WE'VE MET BEFORE, HAVEN'T WE? is a self produced CDr which functions as an appetizer of the forthcoming Cruise [Ctrl] second CD on Divine Comedy Records titled "How's Annie?". The three tracks continue their tradition of 120bpm tracks where analog electronics coupled to treated guitars create obsessive atmospheres. The opening "Henry's head" sounds a bit static but its aim isn't the one to create a melodic tune, it rather to be focused on alternation of tension. The second track "The bunny room" leave the drum machine and the distortion to offer a soft guitar sound coupled to a sidereal sound that crawls slowly between the sounds created by the picked strings. "Where is alice? Alice who?" is a mid tempo track that sounds like a industrial e.b.m. 80's track where drum machine and sequencer play the main part while industrial distortions create the mood. Unfortunately I hadn't the chance to check their first official album so I can't confront that one with this but as far as I can hear, Cruise [Ctrl] kept their ability to create tension also keeping the sound under control.

EXPERIMENTAL STRUCTURE is a recording of a live event held in St. Petersburg in October 2008. For this gig Noises Of Russia saw their line up extended to seven people. Gosha Solnzev aka 1g0g ("Van Gog") has been helped by Nikolay Kalmykov (Hladna), M.M. (Kryptogen Rundfunk), Igor Potsukailo (Bardoseneticcube), Evgeny Savenko (Lunar Abyss Deus Organum), VJ Alco (video projection) and Grigory Glazunov (ODDDance Theatre, butoh dance). The ten tracks of this limited 250 CDrs edition see the combo improvising using vocals, metal percussions, distorted noises and humming creepy sounds. Mixing live sounds with samples and treated sources the atmosphere created is the one typical of experimental 80's releases of the likes of "Berlin Atonal" or the Coil/Zos Kia tape released by Necrophile. Intense and ritualistic...

Always in balance between industrial music, power electronics, free jazz improvisation and experimental sounds, REMOTE AKTION is the latest Sshe Retina Stimulants record. Listening to "Earlier Reports Suggesting Generation Of Erratic Thunderstorms, Validated And Responsive To Cognitive Struggle", "Prospective Psychological Armory Corrupting Into Degradation Of Planetary Pulsation Speed", "Measuring Variations Which Can Be Interpreted As Gravitational Effects Of Incoming Impact and "Unnaturally Induced Earthquakes Turning Vehicle Systems Into Exotic Phenomena" I feel like myself treated like Alex DeLarge on A Clockwork Orange. There are so many layers of treated sounds that it is strange when you hear an acoustic guitar coming by or another natural sound. If on early days (like on "Harakiri for 7 strings") Paolo was used to push his feet on the turbo boost pedal, nowadays he alternates sounds and atmospheres inducing into the listener a particular feeling of dizziness creating a unique sound scenario.

Released the same time with the split CD with Kreuzer, ALLOCUTIO is the first Surma full length. Coming from Ukraine the musical project on this CD presents eight tracks that don't differ a lot from the sound of what proposed on the aforementioned split CD. Using dark industrial grinding noises/synth pads as background sounds, Surma is usual to mix them with Russian old records or movie samples succeeding sometimes into the aim of creating a good soundtrack to despair (check at this purpose "Second vision", "Fifth vision" and the ambient industrial sounds of "Everything that has remained"). If the tracks of the split CD didn't excite me, these new eight sound a little more varied but Surma in my opinion has a certain potential that has still to be used.

VILTIS is a split CD where we find Kreuzer (presenting, after its debut album "In hoc signo vinces", five new tracks) and Surma, a very young Ukrainian project with four tracks. The Kreuzer tracks differ from the album ones as they sound more industrial and even more minimal, if possible. The CD opens with the first of three parts of "Father listened to the radio". This one mix samples of old records in Lithuanian language, distant militaristic drums and mysterious atmospheres. The second part is half harsh industrial and half dark ambient but it doesn't sound that interesting. The third part gathers old records samples and industrial rhythmical loops. "Rainy night in Kanaus" is a atmospheric industrial ambient minimal hypnotic track which sound a bit unfinished. "God save Lithuania" is the best one of the lot, with its obsessive looped melody coupled to light distorted sounds and rhythms. The four tracks by Surma didn't excite me as I didn't find them too interesting as we have harsh sounds mixed with distant imperceptible melodies, chants, ambient sounds, industrial ambient distortions all mixed with constant crackling old records noise. There's no will of making the track evolve. I hope that the album "Allocution" will sound different. We'll check if this will happen on my forthcoming review...