Maybe we need to figure out a better word for noise to describe some of these records because the deeper and deeper I go into noise I get the feeling that the term is for the most part redundant. Take a well known “noise” group such as Jazkamer. Their recent series of records are all completely different and very few approach noise in a Merzbow sense. I suppose even called Merzbow noise is getting a bit silly – I own 70+ Merzbow records (80+ if I include Merzbient) – given the variety of sound he produces. Maybe that bloke from Choclate Monk has it right when he demanded the use of the term “noises” instead of noise.
You see Marcia Basset (Double Leopards, Hototogisu) is a pretty important artist in the field of “noise” except the sound that she produces is not the same as the brutal Japanese stuff, or the Rust-belt decay of Wolf Eyes of even the playfulness of the Scandanavians. The sound she produces on La Nuit Electrique is both haunting, sinister and at times uncompromising. The first track is like a broken pianola which plays all by itself whilst an AM radio broadcast of the sound of fireworks bubbles underneath. In the last third I get the hint of disembodied voice floating through the track. It demands close listening and a fair bit of volume to tease out all of its hidden gems. The third track is my favourite. Lets just say this afternoon whilst dealing with back pain through the liberal use of codeine and muscle relaxants, I had the distinct feeling of entering a cavern in the middle of an ancient religious ritual. Pimmon used similar vocal effects in his recent show and that just blew me away. This is my first exposure to Basset as a solo artist. This record is certainly not noise in the way most of us define it but it is just as creepy and much more unsettling. I might need to hear more of Zaimph- this records works for me pretty well.
Ducks Battle Satan 