Troubled Sleep Zine # 1

Excellent Portugeuse noise tape-label Narcolepsia has put together a zine called Troubled Sleep. Its got interviews with VOMIR / FECALOVE / BACULUM / BACHIR GEMAYEL / ORDER OF NINE ANGELS / TRASH RITUAL / MENTAL FUNERAL / TSURISAKI KIYOTAKA - which makes it of high interest to wall fanatics. Send him an email to get yourself a copy: narcolepsia.distro@gmail.com

WALL MANIACS ISSUE No. 1

Check out this blog entry entitled WALL MANIACS ISSUE No. 1. Has some reviews and looks like it might become a serial.

The "wall noise" genre is about getting away from persona in music and embracing the pure properties of sound itself. Whether these artists are coming from a militant standpoint of putting forth aesthetic terrorism or simply enjoying the properties of pure sound, the noise extreme has found an intense focus and purpose in the Harsh Noise Wall(s) style.

Sounds good to me.

Vol. II Review

Here.

Paris HNW Show Cancelled

...as you all know by now, due to the Icelandic volcano all flights into Paris have been cancelled. There was no option but to bin the show. Its a shame.

God speaks

Radio Sun is a website that posts sound recordings of the Sun. It is as close to the voice of God as I can imagine and he seems to speak in a tongue that will appeal to HNW fans in particular. Sol Invictus.

Vol. I Review

Review on Musique Machine here.

Album of the month. So there you go.

Reviews & Theory etc.

I've noticed that with the few positive HNW reviews that I have seen (see 'HNW Reviews and Opinions' post below for some examples), that many are in what we might call an early stage of excitement; a sort of honeymoon period. These reviews tend to explain to the reader why HNW is a relevent and exciting new genre, highlighting its political aspects and philosophical connotations. In many ways I think this is what tends to draw people into HNW to begin with. Myself included. But I foresee a real watershed in the reception of HNW which will be important for the continued importance of the genre. I think this watershed will hinge on whether or not people can make the leap to analysing the specific aural aesthetics of HNW and begin to articulate where HNW begins and ends as a genre and to begin to identitfy artists based on there idiosyncratic approaches. Without this I would not be surprised if the growing interest in HNW dried-up sooner rather than later as people get bored with their inability to fully develop their understanding of the genre. On the other hand though, maybe HNW is somewhat impervious to such an analysis and that's all there is to it. It is quite possible that HNW is separated from other noise genres because it is fundamentally driven by a philosophical/political message. If this is the case then maybe writers, fans and wallers in general will never be able to articulate that je ne sais quois that separates a good peice from a bad one. I for one still find it difficult to put into words why I prefer one wall over another although I think its important that on Cannibal Ritual's forum (www.killedbynoise.net/harshnoisewalltapes) there have been some posts which attempt to describe what frequencies and wave forms and interactions are appreciated and why. I suppose all genres, musical and otherwise, come to an important stage when they have to tackle the question of evolving without compromising an original aesthetic or philosophical ideal. Maybe we are approaching this in HNW. I know that I often feel the stress of how to make a new and exicting wall without drifting too far from the template. Sometimes I fear HNW will stagnate without developing a sophisticated method of critically analysing/articulating itself. Generally I tend to get bored and go and listen to Black Metal or Oi for a month but I always come back. Bit of a ramble but just some thoughts as they come to me.