distorted vocals. The sound reminds quite a bit of Control at times. Some tracks start a bit ambient to give the listener some rest, but pretty soon the dentist drill sound and other noises that make a wall of noise set in. As before the tracks also have a bit of an industrial side with heavy blasts, but it are the chainsaws and the screeching that are mostly noticeable. Somehow the sonic mayhem works quite well for me, but even on my scale “The Woods” makes a pretty tough listen, so it will probably not be an album that I will play a lot.

Links: Satori, Cold Spring

Satori – Angor Animi (2020)

  • noise

I have the idea that I have known the name Satori for decades, but I have never known them. Did I try their music when I could not yet listen to noise? Do I mix them up with a band with a similar name that I am not too crazy about? I do not know.

Noise Receptor has reviewed quite a couple of Cloister releases recently. I know Cloister as a tape label and I never really got to explore their roster. I buy tapes every now and then, but usually only when I have other things that I want to have.

For some reason I never checked if Cloister releases can be obtained in another way, so when I did, I noticed that they have a Bandcamp. The tapes themselves are all sold out in no time, but the Bandcamp page gave me the opportunity to finally find out what Cloister is about.

The newest release (when I write this) on Bandcamp is Satori. ‘Oh yea, Satori, I know them’. No I did not! Fortunately I skipped through “Angor Animi” to find out that Satori makes pretty impressive wall-of-sound type noise with samples and vocals. Not bad at all!

Satori has been around for decades. The oldest release is from 1987! However Dave Kirby is a Brit, “Angor Animi” sounds somewhat like “Japanoise”, but then in a way that I like. Perhaps the vocals?

After a while Satori proves not to be just an extreme noise project. The fourth track opens with fast drumming and after the noise sets in, a very energetic noise track remains. A very interesting combination!

The next track starts with samples and noisy ambience, but towards the end extremity returns. The remaining tracks contain some novel ideas too. In basis the sound remains a harsh wall of noise though.

Not entirely my kind of noise, but I do like the fact that there are some elements here that I have not heard on other noise releases.

Links: Satori, Cloister Recordings