Guilty Connector : "Cosmic Trigger / 2AM Visit"

Guilty Connector's Ground Fault CD is a new collection of tracks, some previously released in miniscule editions, others brand new. Some live, some studio, mostly solo and one in collaboration with Sudden Infant. The G.C. sound is fast-paced dynamic harsh noise full of sudden stops and rapid fire sonic explosions, which, in combination with G.C.'s penchant for Motorhead/Venom-style heavy metal imagery adds up to a very exuberant hard-rocking whole. There is some of that on here to be sure but there are also field recordings, strange low-volume scraping passages, and intrusions of unexpected calm. So basically this is some sort of hardcore electroacoustic music not afraid to overwhelm the listener with volume but also not afraid to pull back into near-silence and even some moments of dainty beauty. And then add some rock'and'roll touches like the sounds of "drunk and crazy noise fans" on a live track, and G.C.'s own (presumably) singalong on the track that originally appeared on an Abba tribute compilation. The CD is divided into two sides as indicated by the title, and one gets the feeling G.C. would have prefered this release to be a vinyl album. With a thick foldout cover. My favorite piece might be the last- sound quality is clear and powerful, the mixing precise and swift-moving, from hard-panned bursts to stretched out reverbed walls of rushing high-pitched frequencies to crackling bass distortion.

Released by Ground Fault Recordings

Unicorn "Playing With Light"

Unicorn is W.T. Nelson of Bastard Noise and this is his first full-length solo release after a couple of splits and compilation appearances. Three of the tracks on here are for films by Stephanie Miller. These films are included on the CD as Quicktime video files. The inclusion of the films is a great touch, as the music works well with the grainy and mysterious slow-moving images. The audio tracks on the CD are far more musical than the Bastard Noise stylings I was expecting. Something about the starkness of the music (and perhaps small touches like the use of spoken words and the long track titles) make me want to compare this to Godspeed You! Black Emperor much more than Bastard Noise. The pieces make use of some simple, tinkly melodies that sound like they are being played on a music box- this is how the first track opens, before some thick and earthy hums are introduced. The thick hums are the best part of the Unicorn sound- a very rich electric sound that is very deep and organic. I'm not as enthralled by the music-box elements. The release overall feels very slight- I had a hard time grasping the whole thing as a coherent "album"- it seemed like it was over right as I was starting to immerse myself in the sounds. The CD is not particularly short (37 minutes) but feels much shorter- perhaps because the compositions follow a very simple pattern that doesn't vary too much- the music-box tinkles and echoed hums recur in every piece. A bit of screechy feedback, some rain sounds and narration spice up the odd track here and there. Still, the sounds and the recording have a very attractive warmth and there is plenty here to make me want to follow what Unicorn might do next.

Released by Housepig Records