Listening Diary
Listening Diary
Grubenwehr Freiburg
Astro / Thorn Bug - The Other World And This World (2024)
Cassette tape
The Other World And This World is a recent split tape on Grubenwehr Freiburg between fiery Romanian experimental Harsh Noise project Thorn Bug and the Japanese psychedelic Noise legend Astro (also known from the legendary group C.C.C.C.). Both artists utilise different approaches within the works on this tape but have in common the usage of quirky psychedelic effects, variation in composition as well as a certain depth to the layering of their compositions. Diving deeper into the tracks on this tape we find more details as seen in the following section:
Track-by-track analysis
A
Thorn Bug
- FAR reprise
FAR reprise starts off in a surprising manner with dark subdued piano notes filling a rumbling heavy low end laden atmosphere. Subtle drums and reversed guitar like tones eventually back the solemn cinematic piano melody. A great introduction by Thorn Bug that sets the stage for some surprising works to come.
- Everything feels like nothing at all
Starting with crackling noise backed by muffled voices this piece eventually builds towards super low end heavy noise full of mechanical humming, wild panning effects and a generally murky atmosphere. The noise is electric full of sparks, harsh squeals and laser beam effects. It’s moving all the time making this piece super engaging and enjoyable to listen to. Ring modulator effects feature too, firing the noise incidentally into tiny sparks of sound.
- A loss of meaning
With delay effects and quirky, strange psychedelic tones this piece continues the fire into liquid types of sound textures but still backed with tasty murky low end. Piercing feedback enters as delay time gets manipulated into swirls as well as transition to further piercing engine like bass tones. Thorn Bug’s noise is very virtuoso, rich in variation and textures, full of movement and nicely mixed making all separate layers clearly audible whilst retaining the at times piercing intensity.
- Distortion of self
Bleeping tones enter, which sounds again admittedly very entertaining. As much as the noise is intense it’s also at times super playful which makes it very fun to listen to. The sci-fi like gltichiness only adds to the enjoyments making Thorn Bug’s sonic sculptures sound ever stronger. Whilst the noise is moving all the time, eventually I started to notice certain rhythmic patterns too creating moments of recognisable paths inside the constantly unpredictable barrage of sonic mayhem.
B
Astro
- The other world and this world
Astro’s piece The other world and this world starts with mysterious Industrial shifting noises until erupting in stereo panned psychedelic noise with a great usage of delay to create a helicopter like choppy effect within the stereo image. Heavy streams of rumble then start to accompany the quirky effected tones that fly around us. Reversed metallic sounds enter as we continue our sonic journey becoming backed by wooden rumble and a speeding up of the helicopter like patterns. The fluid sculptural quality of the textures Astro creates are a great aspect of his noise that make this piece very tactile and physical sounding. Looped industrial sounds eventually add great rhythmic elements to the piece leading towards a sea wave like stream of sound which keeps on flowing. The stream gets even wetter with squelchy synth tones creating ripples, buzzes and various other exciting sonic shapes as the piece moves forward. It’s truly inspiring work with some parts having an almost melodic edge to them through tonal elements that form subtle patterns. The strangely muffled and looped vocals additionally add a great level of subconscious surrealism to the piece. The mix of super choppy loops and Dark Ambient atmosphere is another unique side to this piece that you rarely find easily in Noise.
This standard edition tape, associated posters and digital download of this release is still available from Grubenwehr Freiburg here: https://grubenwehrfreiburg.bandcamp.com/album/the-other-world-and-this-world
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