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amduscias No matter how much tastes change in the public ear, noise/ambient artists will never be featured on MTV's gang of "experts" nor will they ever receive the insightful review "It has a good beat... and you can dance to it." Rather, noise/ambient artists, as featured en masse on this twenty-one track compilation album, are forever going to remain on the fringe of music. Zenflesh, a very tiny label focusing on this strange genre, has taken on the task of putting together a compilation featuring all sorts of aural massacres from all-out distortion, intolerable noise-fests (and much of that work makes up the bulk of this CD) to more palatable ambient pieces. Admittedly, I don't care for the pieces that are simply egregious assaults of pure noise with studio mics recording at top levels to create total distortion. Nor do I like the unstructured noise collages. (The only time I might find use for them is when I want to clear the house of my roommates.) However, there are some notable inclusions that are appealing. Mike Czech could easily appeal to the Aphex Twin crowd, Origami Replika has a dub mood (along with some angry souls bashing away on percussion), La Hannya contributes a very pretty song (which automatically makes it stand out from the rest of the tracks), in the vein of a more ambient Garbage, and Kiosk displays a knack for Orbital styled techno. So overall you get a whole spectrum of the genre and though some of this is truly unlistenable (which I'm sure is the idea), there is enough good stuff to make it worthwhile. Skip button, standby! Satan Stole My Teddybear 8/13/98 review used to be here: http://www.chedsey.com/var/amduscias.htm but isn't anymore! amduscias Mike Czech, a bass-heavy minimalist instrumental jam piece, which keeps on getting more intense. Rh Yau live up to their bandname, since apart from burping noises and the rattling of cuttlery not much else comes across. Job is also "only" noise, as well as The Bran (Another...) Pos... (pretty bandname), where in addition to lots of white noise you can detect some electronic bird chirping. Instagon is a little more musical and its mood is comparable with the old Einstuerzende Neubautan. This is followed by the band, which should be proud of having the worst bandname ever: 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 Flapper. Ah Son Brun Out contributed with noisy distortion and HC seems to have enlisted a baby with a toy guitar. The same instrument seems to have been used for the Aerobics track, too. Petit Mal's piece is characterised by a lot of bass accompanied - once again - by distortion. Flatline Construct played around with sounds a little and then finally there are a few proper musical instruments coming together in a dark and dismal jam. All of a sudden there is a surprise, a beautiful woman's voice is singing a song! And there we have already reached the absolute climax, such a brilliant song, quite gothic and simply beautiful, how did it find its way amongst all that industrial noise? After this positive surprise from la hannya there is a little drum 'n' bass from Kiosk which is followed by the worst noise I've ever heard from Noise/Girl. It then becomes a little scary and spacy with Dr Oblivious and guitar noise from Turk Knives Pope (complete CD critique availabe at this link). Shiva Speedway also features vocals accompanying deafening, distorted drums. Brite Moments presents sharp electro-sound with heavy drums, before it turns deafening again with 3rd Rail Stepper. The CD finally ends with a few more distorted and sustained sounds from Ipecac Loop. All in all, quite a confusing compilation aimed at hardcore industrial noise fans and at close listen causes headaches. Sometimes I doubt very much that there really are always different "musicians" involved. In any case you cannot really classify this as music, but rather soundstructures or soundscapes for drug addicts. More information regarding the bands, or rather the projects, you can find at www.zenflesh.com or you can email panic@zenflesh.com Back Again 8/16/98 amduscias This comp contains some of the most well-performed experimentalism that I have ever heard. Each band on it has their own style from organic to ambient to power noise to electronic chaos. Most of it is so strange, there isn't yet a category to place it in. An amazing 21 tracks gives you a sampling of what the underground noise scene has to offer. Other experimental comps that I am fond of are "Treat The Gods As If They Exist," "Living In A World Full Of Drones," and the "Release Your Mind" compilations, and "Amduscias" surpasses their brilliance by far. Rh Yau provides probably the most interesting track on this CD, in my opinion. It is very much like Mid-era Nurse With Wound featuring an array of random sounds. Both electronics and found sounds are used. I'd really like to hear more material from this artist! Job contributes a track not unlike a toned down version of Masonna. This is toned down only in intensity, not in overall sound. In fact, Job's ability to constantly keep sounds moving is much more impressive than Masonna's lack of variance. Job reminds me of what I wish Masonna sounded like - a whole lot more interesting and not so monotonous. The Bran (Another Plight Of Medic's) Pos's track, "Human:Insect:Human" has a very appropriate title. The track is split up into three sections, hence the title. The first section is full of static-filled electronics, which are the result of human creation. The track takes a very organic turn, using only insect sounds for the second segment. The third segment is full of bleeping electronics jumping from one octave to another. I've never heard anything quite like this. "My Aura Is Bigger Than Your Aura" is the work of Ah Son Brun Out. Imagine Whitehouse without vocals, and quadruple the intensity. Ah Son Brun Out provide possibly the most intense track on the CD (well...Noise/girl might have them beat!). What's nice about this band is that they manage to keep that intensity without going too far on the power noise, like acts such as Merzbow often do, resulting in a full CD of entertaining, yet monotonous non-stop noise. There's more to HC than that. AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! This is really weird. I'm talking about HC. Who Knows...maybe Tiny Tim still is alive and he was just fooling us! Baby sounds over ukelele--what a combination! This is truly one of the most screwed-up things I have ever heard. Petit Mal's "Covering the Exposed" is quite an interesting piece. It's a bit minimal compared to the other artists on the CD. Even though this track is composed solely of electronics, it is given a very organic feel, in my opinion, from that minimalism. Petit Mal create a very unique sound, uncomparable to any other artists I have heard. Kiosk is for all the Aphex Twin fans out there. Super-fast-paced techno with a chaotic flair is their realm of expertice. Every bit as brilliant as Richard D. James, "Antichthon" mix experimental elements with a well defined rhythm for a sound to please both techno and noise fans. Noise/Girl's track is extremely intense. Imagine being stuck inside a trash compactor and then letting someone turn it on. If that experience were audible, I'm sure it wouldn't be far off from the tormented sounds in "Silky Doll." Even though I have stated earlier in the review that acts such as Merzbow and Masonna take their intensity too far, hearing this track reminds me why I love their music so much. Turk Knifes Pope's unnamed track carries a rhythm, which is a bit strange based on their latest CD. Now, of course, I'm speaking of rhythm in noise-fan terms. Under the layer of distortion, you can vaguely make out a rhythm. Although a bit different than their CD, Turk Knifes Pope has contributed an equally as interesting track with no likenesses to anything else I have ever heard. The tracks I have chosen to describe aren't the only good ones on the CD. In fact, every track on the CD is great. Other genres are represented, though not straying far off from experimental. If you have any interest in the avant-garde/experimental/noise scene, you need to pick this one up. It's only $10 adn you can buy it at www.zenflesh.com. Scott Mallonee - antius@twave.net Grinding Into the Emptiness 8/19/98 amduscias Zenflesh records has released a number ov compilations, and this is the first one they 've sent my way. NOw. here are the artists....some familiar, some not...but almost all ov them are interesting. here how compilation reviews work from now on. If they did something interesting, and experimental( if it's on an experimental compilation like this), or just plain good, i'll explain thier track. if they didn't, no explanation. Artists: Mike Czech, Rh Yau, Job, the bran(another plight of medic's) pos, instagon, flapper, ah son brun out,??? hc, aerobics king, petit mal, flatline construct,origami replika, la hannya, kiosk, noise/girl, dr oblivious, turk knifes pope, shiva speedway, brite moments, 3rd rail stepper, ipecac loop. Ry yau had an amazing track actually, one ov the most remarkable things i've heard for a long time. Sqeaking, pulsing, in a room, somebody FURIOUSLY at work, trying to fix metal between metal, while his computer freezes and stops to blast out bits ov lovin with sequenced error messages, static, and sound processing programs getting stuck. Trying to fix a bird tweater, the energy involved, the breath, the empty rooom, YOUR FUCKING GARAGE, with you and yourself trying hard to fix this damn gadget. Simply amazing. I'm going to try to interview them. Instagon have always been favorites ov mine.It's not htat typical ov what they do in the arrangement. strange melodies violins. crisp sounds guitars. i seriously suggest any instagon to anybody looking for Psychic Youth experimental music...checek other reviews in this page. Flapper throw in their bit ov odd experimental hip hop, abstract, if you would call it. chimes...slow breaks...well carried out ...air pump sand breakbeats. Ahson brun out was a strange experiment in overdrive in waves. well carried out. Petit Mal does catch my attention. one loop, then these squiggly sounds al over. high functioning computers making hardrive sounds, with a bit ov noise, a plug bursting, slowly, and really quickly accelerating, this track, finds me in an interesting state. promising work for an original sound. La Hannya was nice refresher in the middle ov all this experimental music. This was a straight up catchy pop dream breakbeat backed song with feathering guitars, slow parts, etc. Very pretty vocals by some female, feathering would bea good word. something about drowning this song is, it does have emotion, and sounds really professional actually. i could see this band playing with Sully, somehow:). I liked it. very pretty music. Watch out for them. they'll get singed soon. Kiosk is cartoon drum and bass, the way it SHOULD BE DONE! eheh. This was also very surprising my friend. A cute piano melody, lil blips flying off here and there, actually... finger snaps, a nice breakbeat. moreover i liked the drums sounds, they sounded a bit more mechanized than usual drums in D&B, and the sounds other than the drums were different. it sounded like tones or high notes were being panned back and forth, in tight sequences along with the beats at times, water droplets, ethnic modified voices, slowly meloly flying about.. the pace isn't slow. This is very clean, no ragga here...no cymbals flyig like bullets all over. Very nice music. MAKE A 12" noise/girl was certainly the dose ov harsh noise, in the line ov some RRR material. or japanese stuff, that this comp needed. Well carried out and executed....somehouw similar to Shaolin Temple material. left channel scream here. distortion there. Note that it was formulaic. SHIVA SPEEDWAY seemed to be the highlight on the noiserock side ov the compilation and it was impressive indeed. Slopping obstinate beats, a lil girlie screaming, distorted as hell...distorted as hell guitars flopping around, soloing here, there, and totalyl, absolutely TOTALLY HAPpENINg. short though. i'm looking for more material on them. TunnelZine 8/27/98 Tunnel 8 amdiuscias The stock market may take unexpected and significant plunges, but I can guarantee that Zenflesh will continue to release recordings that will not only baffle your sensory channels but forcefully play with your prefabricated definitions of music and noise. What you don't get on Amduscias is consistency, and that's a good thing here. That is, there aren't 20 different bands all playing sugary-sweet pop music and consequently making you want to visit the local vomitorium by track 12. These Zenflesh artists thrive on auditory linear experimentation that not only challenges conventional instrumentations but incorporates them into truly untraditional uses. Job's "Dystopia" is the musical equivalent of your stereo having a violently upset stomach and an orgasm at the same time, as outrageously entertaining tones spray from your speakers, bounce off the walls and steamroll over your eardrums. Yow! The 3rd rail steppers are as electrifying as they sound, with a low droning distortion that sounds like a funny car's exhaust pipes, meshing with high pitched feedback squeals. While the artists range from Mike Czech and his brooding synthesizer instrumentations to Noise/girl's crippling sonic assault a la Merzbow, each of these artists lives on the Zenflesh musical fringe. Purveyors of musical extremes, heed this review, for it's time that Zenflesh becomes part of your own catalog. Splendid 9/7/98 amduscias The compilation CD on the same label holds everything that can be classified as 'alternative', from mellow dark ethereal guitar pop, to noise to bits of drum & bass. I gather none of these names ring familiar bells, but some of this is, again, quite allright. Turk Knifes Pope are present, also Origami Replika, Rh Yau, Job, Instagon, Ah Son Burn Out etc... (FdW) Vital 9/7/98 v/a - amduscias An interesting experimental collection, as id only ever heard of three of the artists previously. Loosely styled, what we get here are various interpretations through waves of ambient, noise, drone rock, experimental etc.. Basically anything is possible and its pretty much guaranteed. There's a good chance that everyone will find at least a few tracks that they like. There are a few quite out of place tunes, such as Drowning by La hannya which is sort of 4AD guitar pop! I really didn't expect to hear that amid Merzbow challenging noise! Also there is a really pretty melodic drum n bass track by kiosk which sounds great but right after this finishes there is some severe noise by noise/girl which is great, but watch your stereo levels as your speakers may start to fry and your ears may develop a bleeding tendency. That aside its fun not knowing what to expect next, its pretty diverse. One thing I was disappointed in was the Turk knifes pope track which is just some pretty pointless and annoying loud guitar, the album by them is really so much better. Other names to look out for on this compilation are Ipecac loop, Mike Czech and Petit mal, although it is unfair to single out individual tracks. An impressive collection of wide variety and generally good quality. Hopefully I will be able to hear more from some of these obscure names in the future. Oblivion 9/9/98 oblivion amduscias This 21-artist collection of oddball experimental noise weirdness ranges from loopy lo-fi noise to more subtle lo-fi noodling nonsense, to rhythmic, almost trip-hop vibes (BRITE MOMENTS) to even a folky pop track (LA HANNYA's "Drowning"). Sounds like a large majority of these tracks were improvised. Definitely not for everyone, as this comp moves in every direction and seems rather haphazard and aimless. Some interesting work here, but I found myself getting restless during many of the tracks included here. Godsend 9/11/98 Godsend amduscias Noise, ambient, weird relaxing and jarring music by mike czech, rh yau, job, flapper, aerobics king, noise/girl, shiva speedway, ipecac loop and more. The "theme" of this compilation is that all the compositions had to be under five minutes, which you know is difficult for alot of these more experimental acts. For me it makes things much easier to digest... Cyberia 10/3/98 VARIOUS "AMDUSCIAS" Zenflesh A really challenging compilation of free-form, experimental music that can't be easily categorized. It ranges from the totally unstructured noise/power electronic experiments to more refined, rhythm-based material. My favourites were the tracks by Mike Czech (somewhat hypnotic, dissonant, pieces), 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 Flapper (imagine a darker, more experimental Scorn will less dub), Petit Mal (really dark, subtle power electronics with a bit of noise), Kiosk (surprisingly relaxing trance/dance material) and above all Noise/Girl (totally brutal, Merzbow-style noise, but with structure and some really vicious, distorted screaming vocals). I can't really say that the rest of the material is bad in any way, it just seemed a bit too way out there for me. I guess I may not be ready to absorb yet all that the experimental scene has to offer and a lot of the pieces here were just a bit to unstructured for my taste. Nevertheless, there are some interesting moments here and I definitely suggest you check out Noise/Girl - finally somebody doing brutal noise the way it's supposed to be done. Corridor of Cells 10/15/98 "Amduscias" is a compilation that hits close to home. Until hearing this release, I thought I had released one of the most diverse collections of unknown and underground electronic arists on my label. I was wrong. Zenflesh wins that bragging right with this compilation by a landslide. Of the 21 artists present, I heard of only three and actually experienced only two previously. The artists compiled here cross all boundaries, albeit with a primary focus on the eclectic, strange and downright bizarre. White noise, percussion, ethnic instrumentation, drum machines, cellos, reel to reel tapes, sampled voice, and guitar all play some roll in the construction of music on this compilation. Mere words cannot adequately describe the vibrant differences between tracks. The only way to properly experience this experimental masterpiece is to own a copy yourself and play it on a pair of expensive headphones to admire the fidelity. Sonic-Boom online 10/19/98 Various Artists Zenflesh Five Amduscias : Twenty-one tracks, none of them longer than five minutes from the innovative Californian-based Zenflesh label (check them out at http:/www.zenflesh.com/.). Although most, if not all, these tracks could be loosely allocated to some uneasy territory on the borders of 'noise' and 'ambient' (call it 'difficult listening' maybe) they achieve a surprising variety within these arbitrary parameters. Label linchpins Petit Mal and Turk Knifes Pope contribute two of the strongest tracks: Petit Mal's 'Covering the exposed' is a deft slice of edgy avant-garde, TKP's track (untitled) a baleful hissing slab of controlled malevolence. The other tracks are contributed by acts you're even less likely to have heard of (yet). Noise / Girl's seething blanket of white noise is the musical equivalent of an all out thermo-nuclear assault, but clever with it. In common with many of the tracks on this compilation it subtly shifts depending on what volume you play it at, which room you play it in, whether it's coming through headphones or speakers. Job's 'Dystopia' sounds like a bloke playing Space Invaders in a sawmill, with a couple of growly grizzly bears looking over his shoulder and a blizzard banging at the window. Rh Yau's 'Sweat Cling is genuinely frightening (and pretty sexy too - depends on your mood). Mike Czech sounds like Mike Paradinas with a hangover. Flapper's 'Dreambar' will take you to another planet. A better one. Much more to come from Zenflesh in the next few months, but don't wait. Go for it now. You'll never sleep with the light off again. Stewart Gott fluxeuropa 11/98 Various Artists Zenflesh Five - Amduscias Dark stuff from Zenflesh, a twenty-one track of compilation of ambient noise, all the way from California. I played nothing but this disc for a whole week, at the end of which time, lying in bed, I was picking out every little creak and sigh that the sleeping house made. It wasn't my hearing that had improved; it was my ability to hear. When I finally separated the disc from the player and stuck on Powderfinger instead it blew my head away. I had grown so used to having to work at listening to a record that the old Neil Young track was just pure relaxation (and with my new-found sensitivity, awe inspiring). I think I took out the Zenflesh disc just in time - another few days of repeat play and I might have started to want to listen to something by Bush. Some of the stuff on Zenflesh 5 is sensational. The rest is just brilliant. The label's best known acts, Petit Mal and Turk Knifes Pope, contribute two scorching tracks, worth the admission money alone. Elsewhere, 'Human:insect human' alarms, 'Sweat cling' disturbs, 'Dreambar' entrances. Instagon's 'for thee lizard king's birthday' is a personal favourite, existing (cease to exist) in some black corner of our minds we may never want to visit again. So that's where Jim got to. The presence of several ' untypical' Zenflesh acts enhances the picture. Kiosk sound like they want to be signed to Warp, Mike Czech's track would not be out of place on mu-ziq's 'Bluff Limbo'. La Hannya sounds like a girl with a lot on her mind (want to tell me about it?). Difficult listening, intelligent noise..... We live in an age of bloat and rancour. To me anyway these bleak searching blasts of discomfort are reassuring. Like Giacommetti's sculptures, fragile, skeletal, weightless - lost in space and distance, ghosts on a grey canvas. In the early eighties I had on tape an obscure indie rock track (don't remember the name or title), which featured the repeated vocal' Giacommetti, Giacommetti, make me scream and dance'. With Zenflesh you're dancing on the live rail, screaming because your face is melting. Enjoy. Stewart Gott (unpublished as of yet (to my knowledge)) 10/20/98 v/a -- REWARD SYSTEM ACTIVATION DISORDER This offering from Zenflesh is a strange one... but i get the impression that's true of all Zenflesh releases. They came into existence in 1991 to release goodies by Turk Knifes Pope, Petit Mal, and other stuff, but have evolved to releasing mainly stuff that falls into the category of what they call "organica" -- the use of guitars and other stringed instruments to recreate sounds normally associated with electronic and digital instruments. A bizarre idea, sure, but what the hell... and those kind of instruments are cheaper besides, and i like 'em, so there.... Plus there are more weird-ass band names on this compilation than you can shake a stick at, and that's certainly jake by me. You'll see what i mean.... This compilation features some really deranged material. Mike Czech's "untitled" weaves jerky, trebly bass lines around a minimalistic beat that gets more convoluted as the song progresses; the effect is madly like that of a bunch of toy robots turned loose in a music store after dark. Look out -- robot party in progress, wup wah! On Instagon's "for thee lizard king's birthday," it sounds like they borrowed the Spectral Wub-O-Tron the Butthole Surfers used on "Cherub" and then freely scattered scraping metal noises all around it; meanwhile, Flapper clocks in with "dreambar," a surreal exercise built around a sampled breath, tweaked drum machine, shuddering basslines, and what sounds like an oddly-EQed toy piano playing in circles. One of the best actual songs turns out to be "drowning" by La Hannya, full of gritty bass filth and droning harmony vox and... and... cello? Mah gawd, such a conceptual move -- combining cello with this kind of kitchen-sink sound and beautiful vox... i gots to hear more by these people! The hipsters Kiosk bust a swank move as well with "antichthon," similar in intent/effect as Mike Czech's piece but aided considerably by wispy hocus-pocus female vox and evil breakbeats (and piano! a wise move!). The moon unit was moved to get up and move air during said piece (thank God the wife wasn't around to see it, can't have her soiling herself with helpless laughter). The killer fuzz-bass of Dr. Oblivious' "blockade runner" makes me think that low-end heaviness is practically a requirement for hanging with Zenflesh -- not a bad idea, either. Obviously one of my favorites of the compilation is the severely demented offering from Shiva Speedway, "sock monkey," which is built around an extremely cheesy (but cool-sounding) drum sound (taped during a practice session on a cheap hand-held recorder; it sounds like Pam is whopping the shit out cardboard boxes the size of refrigerators) and augmented by fizzy, off-kilter guitars and lyrics about... um... well, i'm not sure, but it sounds real mysterious. Brite Moment's "evolution" falls into the same ballpark as the ones by Czech and Kiosk, but more sedate and filled with more weird repetitive sounds. A lot of songs are built around distorted vox and/or clattering noises, such as Rh Yau's "sweat cling" and Job's "dystopia." These tend to sound like someone turned the tape on and started rolling around in a kitchen full of pots and pans, so they don't really qualify as songs (at least not normal ones, anyway), but it's entertaining to hear the weird sounds they come up with. (This is also true of "human:insect:brain" by The Bran (Another Plight of Medic's) Pos, which actually has a sort of structure to it, but the structure is made of segments of weird noises.) Ah Son Brun Out piles on screechy noises and disconnected static in "my aura is bigger than your aura," while Petit Mal does essentially the same thing (with a bit more structure and finesse, perhaps) in "covering the exposed." When Turk Knifes Pope clocks in with the track with no title, the results sound like a cathedral of white noise caving in on an actual guitar line (it's in there somewhere, i can hear it, fighting to be free). The final track (out of 21; i left out a few here) by Ipecac Loop, "music box," delivers the final death blow of feedback-drenched fuzztone with something vaguely resembling percussion in the background; just as it starts getting geared up to maximum Skullflower effect, it suddenly trails off into nothingness. This is one of the better compilations i've heard in a while -- the "good shit" ratio is much higher here than it is on a lot of similar efforts. Add in the bonus of so many peculiar band names (always a plus) and cool artwork (an evil horned bunny? what are these people ON?) and you have a disc most worthy of inspection. Incidentally, a caveat when you're out looking for this disc (yes, i'm assuming again, humor me) -- it actually has two titles. The short one, on the tray and visible through the front case, is ADMUSICAS; the other, which i used for the review, is written on the spine. So don't worry about the title, just look for the agitated bunny.... Dead Angel 34 Various - "amduscias" This compilation of 'post-industrial' electro experimentation starts well with the funky, psychedelic-influenced track by mike czech, but then things go completely haywire with a bunch of sound FX mixes. "sweet cling" by mh yau sounds like one of the fillers from Bowie's "Outside", job's "dystopia" is simply noise, the instagon track sounds like a band tuning up in a forest. Flapper's is a little better with its dark trance vibe, but after that the CD descends into feedback and noise until the thirteenth track, a folky song by la hannya that seems totally out of place. This is followed by a pretty cool drum n' bass track by Kiosk with a kind of traditional ballady vocal. Then the noise returns and drones on and on until the end. The odd good track does not save this compilation from being unbelievably boring. Sorted 11/98 amduscias The compilation is pretty varied with mostly top notch material on it, Anything from extreme noise to ambient pop to atmospheric Drum and Bass can be found in the 22 tracks on Amduscias. My favorites are by RH Yau, Job, Ah Son Brun Out, Noise/Girl, and Shiva Speedway. A good compilation for eclectic minded fans of experimental and noisy electronic stuff. FAQT v3#1 amduscias The names of the bands probably won't mean anything to you, but once you listen to the music, it won't matter. Here, a varied collection of intiguing experimental music rears its multi-headed monstrosity to show off metallic loops, carefully crafted and not-so carefully crafted noise, dissonant strings, and layered electronic whirring. When some people think of experimental music or noise, the first thing that comes to mind is unending slabs of aural earwigs burrowing into their ears - the emphasis on "unending". The concept of this collection is that all offerings are under five minutes. That said, what is presented here is compact and to the point. To be objective, not all the pieces here are good or even experimental, but those tracks are in the minority. Outburn #8 amduscias ....a compilation of 21 (ohmigod, count them, 21) different noise artists. Auughhhh. Alll of this comes under the heading of music that's much more fun to make than to listen to. (1's all aroound) Carbon 14 #14 amduscias If you're looking for a variety of sounds you'll definitely find it here. Noise compositions, both ambient and sheer walls of cacaphony. Then you have ambient beat musics and much more. There's very good mix song-oriented stuff, instrumental, and experimental tracks that reach the far edges of sonic explorations. This label has more stuff like this, making Zenflesh a must-contact kind of place for the sonic edge. Gajoob DIY Daily 2/7 amduscias Another interesting CD we've received was the Amduscias CD from Zenflesh records. The disc represents a sample of all groups & styles you can encounter on Zenflesh. The record itself contains the usual Zenflesh names as Turk Knifes Pope & Petit Mal, but also some unknown but yet interesting bands like Kiosk, etc... The whole disc reminds of some groups on the Belgian Sub Rosa label, also known for its experimental gamma of music. Some people label this under noise/ambient/difficult/post-industrial. Pick the one that suits you best. Fallout amduscias An eclectic and variant compilation of out-there sound artists. Mike Czech: what sounds like prepared piano with a drum machine, but this is no John Cage, rather a funky, industrial instrumental. RH Yau: a dense, clustered abstract noise piece, reminiscent of Hands To, and I think that may be one of Ghazala's Incantors in there somewhere.. Job: the guy from the Bible? More Jeph Jerman-ish trash guitar, but also with wildly smeared digital mayhem. The Bran (another plight of medic's) pos: take a modified recording of crickets and guitar sludge through a loopy five minutes of not-quite Dada. Instagon: title their piece "For the Lizard King's Birthday". A reference to both fucking Genesis P Orridge and Jim Morrison is too much for me. Skip. It's just a Casio and guitar improv in an aviary anyway. Flapper: a fairly dark improv plus sample construct. Ah Son Brus Out: a rather charred distortion piece, compressed and filtered until it's not quite abrasive. HC: guitar with a guest vocalist under the age of 2. Aerobics King: doodle guitar + feedback, could've just as easily been interesting. Petit Mal: filtered squelch over a minor bass drone. Tasteful. Flatline Coonstruct: a fuzzy harmonic drone plus an almost unnoticeable rhythm. Kinda nice. Origami Replika: about as impressive as a high school party band. La Hannya: are quite out of place, kinda like the Indigo Girls singing foor Lush. Kiosk: wow, techno? Very like "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin. Let the 909 snares skid. Noise/Girl: ouch. Extremer than my extremeties. Thanks, I'd rather not. Dr Oblivious: whoosy synth, goin' nowhere in particular, but that's okay by me. Turk Knifes Pope: aimless guitar riffing swallowed up by a howling, tunnel drone. Shiva Speedway: distorted garage thrak, avant rock with a serious attitude, it rocks me. Brite Moments: weird noise dub with handclaps, hmmm... 3rd Rail Stepper: hook up your fax machine to the CD player and see what comes out. Ipecac Loop: a brief fuzzy tone poem. This CD is an enjoyable listen, like listening to a really diverse underground radio broadcast. Autoreverse #7 (not online) [various artists] Amduscias Wow, 21 experimental tracks on one CD. Already you know some of the tracks hafta be around 2 minutes or less, which I think is perfect for the "difficult" genre-- it's just long enough to introduce neat sounds and textures without trying to force them into a song format. There's a range of diversity of this disc which is kinda funky. Mostly noisescapes with the odd acoustic glop or Aphex Twinnish rhythmic noodling thrown in. Petit Mal gives the noisescape and excellent digital treatment, as does Brite Moments. This is something I must totally commend, not only do they sound cool, but they manage to break away from the rigid "experimental music" guidelines. I don't know why "difficult musicians" have latched onto tape loops, guitar noodling and assorted effects boxes so strongly, but they have, and this CD exemplifies it for the most part. Of course there are some exceptions to the distortion-box and field-recorder mantra here, like La Hannya's straight-up-by-comparison guitar and vocal song "Drowning", or Kiosk's IDMish ditty "Antichthon" But these are more the tracks that don't fit in at all rather than push the boundaries of "difficult music". I hope to hear more from Petit Mal and Brite Moments in the future, maybe even through Zenflesh? Altogether, this is a nice intro to twenty-some groups I had mostly never heard of before, and wonder if I will ever hear from again. [Laird Sheldahl] the plague webzine VARIOUS ARTISTS- "Amduscias" Noise. Experimentation. Ambience. Electronic. This about sums up the "Zenflesh Five" compilation, featuring [read the track listing]. This is not for everyone, but for a glimpse into the underground musics cellar, look no further than Zenflesh Records. Experimentation is the lord, and using machines for purposes other than what they were intended for. It may give some a headache, but it will make everyone think and react in unexpected ways. (miles) Black Monday Amusicadas There are more sounds on this disc than one person can cover, probably even more sounds than one person can hear. Some are man-made, some are computer generated, and some could only exist in the eclectic minds of the creators. "Human:insect:human," by The Bran (Another Plight of Medic's) Pos, even sports a section that belongs on one of those experience-nature discs, you know, the ones with babbling brooks and stuff. With song titles such as "Sweat Cling," "For Thee Lizard King's Birthday," "My Aura is Bigger Than Your Aura," "Covering the Exposed," and "Silky Doll," how could you be making a bad choice for your next experimental/noise compilation purchase? Get Zened, get fleshed, get Zenfleshed at http://www.zenflesh.com. --Goddess dark velvet VARIOUS ARTISTS- "Amduscias" All over the place musically- an editor's harsh hand might have been desirable. The liner notes say the order of the tracks were set by the order they were received. I wonder if anything was rejected? 21 tracks by such semi-known names as Origami Replika, Rh Yau, Ipecac Loop, Turk Knifes Pope, and others completely unknown to me. The best track here is the offering from Petit Mal- an outfit affiliated more closely with this label than the other "mailed in from nowhere" pieces. Petit Mal's track is a pretty intense electronic freakout- somewhere between the early industrial sound of, say, Dome and the more recent sonic screwiness of people like Farmer's Manual or the noisier bits of Oval. The rest of the tracks, well, its a pretty fair selection of harsh noise, home-brewed techno, contact-mic abuse, gothic pop, and even some lo-fi "rock", for the kids, without any one genre dominating, unless we can define the lo-fi bedroom recording aesthetic as a genre unto itself. A very professional and attractive package on this release, as seems to be the case for everything on this intriguing label. angbase Sampler: "AMDUSCIAS" Zenflesh Amduscias is the name of the fifth CD released by the experimental label Zenflesh and that, once again means a walk through the riskiest of proposals in sonic research. In the album, with 21 themes, a great amount of saturated sounds is reflected, even with melodies, capable of creating disturbing environments. Likewise, the themes with ringing metal in the background are common, inspiring huge abandoned industrial factories where beings of an unknown origin run free. Occasionally, some distorted guitar play appears, and even some unconventional melodies, yet they provide some light to the entire album. Also, two of the themes that could be taken as non-experimental ones turn out to be really impressive: Drowing and Antichton, whose presence in the equator of the work breaks in some instants with its experimental homogeneity. LAURA S. GARCIA - Amazings |