Released: 2001
3 CDRs limited to 227 copies - Sold Out
Label: Ad Noiseam
» track: Was it God feat.: MC Ronin (substanz-t remix from the Tripped Experiences Album only available on this compilation)
CD A:
1. Ammo Kaléinoiscope, part 14
2. Skincage The sky is full
3. The [law-rah] collective Whorled
4. Wilt Smudgeghost
5. Cazzodio Dialettica, sragione e sopravvivenza
6. Herbst9 Apolokia
7. The Crescens Collective For the last six years
8. Vox Barbara Tour of the underground religions
9. Iron Halo Device Between the Fragile Cracks
10. Gruntsplatter The logic of the slaughterhouse
11. Sleeping with the Earth 662N (live in SF June 10, 2000)
12. Institut Coming your way
13. Lefthandeddecision Distraught
14. R4 Nirobi Methodone Clinic
CD B:
1. Aural Blasphemy Interlude
2. Converter Dead Man (still)
3. Paraben Aparaten Deleter A
4. Tarmvred Amfetakrom
5. Winterkälte PCBs (sv)
6. Crno Klank L'Usine cent rhume
7. Idyl Embers
8. Excoriation 1334 Anguish
9. Sult Mute-late
10. Cat Influx
11. Needle Sharing Porno Dub
12. Synth-Etik Dark adaption (Psyche Trance mix)
13. Radial Epithet
CD C:
1. Monstrum Sepsis B-spline Interface
2. Neutral She will not
3. Takshaka Silicodarwinism
4. Weakener Sinking
5. Beefcake Kämpfer
6. Dryft Avatar - version
7. Substanz T (feat MC Ronin) Was it God (remix)
8. Sickrobot Flesh Magnet
9. Railgun Flak
10. The pain Machinery Like a dark storm
11. Mlada Fronta Ritual (immolation mix by converter)
12. Scoria Head Deterrent
13. Any Future Handmade clouds
reviews:
Pour ouvrir les festivités, Ad Noiseam, jeune label du français Nicolas Chevreux basé à Berlin, propose ici une compilation trois Cd-r avec 40 groupes mondialement connus pour certains + à découvrir pour d'autres.
Traversant beaucoup de sonorités différentes allant de l'indus noise à l'expérimentale ambiant en passant par le drum n bass, cette compile nous proposera donc pas mal d'inédits de pointures dont les plus connus sont un surprenant titre de Ammo, the [Law-Raw] Collective, Cazzodio, Leftandeddecision, Aural Blasphemy, Converter, Winterkälte, NeedleSharing, un morceau qui ne figure pas sur l' unique production deWeakener futur Kaltesglas, un excellent inédit de Beefcake, Mlada Fronta , Dryft,l'excellant Railgun, Takshaka + PRBN (morceau en écoute dans notre radio).
Une abondance de bon morceaux. Si vous ne l'avez pas commandé sur les pages du label vous aurez du mal à vous la procurer car seules quelques 200 copies ont été produites. Une très bonne production à ajouter à sa collection.
par: D.Key
Re:mote Induction
Krach Test is a 3 CD-R compilation from new label Ad Noiseam - which is perhaps complete overkill for a label just starting off? Though undoubtedly starting with a release like this will be a memorable event, but when it involves burning 3 x a couple hundred CD-R's, it's a big job!
Disc A
The first disc starts off with the more atmospheric and ambient works, more minimal pieces, then as it heads for the middle of the disc there are more elements being added, so that as it heads towards the conclusion it is dealing with more heavily layered and noisy material. The disc starts with the Belgian Ammo, a track called Kaleinoiscope Part 14, an extract from their second album. With The Age Of Terminal Irony Sellekaers and C-Drik had a more upbeat, drum and bass style sound. With this track it's a much more minimal sound, starting with radio voices mixing with a bass tone. This works on building an atmosphere that defines how this part of the compilation works.Skincage released an album on the Malignant Antibody label and was met with a good response. He appears here with the track The Sky Is Full, which maintains the atmospheric impression. Radio voices are again present in the mix. This has a more pulsing signal sound with the bass. The Dutch project The [Law-Rah] Collective have just released their first album on Possessive Blindfold and were also responsible for the Dark Ambient label. The track here steps up the progression of this disk - Whorled take off from some of Skincage's more pronounced tones, by building up into a bass drone. Working in slow oscillations, with a slight micro sound in the mix that sees the suggestion of the changes to come.With releases on Rectrix, Crionic Mind and most recently Ad Noiseam the American project Wilt have been just about flooding the market with his sound in the last year. Here he offers the first suggestion of something harder. Sustained winds sweep, covering the clanks that gather beneath. Despite this Smudgeghost retains an understated feel. The Italian Cazzodio have released two albums to date, one of Black Plague and the other on Eibon, along with which they tend to stick out on a number of compilations. With Dialettica, Sragione E Sopravvivenza we have a typically long title and a rough cycle that rotates through fade, while gathering a certain gristle and buzz. Capitalizing on the suggestion of something harder in Wilt's track Cazzodio deliver with slow clanking beats and an increasing bristle.Recently releasing their second album on Loki comes the German Herbst9. Given the nature of Cazzodio and Herbst9 this could come across as a strange choice in track order, but while Herbst9 are more in the atmospheric/ambient category it is a less -sparse- sound than the material which started the disc. Shifting bass layers mix with vocal samples, light percussive strokes mixing with the exhalations of Apolokia. The Crescens Collective are one of the bands on the compilation I know little about, though I believe they are the side project of someone more established. A vocal sample starts For The Last Six Years and leads to a toybox melody and in turn to a slow step beat. The fizzing rhythm side becomes more pronounced, with which there is something familiar about this piece. String melody and regular rhythm sway back and forth and by the time it finishes again with the music box it sounds trite.The American band Vox Barbara have two self-released albums to date, both experimental sound works. Which is a way of describing Tour Of The Underground Religions, layering various languages/voices at worship. Building up contrasts with the lilting, spoken, sung - clamouring for attention. There are melodies and hard striking sounds. Shifting into rugged drone territory backed by dull gong tones. Iron Halo Device is the side project of Stone Glass Steel, and artist closely associated with the American Malignant label, having formed his own sub-label Antibody. The origins of this track come from a discussion on the Malignant mailing list - IHD heavily use samples in their sound and decided to -correct- a track from a commercial release to show how it should have sounded. Not having heard that track I can't comment on comparison, but for the most part this track works, though there are moments that don't work for me. Blossoming from the end of Vox Barbara, layering sound - chattering, mechanics, twitches, strings and surging bass.Gruntsplatter are preparing for a second release on Crowd Control and are also behind the Crionic Mind label. The sound of The Logic Of The Slaughterhouse is quite different from previous Gruntsplatter material. Going for a more pronounced noise feel - contrasting layers with burgeoning rumbles with notes straining. There is a greater differentiation between the levels, rather than a compact ambient noise stream like much of The Death Fires. Sleeping With The Earth have various releases, though there most well known is likely to be the split with Combat Astronomy on the Troniks label. 662N is a live recording and as it builds up wavering bass drone the most comparable track to it is that by The [Law-Rah] Collective. Softly spoken voices play beneath the wave, triggering an increased sound emphasis, which develops a choppiness.Though I saw Institut live at last years WGT I couldn't say much about them other than they are signed to CMI. Impressions on this track are mixed - taken by itself it works, but on the other hand I've heard similar pieces. Calm conversational voices play out as noise and percussion work from initial triggers to form a clashing wash of sound. Lefthandeddecision have released one full length album on Crionic Mind but are also responsible for the Troniks label. Rapid strips tear through Distraught, slowing and taking on a bass chunk as it bristles in an almost stuttering manner. R4 has various releases and splits and is also the man behind the Fusion Audio Research label. Nirobi Methodone Clinic is a track of contrasts - building initially swift moving layers that slips past each other in kinetic motions, then working up clashing beat work. The two levels of sound eventually work off each other, switching back and forth.
Disc B
While the first disc covers a range, which the material progresses and develops across the second disc is more of a band width. The material pretty much all falling into the -power noise- category - upbeat rhythmic material with various influences of noise, electro or techno origin. The problem with that range is that there is less a sense of progression with this disc, so that at times it doesn't feel that its going anywhere. So while a track maybe fine in its own right it suffers from being to close to similarly styled work - this is particularly true of the first part of the disc. Based in New York Frozen Empire Media have been releasing a number of small run items and building a name for themselves - the man behind FEM is also involved with Aural Blasphemy, who recently released their first CD on Possessive Blindfold. Interlude has a gritty sound, which approaches noise, though it retains more of the -power noise- feel that this disc is going for.Converter is well known for his two releases on Ant-Zen, one of the few American's to be on the German label. Here he provides a version of Dead Man, a track already available in a few different variations - this time its Dead Man (Still). Extending an electronic tone, it becomes more typical in some ways but is really more experimental in tone and construction than expected Converter. Though as it progress more of the original track starts to come through. Paraben Aparaten are one of the bands I know nothing about. There track fits in with the flow of this disc and is not bad, but isn't particularly stand out in any way compared to the tracks which went before it.Following this compilation Ad Noiseam have several releases planned, with Tarmvred being the only one of those who hasn't already been making a name for themselves on prior releases. understated pulses and mild twitches of percussion. Develops to have a steady pounding beat and tapping hi hat. Works on a steady, though uninspiring build up. Winterkalte are of course well known in this scene for their particular brand of stripped power noise, with several releases on their own Hands label. Chugging and hesitant and obviously Winterkalte - blunt, stunted rhythms over a sustained whine.Already having contributed to the compilation as a member of Ammo and as the man mastering the compilation C-Drik features with his own project Crno Klank. this is the first track on this disc to really catch attention with the floating melody and the mechanically rotating beats. Layering well and providing an eclectic development. One of the new breed of American bands is Idyl catching up with the European power noise sound with self-releases and collaboration with FEM. Embers has a strong level of noise, clashing and grating, more interesting that the earlier going nowhere material on this disc. The melodic elements are mild but here work as strong contrast to the core material.Again I know nothing about Excoriation 1334, though I believe their track Anguish is one of the longest tracks on the compilation. It works on contrasts, building mild sound levels for a period and then working in something else and progressing to work with a contrast. The individual sounds for me are attractive and the switches between those work well. Though in some ways it's more of a background piece, given how much actually happens in the period of time allocated to it. While I have heard the name Sult quite a bit from the American scene I actually don't know that much about the project and Mute-Late is the first track I've heard by them. With it's waspish noise mixing with a certain techno rhythm, plunges and swirls - in some ways this is typical of some of the earlier material here as it progresses, but seems to have enough elements going through it that it has an extra edge.CAT are an American band, who are behind the Crunch Pod Media label. Influx has a skipping mild static beat, growing pulse grows within and in doing so triggers more pronounced beat work forming a pounding line through the initial stages. This gives the track a blunt regularity, though the needed variation does come in as it continues with an increased complexity to the drum pattern. Needle Sharing have a couple of releases on the German Hands label - one of the few break beat/technoised bands on the label. And to be perfectly honest a band that I haven't really liked anything by to date, always having some element that irritates or on the whole doing nothing for me. Porno Dub has as the title suggests a load of -Moaning Porn Sample-TM - a tired trick which isn't even worth humour value. Though for some reason this almost does work - the balance of sounds having a certain something.Another of the new American bands who have had some dealings with the FEM scene is Synth-Etik, who are now signed to Hands. Adaption (Psyche Trance Mix) works with a building electro line for a bit before introducing metal spurred beats. This takes on a twitchy energy before forming a blocky upbeat feel. Radial comes from the same background as the likes of Synth-Etik, Idyl and Aural Blasphemy, though in his case he has a release planned for the Triumvirate label. High pitched squeal, working with a mild bumbling buzz, which extracts as a scrape - giving the emergent Epithet a knife-edge feel. Increasingly upbeat with its micro twitching, glitch rhythm.
Disc C
My only experience with Mostrum Sepsis has been with compilation material and my reaction to that has been mixed to date. B-Spline Interface starts with a drone tone, that works as a fluctuating melody. Builds in floating vocal samples and a beat rises in the flow. Erupts into full structure, more agitated and upbeat while retaining some of the floaty easy impression. With a recent release on Hymen in collaboration with Mad Monkey Records who released her first CD comes Neutral, an American project. In some ways She Will Not is an atypical track, building from a sparse backing and solid beat. The beat gives a different feel to the development of this track, though the subdued muttery voices in the background are more typical neutral. Works with a darkness, subdued dense bass, and significant insertions - developing a squelchy electro feel.Combining Jonathan Sharp of New Mind and Josh Finney produces Takshaka, with a release on the Gun Records label. Sillicodarwinism is introduced with a sighing note, drifting to the introduction of a vocal sample, quite a typical Takshaka flow. Twanging electro beats work into the mix along with more electronica elements - showing a more interesting development in the bands work. Nice piano melody to the fore contrasting the subdued but hectic noise underlay. Weakener is a not the Mick Harris project The Weakener, who released an album on Wordsound and were comparable to his main Scorn project. To prevent any confusion the band have since changed their name to Kaltesglas. Rolling crunch tone starts Sinking, leading to a tumbling beat work. A technoised and streamlined sound completely different from The Weakener.The German band Beefcake have had a couple of CDs and 12''s on the Hymen label. Kampfer is gleefully beefcake! Light melody, teasing spoken vocal and then the beats unfold in stuttering d'n'b style. Cadoo is one half of Gridlock and has released one album to date as Dryft through the [unit] label. Avatar - Version is comparable to but comes with a smoother melodic flow and more cutting beats than beefcake. Both tracks are up there with the subtle combinations and strengths. Substanz T have a number of vinyl releases, but recently had a CD come out on Hymen. Was It Good is twitching light techno perhaps in the vein of material on Clicks_+_Cuts 2. Substanz T are curious in that I probably wouldn't like them if they were someone else, but they have something that works for me on their album. However as much as I do like Tripped Experience this track really doesn't work for me in this context - it just doesn't seem to fit.With self released demos behind her, and a split release on Ad Noiseam ahead Sick Robot is a new American act. Flesh Magnet has a tumbling wet pulse with little glitch motions splashing into that. Works on a restrained and minimal repetition for the most part, with variations and intensity gaining as the piece progresses. A curious track and I'm not sure how it fits with the flow of this disc - not as out of place as Substanz T, but perhaps better suited to the first disc? Following the appearance of Takshaka comes another of the projects who also has a release on Gun - Railgun. Flak is spark electronics and chugging stroke beats, slow build on the percussive core while ghost melodies swirl in the background. Initially monotonous it starts to gain more detail that offers more interest.The Pain Machinery are a new Swedish band who have so far done a self-released CD-R demo/ep. Like A Dark Storm works with mechanical beats in a chugging fashion, has an electro core, and a melody which seems to be too buried in the mix. Tending towards a power noise influence that put it more at home on the second disc, but working in a techno influence with the melody and straight beats. An influence which lacks in variation and originality, so for all its enthusiasm it doesn't impress as much as it should do. Mlada Fronta are a French band who have an album on the Flatline label, along with one on Hands with their NKVD project. Personally I am not a big fan of either of those projects and this tracks does little to change that. Ritual (Converter mix) starts with a drawn out intensity, repeating engine chugging. There seems to be things going on here, but none of it seems to be coming to anything. Though a momentum is gained as it continues, with hints of the Converter elements coming through.The last two bands on the compilation are bands I hadn't heard of before this compilation. From that Scoria Head with Deterrent have some potential - a pulsing electro wave, pushing the edges of your hearing with its twitching erraticness. A solid beat repeats within the wave layers, though the waves remain the core and unpredictable element. By contrast Any Future provide something I've heard variations of several times before with Handmade Clouds - a dank ambient with half heard protesting voices. Plays out with despair filled atmospheric, with a crackling and a hesitant melody added as contrast. Not really going anywhere or doing anything, till the end where the melody comes to the fore and seems to be going somewhere.
The scope of Krach Test in itself is something to be impressed by - gathering a whole range of bands that have maybe been working away for some time now, but could still be described as small and little known. For that this is a strong show case of material and with that manages to work in a few names which are more established to names which are quite -big- as far as the scene being covered here is concerned. There is clearly an intention to each of the discs involved so that they should work well - the first disc is ambient to noise, the second is rhythmic and upbeat while the third is less predictable and more about hybrids. The actual release itself is a little mixed, with some real stand out tracks and some average pieces, but with the amount of material being presented here you have to expect that to a degree. The first disc is strong, few tracks I'd call excellent, but more tracks that are consistently good, baring one or two exceptions. The second disc is more of a mixed result - there are pieces here I'd describe as excellent tracks, but a greater range from excellent to shrug the shoulders well its not bad I guess type stuff. There is a similar though more pronounced verdict with the third disc. Overall a good first release for this new label, one which defines the labels intentions well.
RVWR: PTR July 2001