South Saturn Delta - Experience The Concreteness

Along with C.C.C.C.'s Chaos Is The Cosmos, Cold Spring continue their foray into Japanese noise with the debut release from South Saturn Delta. South Saturn Delta bring together Maso Yamazaki (Masonna) and Hiroshi Hasegawa (C.C.C.C., Astro), with Nobuko Emi (Tsurubami) on drums for one track. It's a brutal marriage comprising Masonna's noise and Hasegawa's more spacey and psychedelic noise drawn from four live performances from between 2003 and 2005.

Slabs of frenzied guitar open 'Captain Beefstake Plant' quickly lunging headfirst into surging and throttling electronics. Washes of feedback quickly get sucked into the mix, alongside punishing cries and moans. Clocking in at a mere 6 minutes it's something of a teaser, quickly setting the tone for the impressive assault of the next two tracks. 'Decadence Cultivation' bursts forth with 20 minutes of rhythmic noise. A whipping throb underpins the layered electronic shudders of the analogue synthesizers. Whooshes of sound jet in and out. Siren-like tones are generated, as machines appear to malfunction. Yamazaki and Hasegawa scream for their lives. But for the most part this is a blistering assault of heaving, throbbing rhythmic noise, with an added dose of feedback. Lots of feedback. 'Banishment Snake' is like a hyper version of C.C.C.C. with the dials turned up full. It achieves lift-off within seconds imploding into a supremely executed slice of atmo-noise derived from feedback, static and drone, exploring finely nuanced variations in sound, occassionally setting off short blasts of ringing alarms. It's totally relentless for its 15 minute duration and definitely a highpoint of Experience The Concreteness. The final piece, 'Rocket Incantation' goes off at a tangent seemingly appearing to tap into a free jazz skronk type of thing with the synthesizer replacing the horns. Tsurubami's Nobuko Emi smashes his way around his kit while Yamazaki coaxes feedback and a din of squall from his guitar. It 'rocks' in a similar fashion to the UK's now defunct Ascension. Maybe it's a subtle nod to Jimi Hendrix, since Maso Yamazaki and Hiroshi Hasegawa lifted the name for this collaboration from one of his song titles. Who knows, but, aside from the final track, Experience The Concreteness is an assured piece of noise from two established figures in the Japanese noise scene. A full blown studio release would be welcome though. For more information go to www.coldspring.co.uk