BARBEROS “OOO” on CHAIN D.L.K. (USA-DE-ITA)

Artist: Barberos
Title: 000
Format: 12”
Label: Human Feather
Rated:

BARBEROS “OOO” on Babyblaue (DE)

REVIEW BY THE WHITE SURFER

Don Vito / Bogong in Action “Split”

Gustoso split 7” prodotto da una cordata di etichette nostrane: cinque brani, otto minuti, follia a tonnellate.
Da una parte i tarantini Bogong in Action con le loro No way e Fucking change: no wave isterica e spastica di scuola Skin Graft, cacofonie e dissonanze, una chitarra marcia inceppata sugli alti e una sezione ritmica come una bestia impazzita che sbatte ossessivamente contro un muro. Dall’altra i tedeschi Don Vito: stessa scuola, ugualmente ossessivi ma con maggiore dinamica e ricchezza di timbri, sviluppati peraltro in schegge strumentali di un minuto e poco più: tre brani tra cui spicca l’ottima Fuk Gumruk, un sound abnorme, gommoso e acido, che ricorda i migliori Arab on Radar.
Fulmine a ciel sereno. Tiratura limitata, artwork serigrafato a cura dell’ex-laghettiano Ratigher.

(Brigadisco, Lemming, Tremor Panda, No-Fi, Whosbrain, Hum Anf Eat Her, Hysm? 2011)

Pubblicato da Alessandro Gentili a 14:01

Silent Front - “Dead Lake” LP

 In a fickle underground scene made of relentless research for the sound of the next generation, the newest use for the oldest piece of gear, or the latest oddity in terms of harmonic choices, someone has chosen to express a neat and straightforward burst of rage, and to present it properly, promote it coherently and perform it impeccably.

 ”Dead Lake” (2010, We ♥ Records/Big Out/Art for blind/Rejuvenation/Triple Jump) estabilishes Silent Front as one of the most promising outfits in London’s underworld. They deservingly play a key role in the “family” they belong to, that cartel of heavy-avantgarde bands committing themselves to a spontaneous and passionate way of playing, recording, producing and pushing their works, aka DIY.  I’m talking about the likes of It Often Takes a War, Nitkowski, Shield your eyes, and Astrohenge just to mention a few, bands that form a chain of artists who support each other, run their nights in respect of musical quality and fair treatment for musicians (very uncommon, especially in UK) and tend to rely on the same bunch of professionals ( mostly musicians themselves) to carry out their production process. Alex Polakowki, graphic designer and James Plotkin, mastering engineer give a taste of the creative talent involved in “Dead Lake”.

  This is indeed a serious work, a ’90s-flavoured collection of post-math-core blast: introspective and dark lyrics set up a soulful screamo driven by saturated clanky guitars and large roaring basslines, while some of the finest drum patterning I’ve heard for a while progresses over tendencially slow and low-pitched themes. It somehow brings things back to a more down-to-earth approach the listener, running fluidly, heavy, somewhat bristly, possibly Some girls and Drive like jehu inspired, but wrapped in that cloudy south London bitterness.

 Silent Front perfomed for HF last 5th of June @ the Victory in Dalston, home of many DIY acts, in a quality one featuring Bogong in Action, Cutthroat Convention and Common Deflection Problems.

 Mint.

LEMMING RECORDS

Here it goes. Some peeps doing great stuff into the South-Italy DIY scene. That’s the proof DIY is rising his hands in the air, screaming for attentions, saving us from all the crap music industries spit in our faces everyday. As a bell ringing, yet not as loud as we would like to, Lemming Records is absolutely pushing constantly the best music around the Italian scene. Sweet! Based in Taranto while operating in the whole national territory, Lemming hosts ace shows for the best European and American DIY bands And bear in mind: Gaspare (the guy running Lemming Records) started in 2008 when he was just 21! Respect.

Some of the latest releases include artists such as Bokassà, Dispo, Bogong in Action, Microwave with Marge, Butcher Mind Collapse, Eat the Rabbit, Talibam!, Ne Travaillez Jamais, Jesus Franco & The Drogas.

Check out them Soundcloud page and listen to the freshest vibes or read Lemming’s blog to be up-to-dated.

http://soundcloud.com/lemmingrecords
http://lemmingrecords.blogspot.com/

Le Singe Blanc - “Babylon” LP

The first thing that comes to my mind as soon as I can get my hands on this lovingly packaged, solid 180 gr. acid green vinyl record is : These guys really love what they’re doing. Which comes as no surprise if you consider that we’re talking about a 10 year experienced outfit who’s been self-producing and promoting nearly a release per year, has repeatedly toured every single European country plus China (twice), and deservingly earned a big name on the international DIY scene, sharing stages with the likes of Cheer Accident, Zu, Ovo, Squartet and Don Vito (with whom they toured China by train !!).

So I’m waving Le Singe Blanc’s LP “Babylon” (Whosbrain/La Face Cachée/Bar La Muerte) with its beautiful artwork,  resembling a Doner Kebab shop menu, thinking of how the concept of a musical Babylon can clearly come through before even playing the record. Every song is presented as a meal, and the track titles are in totally random languages. Amazing. I’ll go for it.

Before getting to know the full potential of their sounds, a feeling spreads in the room, it’s a genuine and inspired irony. We’ve got something pretty unique here, from the line-up on. Two bass players and a drummer solidly construct grooves made of clattering, crunchy basslines and pounding rhythms that Dianogah and Primus lovers might find familiar, as biting as the no-wave approach to the strings would suggest, as hypnotic as some techno rhythmic patterns need to be, and simply as loud as fuck.

The quintessence of the trio reveals itself in the wide (surprisingly wide!!) range of guttural sounds that they dare to stir in place of vocals. Their delirious storytelling, in fact, can take the form of any sort of growl, falsetto, infantile gibberish, islamiclike nonsense, boozy chants, lyrical glimmers, theatrical bits. Pay a bit of extra attention and you will spot some turkey, monkey, and Tarzan sounds. Meanwhile the music never stops. They drive the melody just wherever they feel like: they go spacey, waltzey, middle-eastern or ska, randomly mentioning some phsychedelic or latin ideas, exploding into a doom of noise, or stepping back to some straight and dry, yet extremely clever riffage. Exactly as I’d expect from a band from Metz (northeastern France, ex German territory, NdR): a very succesful mix of wild German sharpness and French fun-loving actitude.

After our first glance at “Ojalà estè mi bici” event in Barcelona (when LSB, CDP and CRTVTR offered a highly enjoyable set in the warm ambience of the Kasal de Roquetes) last October, and the great times we had then, at Human Feather we bet our paths will cross again.

Also visit Le Singe Blanc’s homepage.

BOGONG IN ACTION - “And that if piggod!” EP

Listening to “And that if piggod!” EP (Lemming Records/HysM?) feels like a fire alarm going off overnight, all night, an imminent earthquake alert, a Brit-popper struck by a 220V jolt while trying to learn a Franz Ferdinand solo.

Bogong in Action are a brash and lively three-piece who don’t beat around the bush, and much prefer painting pictures of something serious going on, without ever polishing any message. They rather propose an over-saturated, delirant, dissonant yet deeply harmonic mix of sound and feeling, the feeling of a project hatched in one of Italy’s bottom-end cities to live, Taranto, where social and urban decay, air-poisoning steel industry and local mafias have turned a truly stunning bay into an unreal B-movies scenario.

All rhythmic patterns are urgent, wild, and recall a military takeover wherein the fat-edged, somehow synthetic bass lines and their mighty wall of sound carry forth the guitars, shouting out as loud as the hardest core of the Seattle scene wouldn’t have dared to do.

Although all vocals are screaming their guts out, the final result decidedly steers away from any of the modern&trendy bunches of hard-cor-ish youngsters showing off their hyper-speed drummers, and super-mega-compressor-pedals, and chooses a far more honest, unique and efficient way of letting their inner apocalypse out.

These guys will be terror..err..touring UK in June for Human Feather. As far as I know, we won’t miss out the chance of being on the first row !!

http://bogonginaction.bandcamp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/bogonginaction

“NEVER USE RECORDS AS FRISBEES” EU TOUR - CDP+CRTVTR

“NEVER USE RECORDS AS FRISBEES” EU TOUR

HUMAN FEATHER can be really proud of its last tour for COMMON DEFLECTION PROBLEMS (UK) and CRTVTR (ITA).

Although it was a really quick one, the 5 gigs played by two of its bands were well planned and organised. First gig was in Milan, where the crowd in a Wednesday nite rock hard the place showing lot of support by taking back home with them records and t-shirts as never before. Second day in Genova. It was the highest peak of DIY spirit: secret gig in CRTVTR studio’s which turned in a mob of crazy people, good vibes and, obviously, brilliant music performances. With an incredible “high profile” hangover, the next day everything had been packed in the van for Montpelier. Sharing the stage with VIALKA, it was absolutely an ace gig with fantastic people. Shame it was just for one day. Barcelona was the next. HF is still surprised of OJALA’ ESTE MI BICI promotion: friendly people, amazing sound, unforgettable food and a venue full of insatiable left-field supporters. With CDP playing before LE SINGE BLANC , the whole night had been a kick ass one! They met LE SINGE BLANC again towards north, starting an “ass-on-window” war driving fast on the motorway. Last day was in Sala Mariscal, where the guys had enjoyed mostly the laid back city of L’Estartit, a small village on the sea side of the Costa Brava. DIY points? 10 on 10. Successful tour? Of course it was. What remain, a part of our name still messing around, are the tour T-SHIRTS and the 12”+CD SPLIT “NEVER USE RECORDS AS FRISBEES” (coming out very soon).

It’s always good to receive positive feedback from bands and venues you are working with, pleased to spin good music such as CDP’s and CRTVTR’s. Looking forward to the next ones. HUMAN FEATHER thanks CDP, CRTVTR, QSQDR, OJALA’ ESTE MI BICI, UP&DOWN, DELPI, STEPHANE, PIER LUIGI GORI, LA VALE, HECTOR, PARMESANO, LE SINGE BLANC, LIGERA, VIALKA, DANIELA, LEG, LLURENZ, ALBERT, SALA MARISCAL, MARIA, ALESSIA, ILARIA, TEO, LLUIS&MARCE’, STIMAMIGLIO&PATRONE’s FAMILIES, CORPOCAVERNOSO and ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THEM ALONG THE WAY.