Josef Nadek

Artist: 
Album Title: 
Bluatig Hårt
Release Date: 
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Distribution: 
Review Type: 

I think the name of Josef Nadek isn’t that unknown within the (European) Industrial / Noise scene. This Austrian entity did create so much material in mean time, especially for diverse compilations or for net-release. And now there is a tape with four new creations, available via the very open-minded Austrian label Fall Into Void Records in an edition of (only) fifty (50) copies.

Bluatig Hårt, as mentioned on the homepage, ‘delves deeply into the subject of Tyrolean folklore’, but I don’t think you need to worry: you won’t get some Tiroler Schlager Musik sung by Heidi and some ugly men in Lederhosen… That would be too heavy and extreme for undersigned…

In general, this release somewhat differs from what we’re used of. Actually, Bluatig Hårt isn’t totally focusing on Harsh Noise / Noise Wall, and that shows as from the first song on the A-side of the tape, Wåldgeischta (meaning something like ‘spirits of the woods’). This opening track sounds like some field recording, the ambient way, with singing birds at the background, and eerie and hypnotically floating synth lines at a distance. At the very end of this ‘song’, there are crows too, as well as some bizarre percussion rhythms, which leave me confused. Then comes Nimma Då (‘not there anymore’), based on syncopated electronic structures and minimal-industrialized feedback ‘melodies’, yet with an atmosphere that is rather tribal in spirit. Side B opens with ‘s Wilde Gfåhr (‘the wild hunt’), reminding me the most to Josef Nadek’s former efforts. ‘s Wilde Gfåhr brings harsh, atonal and nihilistic Ritual Noise, including cosmic layers of reverb and dissonance, and hints, though very subtle, of elemental Noise Wall. Also closed D’ Bluatig’n (‘the bloody’) comes with some minimal-noisy sonic nihilism à la the earlier works of this Austrian outfit, yet once again with a quasi-ambiental attitude, though of a mostly primitive / primal kind. …’full’ of ‘emptiness’…

In general, this recording differs from what we would expect from Josef Nadek, but I think it’s positive. Fans of the earlier works will still adore this material, but Bluatig Hårt will reach some new adepts as well. I was able to ‘experience’ quite some Noise-laden releases lately, but for sure this is one of the best things I could enjoy.

80/100