From: mason@dante.uucp (Mason Jones)
Subject: Re: Reality Reviews (long)
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 17:50:11 GMT
Organization: Charnel House

bkeeley@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Brian Keeley) writes:
: 
: Swans - _Body to Body_ (Young God/Sky (in US)). [16 tracks, 64.51] 
: 	[However, listening to this and to stuff like _Raping a Slave_ 
: (which hasn't yet made it onto CD), makes me wonder:  what on earth 
: makes Godflesh so special?   What is the Godflesh sound other than 
: 10 year old Swans with a sampler and drum-machine? (This is not a 
: rhetorical question.  Would somebody familiar with both groups like to 
: tell me?)]

I think there's no doubt that Godflesh have always carried a heavy
debt to Swans.  Swans have been responsible for a *lot* of other groups,
including Skin Chamber, Stickdog, IDF, and Godflesh.  I'd say Godflesh
rely more on simple, faster rhythms and guitar, while Swans was more
like repetitive poetry backed by sonic sludge, but maybe that's being
picky.  Basically I'd say that most fans of Godflesh think Swans sound
like "White Light..." and have never heard "Filth" and "Cop."  That's
why they think Godflesh is so special.  Personally, I like 'em both.

: Z'ev - _1968-1990 One Foot in the Grave_ (Touch/Rough Trade).  
: 	However, before I leave the subject of Z'ev I'd like to request any 
: info y'all might have on extant recordings of Z'ev-Rhythm & Noise 
: collaborations.  There is one simply incredible track on Disc I, and I'd 
: kill to get other similar recordings (expecially on CD).  If any of this 
: sounds familiar, then please post me.

Unfortunately, I don't think there are any official releases by
Rhythm & Noise featuring Z'ev in any major capacity.  The first time
I saw R&N a few years ago Z'ev played with them, but since R&N hasn't
released anything new since about 1987, there's nothing available.
I do have a few live tapes which may or may not feature Z'ev, but most
of the drumming in R&N now is by Tim North (who is incredible).

You may also not be pleased to hear that Z'ev is totally into rave/techno
music now.  A pity, but there it is.

: Trance - _Automatism_ (Charnel House CDCD-2). Mason probably 
: won't be pleased to know that I picked this up for 2 pounds in 
: London, and that I saw many similarly-priced copies elsewhere on my 
: European travels.

Actually, it's doesn't bother me a bit.  If people can get it cheaply
than it's fine with me.  Charnel House still gets just as much for it.

: I also hate to say that I'm not all that impressed 
: with it.  There is something decidely lackluster about the whole CD.  
: More ambient than rhythmic, my personal feeling that the guitar 
: effects are much too overused.  One can handle only so much fuzzy, 
: distorted, monotonous guitar feedback.  I much preferred the more 
: produced, rhythmic, sampled sound of Trances' _Arrythmia_ 
: compilation track.  

It's definitely a different style; the forthcoming Trance CD on
Staalplaat is yet another style, very classical and rhythmic.  I
suspect you'll like that one more.  The live one I'm working on
editing right now, on the other hand, will be drums and tons of
mutilated guitar sounds, so you'll probably dislike that one.  Each
to his own.  But I'd expect you to like some tracks like "Transaction"
and "Cavalry Rescure" at least.

: Crash Worship ADRV - _!Espontaneo!_.
: vocal-less minutes on this disc to make it quite enjoyable.  I'm quite 
: looking forward to what CW sound like in a professional, well-
: produced studio situation, what with the Cold Spring release due 
: hopefully very soon.

Remember that the Cold Spring release is old material remixed and
remastered, so it's not exactly professionally-produced new material.
It contains tracks from their cassettes, from the "Whatsoever..."
EP and their 12" singles.  They've started recording new material
for a release (maybe from Cargo, maybe not), but since they're on
tour now it's on hold of course.  The Cold Spring release should be
out any day.


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