The oddly titled 833-45 is a musical project from the prolific sound artist K.M. Krebs, whose works under his own name had previously been reviewed here. The music of 833-45 is a amalgamation of industrial drones, radio signals, and electronic noises that may perplex some but fascinate others. Tunguska is more of a post-modern industrial sound sculpture than a musical composition. The title is taken from the 1908 explosion in Russia, probably caused by a small comet or large meteor, and the recording has a similar post-apocalyptic desolation in its sound. I find it strangely calming. Whether you find it calming or disturbing, it is definitely worth a listen.

The album is available in 320kbps MP3 or FLAC format. If you enjoy the music, you can find out more about this project from Krebs’ 833-45 blog.

Download

If you are looking for peaceful music for relaxation and meditation, Worrg’s free online album Oone is definitely not the one you will want. The leader of Merde Sur La Mer keeps his unfortunately brief (15 minutes) solo effort on the abrasive and manic side. Bordering on the avant garde, it still manages to remain quite accessible with snappy melodies sidestepping the heavily percussive madness. Think of an industrial Zappa or John Zorn on a rock and roll kick. This is a frantic but immensely enjoyable bit of insanity.

The EP is available from Terminal Station in 320kbps MP3.

Download

I wish there were classes like this when I went to college. Harvard students attended a music class taught by Damon Krukowski called “Noisy Art”. They explored the concept of noise art as represented by the theories of John Cage but also applied it by attempting to make their own art from noise. They went to the local Goodwill store and chose their “instruments” which could be anything that made a sound. Their guide for cacophony came from the British composer Cornelius Cardew who had similar ideas in the makings with his Scratch Orchestra in 1969. Hence the name of The Itchy and Scratchy Orchestra as a salute to Cardew as well as to our own modern culture.

This is a curious recording. It is a single track session of their Harvard concert. The works are from graphic scores rather than musically notated ones and require no musical experience. The sound is poor and inconsistent. A hand on the volume control is strongly advised as it fades in and out. More importantly, it can be argued whether these students are performing good music, bad music, or even music at all. I must admit it is difficult for me to sit through even the 17 minutes duration of this recording. So why did I bother to feature this work? Because it is good to hear that which confounds our expectations. If anything, this work will cause us to discuss what is music, what is art, and what is just noise. I do not pretend to have the answer.

The work is available from Ubuweb in 320kbps MP3.

Download

If this doesn’t trip you out, consider yourself untrippable. Japanoise artist Isuzu Kochiwa has recorded 18 short pieces, each representing a famous visual artist, and packaged them into an online album titled Disassembling The Molecules. He uses voice, computer, samples and pretty much anything he can get his hands on to make these miniature sound sculptures. The results are pleasantly weird and often borders on the psychedelic. Whether “Warhol” sounds like a Andy Warhol painting or “Duchamp” is similar to a Marcel Duchamp masterpiece is immaterial. (Actually, I think the Duchamp piece is the most accurate sound representation of the collection.) It’s best to see these odd pieces as a peek into Kochiwa’s strange but wonderful mind.

It is available by separate tracks or a full album zip in 64kbps MP3, VBR MP3, or Ogg Vorbis.

Download

The five person improvisation group Zloty Dawai likes to live on the edge. Their albums are recorded in one take with no editing and no overdubbing. Their previous album on WM recordings received raves from Free Album Galore and from just about everyone who listened to it. Their new album Dada Work Chant is another amazing sound experience.

As with the last album, Zloty Dawai intermingles ambient soundscapes with long doses of avant-garde jazz and noise. Their effortless ability to go from dreamscapes to chaos is fascinating. There is a special empathy between the musicians. This type of music always runs the risk of sounding indulgent and meaningless. Yet there is a clear communication of structure and meaning in this improvisatory feast. This is an experimental music album that begs for repeated listenings. There is so much going on that each listen will reveal new layers.

The albums is available by either separate tracks or full album zip. The files are 192kbps MP3.

Download

Furious Pig was a vocal experiment by four youths in Devon, England. It included Stephen Kent who went on to be a major contributor to New Age and World Music through bands like Trance Mission, Lights In A Fat City, and his own solo CDs. Their only recording was an EP, I Don’t like Your Face, on Rough Trade Records. Again, we have Ubuweb to thank, this time dubiously, for making this available as a free download.

Furious Pig’s sound can barely be called music. It is syncopated screaming and yelling. It is also utterly captivating. The Pigs shout, shriek, and moan through three tracks for almost 14 minutes leaving the listener in a form of shock but with a smirk that says “I can’t believe they got away with this”. I love this EP for its sheer audacity. I am glad Furious Pig made this one record. I am also glad they didn’t make another.

It is available in 192kbps MP3.

Download

Nagoski himself can explain his music better than I can: “I make recordings of single sounds, over and over again. Each track is slightly different but each is part of a set of that single sound. Then, rerecording that tape down a bunch of times in various mixes and at various speeds with the idea of tuning them to each other in mind onto multiple CDs, I play the CDs back together - sequentially and simultaneously - along with the source tape through a mixer, which then becomes the performance instrument. Controlling the tape speed and EQ of like sounds as I project them back into a room, I play the entire sound with equal attention to the interferences as to their related source-elements.”

Uh, yeah… whatever. I’d just say it’s gradual, buzzing, dark ambient music, and curiously, it’s a thrill to listen to.

The 4 tracks (46 minutes) are available as 160kbps MP3s.

No longer available