Atomsmasher - Atomsmasher

Atomsmasher: DJ Speedranch (vocals); James Plotkin (guitar, bass); David Witte (drums).

Personnel: James Plotkin (guitar, guitar synthesizer).

Arranger: James Plotkin.

Blurring the lines between grindcore, experimental noise, and in-your-face electronica, James Plotkin's Atomsmasher's debut comes off like a cross between Atari Teenage Riot, Merzbow, Aphex Twin, Fantômas, and Torture Garden-era Naked City. In other words, it's wild, it's noisy, it's jarring, and it will leave most listeners either very happy or very annoyed. Vocalist DJ Speedranch proves himself to be an obnoxious screamer par excellence on the level of Mr. Bungle's Mike Patton or the Boredoms' Yamatsuka Eye, although, in truth, his voice is often digitally processed and distorted beyond the point of recognition. The same goes for Dave Witte's drumming; his effects-treated percussion frequently sounds more like the work of an abused drum machine. Together with James Plotkin's kaleidoscopic guitar-synth playing (he also plays bass), it can be hard to tell who is doing what -- the array of digital skipping noises, crunchy static sounds, distortion blasts, and other miscellaneous debris is not what you'd typically expect from a guitar/bass/drum/vocals lineup. It isn't all noise and aggression, though, as there are several moments of spacy, guitar-generated ambience scattered amidst the chaos. There is also a welcome sense of humor present: listen to how they juxtapose a goofy children's song with an especially grating Speedranch yelp at the end of "Placebo". Folks who require riffs or clearly spelled-out song structures will feel lost here, but this disc should deliver the goods for anyone excited by James Plotkin's Atomsmasher's on-paper "supergroup" potential. ~ William York

This one is a modern classic for me. Not only because of mastermind James Plotkin was out to play on this one, it's just the whole style of the album mixing the most different styles together that could be found out there. Grindcore like guitars mixing with screams, jazz elements an drone parts. It's a Plotkin release, so it's sick stuff. Just sit down and relax when you play this one on your stereo. You will love it, I'm sure.

Hydra Head

[ Hydra Head / 2002 / Avantgarde / CBR@256 ]

Tracklist

01. Caught in your Orbit (02:39)

02. Zanzibar (01:51)

03. Thunderspit (03:25)

04. Phantomsmasher (03:36)

05. Gilgamesh (04:24)

06. Skitchy (01:25)

07. Very much want Head return (02.09)

08. Placebo (05:03)

09. Skullshot (06:32)

10. Someone is trying to kill me (03:55)

11. Pokemon Gangbang (02:50)

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37:54

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Track 6 (If you get a CRC-Error)

Yakuza - Transmutations

With high praise from the metal press, local and national newspapers, and highbrow publications alike, Chicago’s Yakuza has succeeded in garnering attention of all kinds, all the while not compromising the band’s free-flowing and spontaneous musical integrity. Yakuza stays deeply rooted in a genre all its own: a metal base with progressive flair, while incorporating elements of jazz, world beat, and post-rock ambience. Picture (if you can) a mixture of King Crimson, all periods of John Coltrane’s career, Tortoise, and Napalm Death. The end result is captivating, a sound that Rolling Stone, Revolver, Alternative Press, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, All That Jazz and countless others all agree is refreshingly original and technically proficient, all the while still staying very metal.

Yakuza has always fundamentally been about bending the rules of preconceived musical limitations without ever having to utter a word about it, the Yakuza sound speaks for itself. Samsara, the new record and ensuing journey, is full of peaks and valleys, overtly harsh and aggressive at points, yet mind-trippingly mellow at others. The contrasting soundscapes collide together in an effective symbiosis, creating one of the most all-inclusive albums since Pink Floyds The Wall. Skillfully weaving saxophone melodies and eerie musical landscapes alongside scathing metal riffs and screams alongside an intensely musical rhythm section, Yakuza cannot be considered an acquired taste - it is taste.

(Taken from Last.fm)

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Tracklist

1. Meat Curtains

2. Egocide

3. Congestive Art Failure

4. Praying for Asteroids

5. Raus

6. Steal the Fire

7. The Blinding

8. Existence into Oblivion

9. Perception Management

10. Black Market Liver

11. Zombies

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The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation - Doomjazz Future Corpses!

The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation is the experimental Ambient/Noise/Drone/Jazz alter ego of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, the self-acclaimed “mutant jazz” band formed in 2000 by Jason Kohnen (aka Bong-Ra) and Gideon Kiers, and which later evolved into a six-member piece. Starting with free-form soundtracks to silent films such as Murnau’s “Nosferatu” and Lang’s “Metropolis”, the band gave birth in 2006 to its first eponymous album, released on Planet Mu.

(Taken from Last.fm)

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Tracklist

1. I

2. II

3. III

4. IV

5. V

6. VI

7. VII

8. VIII

9.IX

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Zu - Carboniferous

Zu’s is a rather admirable brand of avant-garde populism. Throw almost any left-field tag at them and it works: free improv, no-wave, punk, alternative metal, math rock, noise rock, avant-prog—Zu is the grime that builds up in the drain when all these genres are slaughtered in the same warehouse. But their populism lies not only in their embrace of styles but the fact that they constantly violate what is considered by many bands to be the sanctity of membership. Numerous groups go through lineup changes but few like this: Zu has always been Italian trio Jacopo Battaglia (drums), Massimo Pupillo (bass), and Luca T. Mai (baritone/alto sax), but they play with a revolving-door series of collaborators—everyone from Mats Gustafsson to Nobukazu Takemura—who often become the distinguishing factors between their numerous records. Still, Zu’s sound is unmistakable, perhaps because in the same way they collaborate as if they were one person, they play as if all their instruments emanated from a single source.

(Read more here...)

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Tracklisting
1. Ostia
2. Chthonian
3. Carbon
4. Beata Viscera
5. Erinys
6. Soulympics
7. Axia
8. Mimosia Hostilis
9. Obsidian
10. Orc

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