LIABLE

The sound of a horror short played out in real life, View From The Mirror painstakingly doles out dark and criminally minimal industrial synth/drone in two six minute movements. Primitive industrial has rarely been treated with the profound respect that LIABLE manages to offer, without so much as one disingenuous note fouling the experience. The second half of this experience opens with a harsh metallic start and then settles into robotic bliss, commanding a return journey....LIABLE has never disappointed, but this release is of the highest caliber.

VIEW FROM THE MIRROR

From Nostilevo, of course.

LIABLE

Nostilevo impresario manifests once again as LIABLE and produces more sparse industrial/synth offerings. Less intimidating than the Silver/Hypocrisy cassette posted last year, Dominati Kirche und Mineralischen is almost accessible on the first side, but the flip sees a return to dark and minimal sounds. "Youth Crew Revival" is an addictive and terrifying dirge made up of just two sounds, but it draws you in and will hold you transfixed for a full three minutes before lashing out with a start to close to cassette. It's a very casual journey, but one that will leave you altered.

DOMINATI KIRCHE UND MINERALISCHEN

LIABLE

Two nasty industrial dirges from LIABLE. I'm not going to try to read too much into this (or suggest that you read too much into this by writing too much about this), but these tracks are ugly and mean. "Hypocrisy" sounds like the awful and uncomfortable union of THE NORMAL and THROBBING GRISTLE. Yeah - it's that good. Disjointed and disconcerting sounds, from the Nostilevo family, of course.

SILVER/HYPOCRISY

THE ALLIANCE

There are a few stamps of approval that will make me buy something blind almost every time, and Los Angeles by way of Detroit label Nostilevo is one of them. There's no "sound" per se, but the label's distinctive layouts are a guarantee of quality, and it makes taking that step into darkness as easy as ordering that second cocktail...you may not know what's going to happen, but you know you're going to like it. 2013's The Alliance is one hour of sound that proves my point - 13 artists culled from the Nostilevo roster to create an impressive collection of hypnotic noise and carefully controlled industrial chaos. There's the minimal electronics of SCORPIO & GLASS, a devastating SUICIDE-esque tracks from RITUAL HOWLS, dark dance synth in multiple forms (dirty and ominous: CRAOW, classically self indulgent: PHASE FATALE), a filthy rhythmic industrial collaboration from LIABLE, and BLUE KRISHNA's perfectly placed sample laden cool down track at the end of the tape...there's more, but you need to be listening and not reading my drivel. A stunning collection, you're welcome.

THE ALLIANCE

R.G.M.S.

An exercise in patience and/or concentration as much as a sonic offering, 2016's Gate Music presents a 45 minute improvisational foray into manipulated electronics. Surges and blips and beeps and rolling analog distortion punctuated by primitive industrial ambiance. It's fukkn hard but, once you settle in and the aural endorphins start to take over, it is a beautiful experience from the mind and hands of Khristopher Reinshagen (LIABLE, BODY COLLECTOR, Nostilevo, so much more).

GATE MUSIC

NOTHING EVER CHANGES

While an admitted novice in the worlds of noise and modern industrial sounds, I know what I like when I hear it. And with very few exceptions, I like what I hear from the Nostilevo label. This 2012 compilation teams up artists I already wanted to hear more from (SIOBHAN, LIABLE [whose sounds here are arguably more accessible and digestible than ever, which is strange...but awesome], TOLLUND MEN) with the rudimentary dance sounds of BAD USER EXPERIENCE, the sparse electronic meanderings of CHURCH SHUTTLE, and a stunningly dark churning piece from GLASS PATH. Every time I dig deeper into this world, I just want more. Yesterday I got so sucked in that I put on a FRAMTID record just to make sure I still loved hardcore. After I realized that I was indeed still a punk rocker, I went back to listening to a big ass pile of electronic tapes. This tape was in the pile, and so I share it with you today.

NOTHING EVER CHANGES