Cold Spring Records

Location: Japan

Members: Masami Akita

Mix & mastering: James Dunn

Remastered: Martin Bowes

Artwork: Abby Helasdottir

Type: double-CD, gatefold eco-pack / digital

Duration: 104:59 minutes

Genre: Japanoise / Harsh Noise

I think it would be a waste of (my) time to introduce this project / artist. The guy behind the project Sonologyst is Raffaele Pezzella, who works as master under that name, and who runs several prodigious labels within the worldwide Experimental / Ambient / Field Recordings / Drone / Musique Concrète / Electroacoustics / … genres. He’s the (co) author behind documentary works referring to these related genres, and curator of podcasts, compilations (anthologies) with lesser known artists and / or genres, you know…

I do not think I did review any former release by She Spread Sorrow; at least, I can’t find back any source. However, I do deeply appreciate the explicit material by Alice Kundalini, the ‘brain’ behind this intriguing project. Yet even-though I haven’t reviewed any former She Spread Sorrow recording yet apparently, it is never too late to show my appreciation and dedication. Ergo: here’s a review for this project’s latest release, called Huntress.

Égrégore gets released as a Common Eider, King Eider release, but a little nuance is appropriate.

I am not about to write a huge introduction on MZ.412. I am intending to get little deeper into the history of this legendary act when reviewing the re-release of 1995’s In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas Luciferi Excelsi (to be released on vinyl in a couple of weeks via AnnapurnA). But praise the Horned Lord of Black Industrial, because Nordvargr, Drakh and Ulvtharm joined forces once more to continue their aural saga of diabolical destruction.

Iran… Known for its repressive government, Shiite-religious fundamentalism, millennia-old Persian civilization (more than 2,500 years of culture, including a huge heritage of historical remnants – praise and respect!), beautiful women (these women have the most beautiful eyes in the world), tasteful ab kusht, even a successful wrestling team and a fabulous, undeniably attractive anti-appreciation for our Earth’s newest Caesar, Mister Donald T... But when it comes to Music, well, that might seem quite limited, even narrow-minded, in our western countries.

Not that long ago, I came in touch with Raffaele Pezzella, a Naples-born artist who is even older than I am (two years and a handful of days more of age). In his late twenties, Raffaele started experimenting more actively as sound artist, and especially electronic research, as well as some guitar-based improvisation, became his main topics. His first steps into sonic areas also concerned mastering and mixing duties for other artists all over the globe.

My reviews for Copper Lock Hell (publishing date: November 17^th 2014) and Corrosive Shroud (updated on December 24^th 2015) – both, by the way, released via Cold Spring Records – sort of define my passionate adoration for this duo, being comprised of Andy Swan and Damian Bennett. Written over a period from 2016 to 2017 (during times of unease and sickness), Governance represents the newest work by UK-based Khost.

I do not know whether I can call Nytt Land as a side-project of Russian Pop-Folk outfit Ylande, but the fact is that both bands share members. This Russian act was formed not that long ago (2014) in the Siberian city of Kalakhinsk, very close to the border of Kazakhstan.

To celebrate their 30th (!!!) anniversary (indeed thirty years of raison d’être), Skullflower (finally) release the Cold Spring-successor of the magisterial album Draconis. The latter was released at the very beginning of Autumn 2014, and undersigned published a review on that material on November 10th 2014. For some biographical and discographic information, you can check out that (superb, but that’s evident) review; enter the band’s name and you’ll come to the specific page).