A L T E R E D _ N E U R O L O G Y C A L _ F U N C T I O N _ v o l. 1
Compilation CDr
Darph/Nader |
Ctephin |
Tzesne |
Mystified |
C-utter |
Death Trance |
Kristus Kut |
Swamps Up Nostrils |
Flat Affect |
Project Horsed |
Norss |
Flower Of Flesh And Blood |
No
PRESS / REVIEWS
Reviewed on VITAL WEEKLY
http://www.vitalweekly.net/
Spanish label R.O.N.F. has been on the stage for some years by now. Established in 2006 the name is a shortage of "Regression Of Noise Freaks" and the focus on the label is releasing albums that lie in the abrasive areas of musical expression from harsh Noise to Grindcore. Over time the label has come up with a number of interesting compilations and solo-releases from both underground artists and more established artists such as Richard Ramirez. On this 30th shot from the powerful gun, the full throttle noise expressions have been substituted by more subtle ones. As the title suggests, "Altered neurological function vol. 1" is an album of a more introvert nature than is the case with the main number of almost brain-damaging sonic freakouts coming from the label. The thirteen pieces of the album swirl in atmospheres of dark ambient. The pressure on the album is put on the drone-based style though this is not an album drifting away to, since a number of tracks contain elements of subdued noise. More likely the compilation takes the listener on a hallucinating and sometimes creepy acid trip into the secret corners of human sub-consciousness. Stylishly I find much similarity to the excellent triple disc dark ambient/noise-compilation "Release your mind vol. 2" (Relapse/Release Entertainment, 1997): Just like this twelve years old compilation-box attracted me in its very own strange nature, this new compilation from R.O.N.F. does the same. Everyone interested in edgy drone ambient should definitely check this out. (NM)
Reviewed on WONDERFUL WOODEN REASONS
http://wonderfulwoodenreasons.homestead.com/current.html
Spanish dark-noise label R.O.N.F. have travelled the world in order to populate this slick compilation album and it's quite a line up. There are a number of familiar names here alongside some interesting newcomers. From the USA, Darph / Nader (which I just noticed I had mistakenly written as Darth Nader) open proceedings nicely with a deep and dark soft focus grind. Fellow Americans Ctephin follow this with an almost symphonic composition of soaring tones and hissing menace. A very nice five minute visit to Spain in the company of Tzesne and their rolling loops and insistent drones and then it's back to the USA with Mystified for a driving drone piece that melded very nicely with the drilling coming from my next door neighbour. Next up is the also drill friendly C_utter (from Spain) whose swooping voices are a little too old hat for my taste (the drone is nice though). Back to the USA for Death Trance who have melded some misleadingly gentle upper register tones with a speaker killing tectonic rumble. A visit to The Netherlands with Kristus Kut brings proceedings back to a low and slow almost industrial grind. Norway's Swamps Up Nostrils continue the low-key approach with a short but sweet somnambulant dark ambient construction as do Americans Flat Affect. The sole UK representative Project Horsed create a very nice loop based psychedelia before Norss (Netherlands) returns to earth with his subterranean dark-drone. The ickily named Americans, Flower of Flesh & Blood take a more noisily digital approach full of eardrum rupturing high frequency waves and grimy swooshes before Spaniards, No, end the journey with a noisily apt track of (what I think is) guitar noise and singing. Most compilations are pretty hit or miss affairs and there are a couple of tracks here that didn't really move me but when all's said and done there are way more hits here than there are misses and if you are interested in exploring some new names in the dark-ambient / dark-noise genres then you'd do a lot worse than checking this out.
Reviewed on HEATHEN HARVEST
http://www.heathenharvest.com/
Altered Neurological function is a compilation of artists from around the world, some share similarities, some are vastly different. Darth / Nader set the mood to a bleak atmospheric ambience immediately. Darth/Nader is Jared Butler and Cory Thrall, their track ‘Sleeping in Shifts’ is pleasingly dark, and unsettling for its one sudden jolt of noise. That works well, in their being a slap with the build up of ambience, nice touch. Thee mighty Ctephin continue with their usual majestic build up of atmosphere, as a Ctephin fan, they are on full form here with Jupiter Invocation. (Their Thee Dreamtime is a well recommended release) Their occult overtones are compelling and forever developing onwards and upwards; on here they move the discs mood on well into a mystic ambient territory. Tzesne break in with Fundar La Primera which is a barrage of low level noise which hums and crackles with an overlay of unpleasant tone and samples. Serving as a good control of low level noise to good effect, Fundar breaks up as quickly as it broke in. Mystified contribute a track from their Foiled Again album, Static Surfer pulls back slightly from the full throttle reached by the first three tracks; Static Surfer is one of their more intense tracks and fits in well here. C_Utter from Spain produce a more tonal drone with damaged voice sampling thrown into the mix. This gradually breaks into a power electronics/noise work out. Texas based Death Trance combine drone with a tunnel like effect, it is a little less full on than some of the previous tracks yet holds the darkness well. Netherlands Kristus Kut creates sound by hitting treated string instruments along with programming on Sinking Into Silent Dreams offers a piece of well executed solemn atmospheric drone that initially feels as if it is nodding to the sci-fi soundtracks of the 70s and 80s. It is punctuated throughout by percussive strings, which takes it well away from being just an exercise in nostalgia. Swamps up Nostrils’ atmospheres sound like they are from another planet on Herr Probe the low level sound of this track follows through well and continues on a similar level with Flat Effect. Their track Eighth Circle is a strong piece of low level ambient experimentation, with drone and a lot more interesting minor details. Project Horsed breaks in with an old style industrial/ambient giving an effective combination of drone and looped sounds overlaid with different sounds to good effect and change throughout Sub. Norss is no longer with us, operating now under the name ULv, however their offering Ritueel Bloedvergieten bubbles under the surface at a low level, never rising. Flowers of Flesh and Blood surface immediately with harsh ambience or what I would call Power Electronic Ambience, distortion and unpleasant feedback provide the two main characteristics, with the distortion pulsing and the feedback changing tone, by far the most Altered Neurologically Functioning track on here, slight yet harsh. No share Flowers.. title as Neurological shift champions, they start off sounding in a similar vein to Chrome with feedback threatening to break into riff, yet it never does shifting into an exciting ritualistic intensity, guitars eventually surface, but not how I expected them .No exist in their own territory and don’t use the Chromisms to drop into Skullflower territory, their nearest contemporary being P.A.R.A.
