Emptyset

Powerful, minimal, textural, suprematist. Four words which may be used to describe both Harsh Noise Wall and the music of Emptyset equally well. Emptyset, we salute you.

AVFN, live in Glasgow, 28/04/12

I'll be playing the 13th Note as part of the Cave ov Lights all-dayer tomorrow. My set is slotted for a 5:45 start time.

A Portrait of Eliane Radigue

A Portrait of Eliane Radigue (2009) from Maxime Guitton on Vimeo.

"It's like looking at the surface of a river. There's an iridescence around the reefs, but it's never completely the same, according to the way in which you look, you see the golden flashes of the sun or the depths of the water. In a swimming pool you can see the reflections of the ripples on the bottom or have a vision of the whole and let yourself be carried away by what I call 'dream gazing', or fix on a detail and make your own landscape. There you can make your own soundscape."

AVFN, Primordial Sea, stream & download

The 'Primordial Sea' release is now available for stream or download over at the AVFN bandcamp. Go get it.

By the way, I also put together some tapes of the this release for to sell at the live event last week (see preceding post). These were an edition of ten C120s with cover art by E Craig of Void Seance/Ritual Stance. They're all gone now, but I may make more if I get asked to play live again soon.

AVFN, Live in Glasgow, 24/03/12

I'll be playing a gig next Saturday, the 24th of March, at Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow. I'm the only HNW/Static Noise act that night, and probably the only one in Scotland, so I'm curious to see how this one goes down. To date, I've been completely disinterested in sharing the stage with any acts other than HN/HNW ones. But recently I've had a change of heart and I'm ready to step outside of my comfort zone. For a few years now I've been lamenting the lack of harsh acts in Glasgow, overwhelmed as I am by the glut of free-form and psychedelic rock and noise acts. Gone are the glory days of when At War and Kovorox would put on gigs every week catering for more extreme tastes, and we certainly don't see acts like Bloodyminded, Prurient, Gelsomina, Mutant Ape round our way anymore. But there's no point whinging; if I want to go to a harsh gig it looks like I'm going to have to be the one playing. Here's hoping some harsh heads materialise out of the aether. Shame my first gig in my second town isn't at my musical mecca, but Sleazy's is a good spot. Nice poster by Kenny Love, who's also putting on the show, but unfortunately not playing himself.

AVFN 'The Eternal Present' Review

'The Eternal Present' by A View From Nihil has been reviewed over at the Noise Admiration blog. For a while now, Sascha (the editor/author of Noise Admiration) has been establishing a new high-standard for HNW criticism by examining the style within the broader cultural context of music, art and philosophy. His reviews can be nothing less than the product love and inspiration, for he has clearly worked on them with as much determination, skill, and care as any of the music he has chosen to review, if not more so.

There's not a lot I can add to Sascha's observations and commentary, except to say that I more or less agree with them, and that, whilst I can imagine that his pointed condemnation of certain common practices amongst HNW artists will cause a certain amount of controversy amongst said artists, I have to say that I always consider it a good thing for someone to challenge mediocrity and meaningless creation. And I'm flattered that he has chosen an AVFN release as his spring-board to do so. Of course, Sascha's point is not exactly an original one, and the distinction made between those for whom HNW is an end in of itself, and those for whom such creation is merely a means to a much greater end, could be, and indeed has been, made equally for all forms of art. But what is most important here is that someone has finally started to unpack HNW using the tools of wider artistic criticism. This is surely the only way forward.

Remember: NO ENTERTAINMENT!

Void Sacrifice: HNW Zine

Sublime DIY noise label, Void Seance, has just published the first issue of its Void Sacrifice zine. Much like their other releases, this zine is beautiful to behold and its contents are of the highest relevance to harsh noise wall fans. Limited to one hundred copies, so grab it here.

Issue one of the long awaited VOID SACRIFICE sublet of Void Seance. Interviews with White Gimp Mask, Waterpower Electronics, Richard Ramirez. Gear discussion with The Rita and Vomir. 14 pages, b/w. Hand numbered, limited to 100 copies. Printed on Mohawk Britehue 60lb Gold Velum Text Weight.