Yes, it sounds strange title wise and it is musically too. Here we have a meeting of minds between two Polish entities both of whom have experimentation and sound-sculpturing foremost in their thoughts. On the one hand we have Noise Gash who are described as an industrial death metal band in some places and are represented by Łukasz Lipski. On the other we have Larmo aka Mirosław Matyasik who provides “dense rhythmic noise beat” and is known for various projects over a two decade plus career. Together they have put together a single track Social Skills here but at just shy of 24 minutes this release is hardly lacking in substance.
Echoing reverb sets you up for what is an expected tinnitus inducing listening session and it is elongated to levels that are close to uncomfortable. A slow chugging riff is next to make its presence with low end bass proportions twanging heavily in the mix at odds to the shrill start of things. Some of the tones that are wrung out here remind me of both Godflesh and Khost something that becomes more apparent to anyone listening to Gash Faith’s Shockwave EP via Bandcamp. Nothing here is hurried, its cumbersome and lumbersome by construct, marching steadily with determination like an unstoppable dinosaur on search for its next meal. Although by now it is obvious this is purely instrumental the bass twang is so hefty you do not realise that there are no drums involved here at first. It has no problems filling up those gaps at all until it suddenly drops out the mix and squalls of fluttery static sounding noise takes over.
By the midway point it is pretty damn hypnotic as it all washes over you with layers of discord which although skilful are pretty anti-social perhaps an insight into the title of this. Play it at a low volume it is quite strangely relaxing. Boost it up (and why wouldn’t you) and anyone else in the vicinity is likely to be fleeing thinking they are being subjected to some sort of sonic weaponry attack. Yep you could quite easily torture prisoners of war to this. As we move towards the conclusion things crackle as though absorbing electricity making it sound as though some strange entity is trying to break through from the other side resurrected from death by foul necromancy. Frequencies contort and it is quite discombobulating as it reaches its peak and deconstructs into silence leaving your ears ringing and your very soul feeling like it has abandoned your body in a desperate escape attempt…
This is one for the intrepid noise explorer who like being challenged and is very much in a niche of its own. Some may wish that it was backed up by a second track of equal length but therein madness no doubt dwells.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
https://www.facebook.com/gashfaith
https://www.facebook.com/larmonoise
Leave a Reply