No John - madame la vertu
3" cdr
available
mp3
(New belgian half analog, half digital project from Charleroi. One track of 7 min only, but an extremely intense noise one. Loud stuff !)
Review on Noisereviews : "This is how harsh noise should be. Wait, let me rephrase that: This is my favourite type of harsh noise. This release by new label AmorfSounds features a single 7 minute track. Looks like i'll have to check out more stuff by No John. Sure, it's only 7 minutes long, but hey - who cares? This stuff is intense, loud, and unpretentious harsh noise. It starts off wall-ish, with low harsh frequencies. It's the type of noise that become very comfortable to the ear after a while, and it takes you to a dream-like state of mind. After about 2 minutes, the whole thing denses out, introducing some higher tones and more white noise by adding more distortion. I've said this for a while now: half analog and half digital is the way to go. Then, halfway through the fourth minutes, the low harsh frequencies become even more prominent, altering from grinding noise to low, digital synthesized scape. The first 2 minutes of this track are unforgettable, and the rest just a different, without letting go of the abrasive and smooth (once you get used to it) sound. This release and label puts Belgium back on map. Wait, what am I talking about? I forgot about Audiobot for a second. Either way, completely awesome and unpretentious harsh noise, the way it should be done. Better act quick, only 40 are being pressed."
Review on Noiseblog: With a mere 7 minutes (6:56 to be exact) this one is a shorty - The red-sprayed 3″CDr coming in an oversized crystal box contains 1 track. First couple of minutes are fairly powerelectronics oriented with a heavy short drone, then the sound of a taxying airplane is added - It’s much in line with the other CDr i reviewed a couple of months earlier: very repetitive (”Got a delay up there?”) and truely “spatial” because he’s working with the two ends of the frequency spectrum - No John in quadrophone! Now!
Review on Heathen Harvest : Although arriving in a full sized, slim line CD jewel case, this is in actual fact a mini CDr containing just one, seven minute piece. What it lacks in size and duration it more than makes up for in attitude, impact and sheer brutality. No John has refined a primal outpouring of aggression into audio form. Like the sonic equivalent of that almost overwhelming urge to throttle your boss with his own tongue, or the soundtrack to the fistfight you’ve always wanted to get into with that cunt from accounts. Both scenarios would probably take me around seven minutes to complete, but listening to Madame La Vertu would achieve the same release, without the bruised knuckles or the assault charge. (Now there’s a concept, Harsh Noise as an anger management tool. Sign me up for an extended course of treatment immediately.) Amorf Sounds is a small label, but if all their output is of a similar quality to this then Noise fans everywhere should be taking notice. Likewise the artist himself, I’m not personally familiar with any of No John’s other output, but my appetite has been whetted by this short, vitriolic piece, I want to hear more and intend to do just that.