Name: Tommi KERÄNEN
Nationality: Finnish
On the front line: since 1999-2000
Activities: inter alia: solo act as KERÄNEN (also known as RULLA between 2005-2007); member of TESTICLE HAZARD and master of sound engineering.
Contact: http://keranen.anoema.com
My ‘date’ receives anonymous 6 compositions picked by me at random. He/She is supposed to discuss their artistic merits, including strengths and weaknesses of applied means of bruitist expression, structure and composing techniques.
1. RONGWRONG Skupiska
from “Our Dark Stars / Skupiska” (RRRecords 1994) 7” EP
Is this a catch or something? Sounds like a promo sampler with various track clips fading in and out. It is like a buffet table with bits of metal junk, drones, processed voice and whatnot. Obviously it does not maintain the atmosphere very well and neither has the disorienting collage effect. Heavy use of reverb in places is another turn off, that’s too often a cheap attempt to try to obtain some sonic depth. The muted voice near the end somehow reminded me of John Duncan but I could make a bet this is not his work. I would not buy whatever it might be promoting.
2. John DUNCAN / Zbigniew KARKOWSKI Chapel Perilous
from VA: ANCKARSTRÖM LIVE (Staalplaat 1993) CD
Looping is a hazardous business. Many times I cannot avoid losing my listening concentration and thinking autopilot music making with lazy loop piling. When the loop kicked in here, I was soon about to start yawning but the sharp cut made a drastic turn. This is also quite episodic but the sonic material and how it is used is much more engaging. I like the sterile yet organic feel of the material and subtle intensity, somehow it feels there is something important going on. The abrupt ending made me wonder if we heard the entire track, I could have listened longer. Many aspects of it made me think of The Hafler Trio.
3. HAARE Untitled
from “Doomsday Sunrise” (Cathartic Process 2011) cassette
Slow grinding grey industrial noisescapes. Classic sound and atmosphere that seems to be fairly popular these days. Monotonic rather than minimal, rather attractive primitive simplicity but 20 minutes of it was too much (or too little) even if I tend to have attraction for long tracks. Fortunately it did not have any yelling in the front, another plus. It is quite rare for me to listen to stuff like this at home, probably most often as a part of some compilation.
Not too bad but I would rather have it in 7″ length.
4. EXSANGUINATE Essorillement
from “Inhuman Treatment” (Misanthrope Studio 2002) mCD-R
Heavy drone at the beginning was promising for a moment but all too soon we end up at the tedious Mad Max nightmare zone. 20 years ago (damn, is it really that long ago?) I was really excited about CMI and all that stuff, and this reminded me about all their marketing slogans back in the day. I can tell it has taken some skill to put it together but other than that I cannot really stomach material like this. And for chrissakes turn that reverb down a bit!
5. SUDDEN INFANT Untitled
From VA: ETAT BRUIT – SWITZERLAND (Scrotum Production 1996) 5 x 7“ EP
This must be something Schimpfluch related, too many clues given right from the beginning. Fuck me if it is not. I have a very high respect and interest towards that direction, but to these ears there is much more interesting stuff coming from there. The classic gagging of course never fails and the second section here has nice strange atmosphere with probably some perv Japanese recording. I prefer the more edit-heavy material, Rudolf’s way to work on edits is so precise it is almost scary, as well as intense live documentation like the absurd and tormenting Asshole/Snail Dilemma
6. ALTAR OF FLIES Dark Tunnels Part 2
from “Permanent Cavity” (iDEAL Recordings 2010) CD
Tape manipulations, 50 Hz static and overall hands-on feel – cannot avoid thinking our fellows across the Gulf of Bothnia. It has nice organic and relaxed flow, as if observing some strange natural phenomenon taking place. Even if it gets a bit noisier in places, it has some kind of muted charm that I could think listening to it in late evenings.
The Catcher in the Noise 