L'eclipse Nue - Lifeblood

I can't say I'm familiar with the noise/industrial unit L'eclipse Nue but we received a copy of their latest album Lifeblood from the German label Aussaat. L'eclipse Nue began when Daniel Sine was living in Japan. In Japan he performed with members of C.C.C.C., Hijokaidan, Incapacitants so it's not surprising to find noise is one of the major preoccupations of Lifeblood. Lifeblood is one of his first releases from L'eclipse Nue since relocating back to America. Now resident in Hartford, CT, much of Lifeblood was recorded in his apartment in an area he describes as a once prosperous but is now run down and derelict. Lifeblood ranges from noise to more sculpted textured work with a couple of collaborations including one excerpted from a recording session in Tokyo a few years back. It's a varied album of noise, which is manipulated, layered and looped. Vocals appear in a number of tracks but they're often submerged or drenched in noise and effects.

Lifeblood features a number of noise based tracks. 'The Reflection Bleeds' unleashes a windswept ravaging roar filled with industrial detritus the voice submerged amidst the low bass shudders and braking frequencies of this turbulent noise filled opener. A later track 'A Single Breath Sets Nerves On Fire' surges to ferocious blasts of noise that doesn't let-up, everything pushed into the red, as it disintegrates, reforms and surges onwards into an impressive wall of noise, disintegrating again into repeated distorted shudders and frequencies. And yet Sine knows not to push for all-out noise on everything. The rush of roaring, distorted noise that comprises the brief 'Salt' cuts abruptly to quiet soundtrack style music. It's an approach that doesn't that he doesn't follow up on though but Lifeblood shouldn't be solely considered a noise album either.

Instead for much of Lifeblood L'eclipse Nue use noise as a tool rather than a method of attack. 'Mechanical Priest' sets noise drenched location recordings and computerised spoken voice amidst varied squeaking, creaking noise textures, while much of the spoken words of 'I Can't Stop Myself' are eclipsed and hidden by passages of noise roars and frequency shriek, before it is transformed into harsher quaking realms. Despite the harsher elements of the source material, L'eclipse Nue sculpt and control the sound. On 'Eternal Snakeskin Catsuit' Sine's spoken vocals are situated within scratching, scraping, rustling and creaks and the feint throb of pulsing electronics. Sine's voice is drawled and drawn out as electronics waver ominously before it rises to a holler, echoing amidst the turbulent soundscape of creaks, shrieks and over a throbbing low end quickened pulsebeat.

Sine has pointed out the importance of location and the imprint and influence that can have on the sound and feeling and you can detect that in the above tracks and on 'Weak Enough'. The deep rumbles, shivery textures and the slight roll of percussive taps of 'Weak Enough' is the longest track here. Leading into an elongated passage of shrill controlled frequencies and rumble of electronic noise it is all relatively calm and spacious before the shudders take an almost steam train form chugging away amidst bursts of textured noise and frequency shriek. Maybe it's a comment on the old industries of his current location. Who knows but there's certainly something emanating from within the manipulated noise.

Members of the Russian death rock band Stillborn Diz feature on 'Shhh...' and you can hear it in the gruff cracked spoken vocals. Crunchy distortion and ringing frequencies almost mask the quiet plaintive singing in the left channel, as distraught vocalisations, broken and bereft weep over revving and wavering electronics. It's a torturous haunting death ambient if such a thing exists. The other collaboration with Japanese drummer Hiko (of Gauze) where hyper jazz rhythms meets noise is much better. Yelps and howls are unleashed over jettisoning feedback squelch, modulations and maybe even some turntabilism as it batters onwards in a free-form frenzy. Perhaps more muscular and physical than the other tracks it's a joyous end for this now US based artist who has just returned from 10 years in Japan.

Lifeblood is quite an unforgiving listen, restless and harrowing at points with noise as its core. How Lifeblood compares with their earlier releases I've no idea but they're an industrial/noise project who aren't afraid to experiment with their sound ensuring a varied outpouring of noise, texture and voice. For more information go to L'eclipse Nue and to order contact Aussaat