Locrian & Horseback- New Dominions (Utech)
One of the more fitting pairings in recent memory, Locrian and Horseback join forces to create this single sided LP of two new pieces of music that bring together the best elements of two of the more challenging outfits in their spheres of influence. New Dominions is all bleak atmosphere and creepy moods as both tracks are full of tension with little release.
Sequences & Isolated Existence- Graminaea / Poaceae (Music Ruins Lives)
Graminaea / Poaceae is one of those releases that I love but have an extremely difficult time explaining just what draws me to the release over and over again other than that I find all three pieces rather soothing in a creepy sort of way. The concept of the “record” is great as well with a track each from Sequences and Isolated Existence and then an equally impressive collaborative effort that just takes the whole effort up several notches in my book.
Livimorket & Sequences- Voidness (Sunyata)
A massive and ambitious collaborative effort conjured by two young but increasingly prolific artists with almost an hour of ambience and stark atmospheres that emanates an ominous malaise that could quite possibly induce anxiety and panic attacks given the right circumstances. Voidness is a challenging black mass whose name is wholly appropriate in both sonic results and the possible visual images that form in your mind while this is playing, and while it may not physically pull you into oblivion, this collaboration may simulate it better than most other objects and cause some passing moments of catatonia.
Mamiffer / House Of Low Culture & Merzbow- Lou Lou… In Tokyo (Sige)
Now this may be a live record, but this live album puts to shame many studio records from other artists. Lou Lou… In Tokyo is both a split and a collaboration with Mamiffer offering 4 songs, including one new one, that really shows how the outfit can be a different animal altogether in the live setting while House Of Low Culture joins forces with Merzbow for their one track offering before all three outfits collaborate with Atsuo from Boris on the “Lou Lou”. Intense, gripping, and pretty, Lou Lou… In Tokyo is what live albums should be as well as a great of example of artists collaborating with each other to create something new.
Great Falls & Kenji Siratori (Dead Accents)
While I was expecting this collaboration between Great Falls and Kenji Siratori to be more along the lines of the Great Falls material on the split with Pastor Tonal from last year (the same mechanistic, churning, noisy guitar driven dirges that the band excels at producing just with Ryan from Trap Them on vocals), this release took me completely by surprise with the squealing noise oscillations and slower tempos that are heard on the 5 tracks on this cassette. It is nice to see a group branch out and try something new, but Great Falls outdo themselves with this collaboration. It really makes me curious to see where they take their sound next, and even if they do not pursue this sound again, this document exists for those that find it… good, good stuff.
(Words: Bob)
