FULL WORM MOON (19 March 2011)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES

IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES


Original Issue: 1988 Cold Meat Industry (CMI-04)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Swedish industrial act, formed by Jouni Havukainen in 1985. ISN has used many different sounds over the years, from dark ambient soundscapes to martial industrial stompage to neoclassical orchestration.

FULL STRAWBERRY MOON (07 June 2009)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

DEUTSCH NEPAL

TOLERANCE


Original Issue: 1994 Staalplaat (STCD 067)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

Psycho-active musick!!! Handle with care

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

1 Horses Give Birth To Flies (7:54)
2 Tolerance 1 (2:25)
3 Manual To Utilization (6:03)
4 Tolerance 2 (2:59)
5 The Eagles Gift (13:39)
6 Tolerance 3 (4:48)
7 Nonexistance (10:14)
8 Tolerance 4 (2:07)
9 Chip Chop (7:11)
10 End Of Tolerance (3:36)
11 Deathmanners (0:07)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from Electric Shock Treatment:

I've been mildly fascinated by Deutsch Nepal's earlier work, but this is the business, where Lina's experiments have borne fruit to create a stunning disc of darkly brooding music.

Opener Horses Give Birth To Flies rides in on pounding hooves and disconnected horse whinnies, laid over ominous keyboards.

The rest of the album continues in a similar vein, with ocean-deep rumbles throbbing away beneath insect twitters and discordant electronic grinding noises. Voices echo in the distance, bass sequences turn inside out and upside down, drones swing around each other like stalking wolves. Such disturbing listening makes for interesting dreams.

RUNIC MOON (nordic musick)

ORCHIS

A THOUSAND WINTERS


Original Issue: 1997 Cryptanthus (CYT 03 CD)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

Über-rare pagan folk muzak from one of the co-founders of the important World Serpent Distribution label

p.s. fans of The Iditarod...DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!!

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

1 The Horseman (0:14)
2 Blood Of Bone (5:40)
3 Blackwaterside (3:42)
4 The Hare / Jennet (2:58)
5 Gallows Man (5:00)
6 Arcadia (4:28)
7 The Horn (0:23)
8 He Walks In Winter (6:14)
9 Magaera (3:21)
10 Winter (1:02)
11 Risen (6:13)
12 From The Iron Wood (7:49)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from http://www.myspace.com/orchistheband:

ORCHIS is an English Dark Folk band consisting of Tracy Jeffery (who also sings with Cunnan and J Greco's SQE), Amanda Prouten and Alan Trench (Cunnan, SQE, Twelve Thousand Days (with Martyn Bates), Temple Music).

We have so far managed to release four albums to date starting in 1994 with The Dancing Sun (cryptanthus /World Serpent), which was more a collection of formative pieces than anything else, then in 1997 the concept album that was A Thousand Winters (cryptanthus / World Serpent). Mandragora (Trisol), an alchemical album based around the themes of life, death and the transmutation of the soul followed in 1999 and in 2001 Trait (a ‘best of’ released through the Russian Brudenia label).

Relocation and various tedious problems put ORCHIS on the back burner for a while whilst we buried ourselves in other projects like the busy bunnies we are; we raised our heads out of the mire again in 2007 with the ‘Other Days’ download ep via the (now sadly defunct) Woven Wheat Whispers legal folk download service...

There have been numerous compilation album appearances over the years, with some tracks turning up on the ‘Trait’ album. We like to think, as the Fairports had it, that we are Nicely Out Of Tune - there was the odd perfect take, but those were never the ones that went on the albums - rather it was the ones that kept to the True Spirit.... ORCHIS, the Ancient Kingdom of East Lindsey, 2009...

ALCHEMICAL MOON (transformation musick)

VOICE OF EYE

TRANSMIGRATION

Original Issue: 1995 Cyclotron Industries (CYCI CD - 333)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

The first time (it was 1995) that I listened to this work, I was completely blown away...and the same nowadays!

Voice of Eye declared that: All sound sources are acoustic in origin, then processed through little black boxes to warp time and open the listener's perception.

Well, if these are the results, we all should buy a couple of these 'black boxes' and apply them to our auricles during everyday activities. Our boss voice would sound a lot better... ;-)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

1 Transmigration (Bardo I) (19:22)
2 Transcendence (7:35)
3 Sirens (Bardo II) (6:16)
4 Tempest (5:39)
5 Garden Of Earthly Delights (4:45)
6 Oblivion (Bardo III) (23:51)

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from (the late) Electric Shock Treatment:

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

from Spyderbites:

I waited a long time to hear this; it was worth the wait.

An all-acoustic recording which attains utterly surreal soundscapes. For 67.5 minutes, the tracks of Transmigration document the soul's mysterious afterlife journey, taking the listener through unbelievable sonic realms.

Not too many ethno/tribal influences really, though Transcendence pairs densely quivering violin strings with pounding jungle drums, which are eventually joined by tweedling Middle Eastern flute. That track segues into the blaringly resonant drones of Sirens (which I first fell in love with as part of the 3-Disc Storm of Drones comp).

Other notable passages include the multitudinous ghostly moans of the opening track, the whirlwind stratospherics of Tempest, and the murky festivities of Garden of Earthly Delights. Speaking of murky, it certainly gets that way in Oblivion (Bardo III), the almost-24-minute-long closing piece. Swirling soundclouds obscure everything else, eventually receding to leave a pristine silence which leads to further encounters I won't divulge here.

Find out for yourself, if you can find a copy.

PINK MOON (feminine musick)

MIRANDA SEX GARDEN

FAIRYTALES OF SLAVERY

Original Issue: 1994 Mute Records (CD STUMM 129) Buy it here

Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

1. Cut
2. Fly
3. Peep Show
4. Wooden Boat
5. Havana Lied
6. Cover My Face
7. Transit
8. Freezing
9. Serial Angels
10. Wheel
11. Intermission
12. Monk Song
13. Fairytale About Slavery

from Progarchives:

Since their debut with the exclusively vocal "Madra", Miranda Sex Garden kept making changes in the music and lineup, 1994 is not the exception, before the release of "Fairytales of Slavery" Kelly McCusker left the band and is replaced by the talented vocalist and keyboardist Hepzibah Sessa and the band recruits Kim Fahey to take care of the bass, leaving Trevor Sharpe only in charge of drums and percussion due to the complexity of the rhythm section of this album.

The first problem is how to describe this album, still we can listen the evident and main Gothic/Folk/Medieval influence but with a more aggressive edge that leaves them closer to Industrial and Post Rock with a touch of Symphonic, probably if we listen carefully we'll find some other genres but the main thing is that this is a clearly Progressive Rock album.

It’s a pity that “so called” critics have lumped this band into the underground Goth genre keeping it hidden from the world, because it’s not accurate, they are Gothic in the classical sense of the world because they are Medieval and as we know Gothic is the name that was given to the last two centuries of Middle Age music (For God’s sake, their first album is only composed of Madrigals from the 1600’s, how more classical and late Medieval can it get?).

Of course is obscurantist because the Middle Ages were dark and obscure but this self proclaimed experts probably believe that the main genre is Goth (The black, vampire inspired rock sub-genre) and not just a commercial derivation of this classical epoch, in the case of Miranda Sex Garden they keep the Gothic sound intact but adding many different influences in a complex and perfectly elaborated way.

If you are searching for epics and abrupt changes maybe you'll be disappointed, but if you love atmospheric, dark and aggressive music, well this is a good choice, sounds like RENAISSANCE meets FANTOMAS, the result is absolutely scary but excellent, somehow like "The Director's Cut" sung by Annie Haslam.

But lets go to check the 13 tracks (Cabalistic number by the way):

The album starts with an unusual rock oriented track based in a strong guitar and the wonderful vocals that seem to float above this chaos of sounds, the violent violin by Donna McKevitt is simply delightful, frantic from start to end with perfect synchronicity between bass and drums, no time to breath, of course the usual strange sounds add the darkness required.

“Fly” starts with a mysterious guitar surrounded by low bass and keyboards absolutely dark and haunting, the vocals slowly blend with this phantasmagoric atmosphere until a sudden explosion shows us that they have enough power, but again they return to the softer and dark sound and again another explosion that marks the end of the track.

“Peep Show” starts so soft that is almost not audible for the first 30 seconds, but in a fraction of second and out of nowhere the band and vocalists attack us based mostly in drums, bass and guitar, the vocals sound as being in a second but different plane, by moments I feel some Oldfield like sections. But of course with Katharine distinctive vocals.

“The Wooden Boat” sounds much more Medieval, like a return to their early Madrigals album, but the soft instrumental arrangements and strange sounds reminds us they have a post rock edge, very experimental song even when not one of my favorites.

“Havana Lied” is a Cabaret song in German (Creating some sort of WWII atmosphere), Andrew Blick’s trumpet (Guest musician) is simply perfect for an excellent recreation, this song prove once again that this band is really weird but imaginative and original. “Havana Lied” is a repetitive but interesting experimental track.

“Cover My Face” is brilliant, so strong, so violent and at the same time softened by the beautiful vocals that seem to hide behind all this aggression, some ancient maybe Egyptian influences that can be barely listened above the Industrial background, one of the best tracks by Miranda Sex Garden, no abrupt changes, but absolutely dramatic, the ending is an absolute chaos, simply love it.

“Transit” of course starts with the guitar drums and keyboards simulating the sounds you can listen in a traffic jam, honestly too weird for my taste, the instruments seem too fight one against the other and Katharine uses his voice only to hound like a police or ambulance siren.

“Freezing” starts almost like Overture from Tommy, the guitar reminds clearly of Pete Townsend, but the howling by Katharine and the other girls return us to a different reality we’re before another strange track, short but effective.

“Serial Angels” is one really beautiful track, different to all the previous, the vocals are not so important, the problem is that the first half is recorded so low that you have to rise the volume to the max to barely listen it, but then a soft guitar and drums that go in crescendo mark the change, to a more rhythmic section where all the melody is provided by a soft chorus.

“Wheels” is like a time machine, from the late XX Century we return to the XIV or XV, this is almost like a cyclical song that describes perfectly a carousel, seems absolutely repetitive but don’t let this impression fool you, each repetition or cycle is different to the previous, as I said starts clearly medieval, but in the next round an instrument is added, first some chords, then bass, keyboards and at the end a beautiful and shocking chaos, almost the same procedure used by Mike Oldfield at the end of Tubular Bells side one, but more chaotic.

“Intermission” is just a collection of sounds like an Orchestra of bagpipes, but in the deepest part of this sounds there’s a haunting melody, pretty scary but short.

Now if you want weirdness “The Monk Song” is your best choice starts with the strangest vocal arrangements, lots of howling and moaning perfectly synchronized by the three women who have an incredible vocal range, all this screams supported by the drummer playing the metals, interesting and advanced but absolutely out of this world.

The album is closed with the best song “A Fairytale about Slavery” wonderful and magic track that starts absolutely Medieval with piccolo, drums and completely haunting vocals, creating a beautiful melody, the rest of the instruments especially keys and violins blend progressively creating a second tune in the background that slowly starts to take the lead and relegate the vocals to a second plane, until it reaches a point where the aggressive instrumentation and the vocals mix loudly with a very heavy and distorted guitar, creating as usual a dreamy mixture of the ancient and sacred with the modern and Pagan, a collision between two worlds and two conceptions of music, at the end the melody dissolves as if it was blending with the air and we can only listen the repetitive piccolo. 100% Progressive Rock, lovely and brilliant.

Hard to rate it, maybe some people will say this is subjective and too high, but something as adventurous, weird, dramatic and beautiful can’t be rated with less than 5 stars, yes it’s shocking for people used to melodic Symphonic, but Progressive Rock must also be innovative and dramatic.

If you never heard of this band, start with “Fairytales of Slavery” I’m sure that Symphonic, Post Rock, Folk and even Industrial fans will love it, probably is too weird and aggressive for Art Rock and Neo Prog fans because of it’s extreme complexity, but not everybody has to love the same music.

Iván Melgar-Morey

FULL HARVEST MOON (26 September 2007)

The Musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES / DEUTSCH NEPAL
MORT AUX VACHES

Original Issue: 1995 Staalplaat (No Number - Limited to 1000 Copies)



Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

01 In Slaughter Natives Mort Aux Vaches
a) In Slaughter Natives Awakening Clean Cathedral
b) In Slaughter Natives Pure Sacred Worms
c) In Slaughter Natives To Mega Therion
d) In Slaughter Natives Death Just Only Death
e) In Slaughter Natives Skin Sore Eyes

02 Deutsch Nepal Mort Aux Vaches
a) Deutsch Nepal Father
b) Deutsch Nepal 29 Needles
c) Deutsch Nepal Horses Give Birth To Flies
d) Deutsch Nepal October Lund-Home

A Review:

Dronology #2: where Industrial Churning merges with Goth gurning.

In Slaughter Natives' descriptively titled "Awakening Clean Cathedral" is a wonderful hokum of deep, lowing crypt sounds, tolling bells, circling vulture squeals, disembodied choir, severed finger piano exercises and Gregorian moans.

...

Dronology #3: Deutsch Nepal's miasma of mesmerisms is confounded from voiceloops, souk atmospherics and yo-yo sample trickery. Their barren dronescapes work up emotive elegies evocative of some lost land.

Biba Kopf - The Wire 134 - April 1995