David Coen, aka Sow Discord, has made a name for himself creating remixes for the likes of The Body, My Disco, No Statik, and RAKTA, alongside handling electronics and percussion for Australian doom band Whitehorse. Considering Sow Discord’s discography is padded out by a slew of EPs, split releases and compilations, it’s surprising that ‘Quiet Earth’ is his first time trying his hand at a solo full-length release. Predictably, it’s an uncomfortable listen and he’s brought some of the noise genre’s heaviest hitters along for the ride too.
This is a noise album in the truest sense of the meaning – there are rhythms within each of the songs, however, you have to dig deep to truly appreciate them. ‘Quiet Earth’ is not at all accessible and casual fans of the genre won’t have an easy ride with this opus. It’s gritty, raw and focuses mostly around experimental textural layering, with strong industrial influences throughout. Track ‘Watching from the Centre’ features Primitive Man’s Ethan McCarthy and his peppering of guttural vocals add an entirely different dimension to the music which deepens the feeling of unease that creeps alongside this record’s duration. The Body lend their talents to ‘An Eroded Fortune’ and to be honest, with Chip’s trademark banshee shrieks, it sounds like it could have been lifted straight from one of their albums – it breaks the album up nicely, as the vocals are few and far between.
‘Quiet Earth’ is extremely intense, aided by the guitar contributions of Ben Andrews (My Disco) working in synch with the electronic effects and samples to weave together a nightmarish soundscape that feels both desolate and inescapable. If Sow Discord is your first encounter with this particular type of music it may be best to look elsewhere first – this is not for the faint of heart.
(7/10 Angela Davey)
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