Assistance "Various" CD
[Brise-Cul]
This disc displays one 20+ minute experimental noise track that's broken up into nine "movements" that run together seamlessly and can't truly be picked out during the course of the listen. Things start out rather nicely with a somewhat dark ambient vibe and a little bit of crackling distortion. Sadly the composition then moves towards a bunch of random crap (distorted keyboard banging and guitar noises or whatever they may be). All I know for sure is that it sounds pretty lame and presents me with the image of a three-year-old kid jumping up and down while fucking around with a bunch of instruments that happen to be running through a lot of effects pedals. The next portion brings some well-executed distorted crunches, nice and thick, broken up by bits of silence or decaying tones. Occasionally what sounds like some total vocal torture comes in and disrupts things a bit, but this passage largely continues on as a whacked out distorted mess... and I mean that in a good way this time! Of course there are some played out porno samples (unnecessary), but lots of fast cutups almost make up for it. Before ending in a torrential downpour of distortion, another great, slightly abrasive dark ambient segment presents itself just past the halfway mark, and I really think this project should focus in on that aspect more often. The recording is loud and really sounds quite good, it's just a shame that the sounds offered up are inconsistent and somewhat lackluster at times... The chaotic elements certainly work best when the material is more straightforward and less "childlike", or what have you. The CD-R comes in a black and white sleeve, and it's sort of plain looking. The reproduction quality is sort of rough, and I'm not that interested in it. The front cover looks like a strawberry with a bullet going through it, and totally reminds me of the cover of the first Bulletboys record. What can I say? Basically this release jumps from being very, very good to being complete and utter crap at several points along the way, if I may be so blunt. Definite potential exists, but for my money Assistance needs to exercise more direction and thought to really go somewhere. (5/10)
Running time - 20:30, Tracks: 1
[Notable tracks: I have no idea where one "movement" ends and another begins]
Brise-Cul Records - http://www.brise-cul-records.cjb.net

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