Guest List: Paul from Male Activity & wet nurse.

I became acquainted Paul from Male Activity earlier this year shortly after I featured his label's first three releases as a collective post. Since that time, Male Activity has released a rather generous amount of music, almost all of which has been featured on this site, with three albums even making my top noise list, including his own project wet nurse. With a label consistently releasing such quality music, I had to know what music really excited the man behind the label in 2013.

Honorable Mentions:
The Body- "Christs, Redeemers"
Carrion Sunflower- "The Romantic Youth of Jesus"
Pharmakon- "Abandon" (and just about every other Sacred Bones release)
RU-486- "Romanian Abattoirs"
The Vomit Arsonist- "An Occasion for Death"
+ those Lil Ugly Mane mixtapes

5. Altar of Plagues- "Teethed Glory and Injury" (Profound Lore)
Although I don't listen to black metal as often as I used to, this album really caught and held my attention. "Teethed Glory" sees Altar of Plagues embarking on a new direction from the band's previous work, which used to be fairly standard atmospheric black. We now see Altar of Plagues experimenting with electronic timbres and odd metres. The arrangements are still fairly minimal but now depend on subtle variations in repetitive clusters of notes, rather than drawn out post-rockish soundscapes. The vocals are also outstanding, particularly on "Burnt Year," and the production reminds me of Bjork for some reason. An ambitious and impressive album in a genre that is too often stagnant. It's unfortunate that this will be their last.

4. Steel Hook Prostheses- "The Empirics Guild" (Malignant)
So this has been a really great year for Malignant Records, and "The Empirics Guild" is certainly a highlight. SHP has always excelled at creating an utterly suffocating climate with their unique brand of dread inducing death industrial. Razor sharp vocals pierce the listener's ears like bone chisels, and churning noise drags you into a world of pure bodily horror. What's always impressed me about SHP, and especially "The Empirics Guild," is the surgical precision to which their work is executed. From the eerie Arvo Part sample it opens with to its brilliantly unsettling finale, the whole record is a relentless and almost cinematic masterpiece.

3. Juicy J- "Stay Trippy" (Kemosabe/Columbia)
While not as consistent or commendable as "Blue Dreams" & "Lean," "Stay Trippy" is a fantastic album in its own right. There's an interesting atmosphere that permeates the album, which floats like pot smoke between playful and disturbing. The trap beats sound absolutely criminal and the synth lines are effectively minimal. Unfortunately, "Stay Trippy" is marred by a couple of crappy pop songs and painfully stupid lyrics (which are at best hilarious, at worst cringe inducing), but you'd be hard-pressed to find a mainstream rap album that isn't these days. Choice cuts include "Smoke a Nigga" and "SoMuch Money."

2. Human Larvae- "Womb Worship" (L. White)
Another death industrial project which I'm absolutely enthusiastic about, and another album dealing with apparent themes of motherhood and birth. Been waiting years for a full length follow up to Human Larvae's magnificent debut album and boy, does "Womb Worship" ever deliver. This is an absolutely terrifying album on every fucking level. Each track will leave you petrified, spellbound, and in a state of total infantile helplessness. Soundtrack to your late miscarriage.

1.Theologian- "Some Things Have to Be Endured" (Crucial Blast)
The trajectory Lee has defined with his musical outlets is a very interesting one. His oeuvre manages to transverse a variety of industrial/electronic genres, as well as the darkest corridors of human consciousness. This album feels like a culmination of sorts. It's certainly bleak, but far less abrasive than previous releases, in part due to the warmly provided vocals from a number of female guests and an almost darkwave vibe at times. "Some Things Have to Be Endured" has to be heard to be believed. A truly remarkable piece of work.

New transmissions from Male Activity

Some of my more regular readers (or perhaps just my noise enthusiasts out there) will remember the surprisingly positive words I wrote about Male Activity's first three releases earlier this year. As the year's progressed, I feel it's about time to check in with the label and showcase some of their current output. Some of these albums are from familiar faces, and others are newcomers who are ready to challenge the ears of the masses. Enough with my rambling, let's get to the music.

Starting off this batch of newer releases is MA:005, "Flux Emission," the first CDr release from label mainstay wet nurse. Somewhat of a departure from the brand of noise crafted on prior releases, there seem to be guitars (or a synthesized version of them) in this release and the songs here follow somewhat structured patterns. Influences from post-punk and harsher forms of noise creep in and out without wholly altering the sound so much as they leave their small mark. This does not, however, deter from the intensity of the atmosphere here nor does it remove this from the overall genre of death industrial. Instead, this album switches between melancholy industrial dirges and static landscapes of pure loneliness and frustration. As this album is a reflection on anxiety as well as the human condition, I find it appropriate that in many ways this feels like the release with the most clarity and human input in wet nurse's catalog to date. This one's limited to thirty copies, so hop on it quickly. It's already halfway sold out.

MA:006 sees B.P.'s debut as a solo entity, "Maybe there's a tranquil eden behind the murk." Fans of the label might notice that B.P. is the mastermind behind Gashkadin and is also involved in the ethereal gloom of Bedroom Suite. In a way that hybridizes his two other approaches to sound, this release creaks in with low frequencies that ooze depression, and it takes hold with a sadness that exists outside of verbal understanding. Faded photographs of unloved household objects fill the booklet that accompanies this album, paired with lyrics to songs with titles like "chest sores," "dirty mattress," and "flesh chamber." To call this album a downer would be an understatement, but to simply view this as gloomy rumbling noise would be unfair. The static around the edges sometimes creeps in to turn sadness to terror, as carefully led onward by this masterful noise artist. As I listen, I feel a great loneliness, but it's enjoyable to the same effect as a truly frightening horror film; it's a masochistic joy. This tape is limited to a generous fifty copies, but that doesn't mean it's going to stick around forever. Grab this while you can.

MA:007 is the self-titled debut of doomy noisemakers Mukherjee. While the name's more than a mouthful, the music is some of the most ominous stuff I've heard in a while. Rather than crafting swirling static or electronic noise, this is thunderous droning of the earth's shifting as viewed through timelapse photography. While some electronic loops seem to be make their way into the fold at times, much of these sounds feel like they were created live in some sort of filthy basement. Harsh noise obsessives need not worry though, as the final track creates enough distorted sound manipulation horror to satisfy even fans of the most depraved sounds. I'd be lying if I said I'm not confused by some of this, but it's an intriguing sort of confusion akin to morbid curiosity, not the sort of confusion that makes me want to put it away. Forty copies of this cassette are available but I expect it to sell relatively quickly once people catch wind of this group.

So, loyal readers, you know what to do. Grab a few tapes from this label, help 'em continue doing what they're clearly so good at doing. MA:008 is already out as well, but I have yet to listen. It's a Wet Nurse cassette limited to 20 copies for a mere $2.50, so jump on that one if you're already paying a visit

New Label Alert: Male Activity

Today I thought I'd try something new. I don't see this being a regular feature, but I recently became acquainted with this new label from Winnipeg and felt that it'd be nice to do something of a profile on each of their three releases. Each of these tapes is out in incredibly limited quantities (less than 30) and each is distinctive and enjoyable. Without further rambling on my part, here's your quick introduction to Male Activity.

First off, we've got MA:001, a split between Gashkadin and wet nurse. Gashkadin holds down the a-side with three tracks. The music is dense and ominous, evoking a world obscured by billowing smoke. There may be cries for help in the distance, but the likelihood of understanding or helping those on the other side of the cassette is nonexistent. In the last track on the first side of the tape, the yelling becomes clearer as it cuts through screeching feedback. By the time the song ends, the voice becomes buried again, and I feel as though I've escaped some kind of violent fate. Wet Nurse. takes the b-side to a noticeably more depressing place, with some distant melodies joining the mix alongside squealing static and yells of desperation. The tape (or possibly just this side, it's hard to tell by the inlay) is dedicated to the memory of an individual named Sidney Bradford. This almost sounds like a cathartic release for the loss of a friend, but I might be looking too far into it. Regardless, this tape is a fantastic beginning for this label and I'm totally sold.

MA:002 distinguishes itself from the first tape quite nicely, a good omen for this label which proves that they aren't focusing on just one aspect of sonic madness. The second tape is an untitled release by Bedroom Suite, a slightly more calming experience than MA:001.  Subtle piano and crackly loops drone their way across a slowly shifting landscape in the first untitled track, much like the motion of sand dunes which grow and change shape with the winds. The album as a whole has a feeling of remembrance, but isn't quite nostalgic. Instead I almost feel like I'm eavesdropping on a sonic representation of somebody's regrets. There is certainly a depressing and haunting atmosphere here, but as someone who spends a lot of time with darker music, I find this to be overall soothing and highly enjoyable and this will definitely appeal to folks who don't normally delve into the noise and drone genres. As of the time of this article's posting, this cassette has officially sold out. Keep an eye out for more from this artist.

MA:003 is the most recently release from this label, and it's another solid tape to round out an already promising roster of noise artists. This tape, "I" by Khfiva, is perhaps the warmest and most inviting of the three tapes in the initial Male Activity batch. Gentle drones hum back and forth while occasional percussion and clamor occur in the background. Whereas Bedroom Suite is depressingly mellow, this album is slightly less mellow yet seems to come from a more inviting place. For the uninitiated, this might be the most welcoming of the three tapes, although I wouldn't turn anybody away from any of these fantastic albums.

In case I haven't made it clear enough, you should probably rush to Male Activity's bigcartel page for a chance to grab these before they sell out. If they haven't sold out by the time this post reaches your collective eyes, I'm hoping that my kind words will change the scenario.