Growing up in the Midwest I was acquainted in my younger days with the bleak side of noise music, most of it stemming from mid-90s grindcore side projects and math rock masturbatory vanity endeavors. In other words, I saw and heard a lot of crap and pretty much wrote off noise as a narcissistic and boring genre. After being introduced fairly late in my musical awakening to its brutal sibling, power electronics, I started making sense of things and realized it’s not all crap and the stuff that isn’t crap can be amazing. The adjectives to describe a live noise set are pretty limited. The successful ones are usually brutal, short, violent, aggressive, hypnotic, and grating. The unsuccessful ones are generally just boring and range from slightly to extremely annoying.
Thankfully the range of bands I witnessed at last weekend’s Northeast Noise and Power Electronics Festival II erred primarily among the successful: Bloody Minded, Consumer Electronics, Fire in the Head, Strom.EC, and Martial Cantrell (neither noise nor power electronics, but a welcome addition nonetheless). There were some less-than-captivating sets and there were a few bands who while entertaining live had very little sonic substance, but substance isn’t always that important.
And just so you know, this is the reaction that people give you when you tell people at a noise fest you are from Vice. The noise scene is very protective. Actually, I’m full of shit, I was just being a nerd and bugging Mark Solotroff and Peter Sotos.
One of the most overused and tiresome aspects of noise to me is the repetitive use of extreme pornography. At this point it doesn’t feel shocking and there is no real sense of danger. If it’s menace you are after, your music should stand without close-ups of mutilated vaginas. Frankly I’ve seen it before and as a woman it doesn’t make my pussy cower in fear, just cringe a little out of annoyance. However I understand the iconography is firmly embedded in the culture and can be effective on the less disaffected. However, it was hard for me not to give a few major eyerolls when reading the band rosters for the nights of the fest. Twodeadsluts Onegoodfuck is one of those band names. The thing about perversion is that it has to be believable or it just comes off as sort of goofy and there is nothing particularly pervy about an angry ginger yelling into a bullhorn. However, I will say that these dudes set up the fest and did an awesome job. Also, their set was highly entertaining and frankly I liked them. I can’t resist the (lucky?) charms of a pissed off leprechaun, especially one with a hobbit-like growth on his chest!
Watch the video and you’ll get the gist of it:
On the other end of the spectrum there was Fire in the Head. No porno visions, just pure violence. Harsh power electronics performed by dudes who are able and willing to inflict some serious pain on the eager crowd. The funny thing is that apparently it’s OK to for people to get punched in the face at O’Brien’s Pub, but not okay to stand on a chair in order to get a better view of it.
The highlights of the fest were definitely Bloodyminded and Consumer Electronics aka Philip Best of Whitehouse fame. The crowd got so violent during Best’s set that I had to run for cover after about five minutes in the front. Frankly I’m proud to have lasted that long. From my perch in the back I saw a long-hair flee to the bathroom to tend to his bleeding face three times only to emerge and thrust himself back into the maw to be further mauled. Here are some visual highlights from two important acts.
Bloodyminded has been around for nearly 15 years and features Mark Solotroff, originally of Intrinsic Action, and sometimes Pieter Schoolwerth of Wierd Records. Known for their short songs and short sets, they decided to throw a wrench into everyone’s expectations and played a 47-song set, the titles of which were posted around the venue in advance.
Consumer Electronics started with some crotch thrusting and nipple tweaking and continued on from there.
Better to let the live performance speak for itself:
A ton more people played, some of them notable, some of them not. Regrettably, I lack the stamina for ten hours of noise for three days straight, so I only saw portions of the fest. One of the things I am especially sad to have missed was a film showing by Peter Sotos, Vice’s favorite rose. However, he assured me that we’ll be able to get our grubby hands on a DVD of it soon enough so not all is lost.
This weekend’s upcoming Apex Fest III brings the noise front to New York. The fest has a few bands crossing over so not all is lost for those who didn’t make it to Boston. STROM.EC will hopefully be able to play a full set as their first US show last weekend was unfortunately cut drastically short due to some seriously blown equipment. Some other notable overlaps that will be gracing the crowd are Sewer Goddess, Theologian, and Xiphoid Dementia. In addition to the overlapping acts, Brooklyn’s Unearthly Trance will grace the crowd with some heavy hypnosis and Chaos Majik is also slated to perform. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged for the festival as there is a capacity of only 50 people per day. Also, to those already in the know, note that the venue has changed. Get into it:
Tags: Northeast Noise and Power Electronics Festival II, Pornography, Sweat, Twodeadsluts Onegoodbandname, Violence
noise music is fun if you’re the one making it.
oh boy, i hope the comments are as good as the ones from the “what a noise show is like” article.
BLOODYMINDED FUCKING SUCKS.
MARK SOLOTROFF IS A JOKE.
AND A FUCKING MONEY HUNGRY LOSER.
Who wrote this?
Note how ugly power electronics fans are.
i kno, right?
Yeah, ever notice how all the so called noise stars release non stop limited editions to drain their fans wallets? Dom Purient and Wolf Eyes are the top offenders. And Sotos books are like $100.
Jews and faggots represent.
My one complaint, aside from a long string on run-of-the-mill acts was the insane 30-45 minute breaks between bands. I didn’t know many people there, and one can only talk to Peter Sotos for so long before getting feeling weird.
Oh, and the “non stop limited editions” are usually $5 a pop from Wolf Eyes, rarely anything more than $20. Considering that bands make at most $3 per CD sold from a legit label, DIY’ers just keep active and get things into the hands of fans. It pays the bills. Keeps gas in the tour van, Taco Bell in the gut. Other people price them higher. Anyone that complains about non stop limited editions is either not very creative, or has never been on the “working” side of being an artist, of any form.
SOTOS writes BOOKS. Real printed matter that is published in limited editions. The prices are fair.
yeah the long breaks between sets got to me too. hoping next year starts a little later in the day, also. maybe i’m just old, but 3pm-1am is too goddamn long (and i hate missing the earlier acts). i think a 5pm start time would be more reasonable, and possible with a quicker turnaround between sets and maybe 1 or 2 less acts per day
I couldn’t read “bloody’s” comment and not say something.
I have known Mark Solotroff since 1994 and he has to be one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He has been nothing but incredibly helpful and generous to me and so many other experimental musicians. Love his music or hate it but Mark’s contribution to the “noise scene” cannot be underestimated.
As far as Mark’s music goes I consider ALL OF IT to be fundamentally influential to my creative output. Also, without Bloodlust there would have been no DEATHPILE.
I am going to leave it there as I don’t see a point in arguing.
Too bad your art and music are equally as bad. Especially that Nightmares 7″ - what a pointless waste.
Who cares about “nice” - a turd is a turd, even if it’s a nice turd.
when are these old bald/ing farts going to pack it in already
Deathpile - G.R. is the best PE album of the past 20 years.. Can’t say that about anything Solotroff’s done.
MARK SOLOTROFF IS A LEGEND AS WELL AD CANADY. RESPECT OR POSE. bummer i missed this fest. Consumer Electronics is erection worthy
BLOODYMINDED FUCKING SUCKS.
MARK SOLOTROFF IS A JOKE.
AND A FUCKING MONEY HUNGRY LOSER.
LOL X 1000
money rules, more powerelectronics/noise artists should be into wealth and self indulgence.
I demand a solid gold DOD Deathmetal pedal
those restaurant bills don’t pay themselves.
Solotroff is a bad musician. Everything he does is a well researched but poorly executed imitation which is not surprising considering he’s a youth trend hunter for marketing firms.
He is a fan, not an artist. No matter how much crap he churns out, it’s no good. It’s funny sometimes, but that’s all. Luckily he is a diligent producer of materials and sounds, is “nice” and makes contacts with people and is supportive of bands. That’s all it takes really. Once people feel supported, they generally tend to reciprocate the favor. It’s the downward spiral of mediocrity. BLOODYMINDED and Mark Solotroff are in the middle of that spiral, with a ton of other shit.
Mark Solotroff is a cunt! Fuck Boston! I’m thoroughly enjoying the B side of Fly right now you cunts!
Some drunk miserable foodie wrote the comment above. Not funny.
Bloodyminded is the the “Unconscious Weird Al of Power Electronics”
that shit is funny as hell, its the best PE ever.
If anyone here (wherever that is…) puts something out into the world (as an artist, or whatever you want to call yourself) it is and will be subject to criticism. These critics’ opinions are just that, opinions. They’re not the Golden Law of Truth. I’m sure most of you have gotten some negative feedback or terrible reviews regarding your “work”, but has that stopped you from making more work? Has it fueled you to create “reactive” work?
Or is there validity in this criticism that you should listen to to perhaps improve your work? Reviews generally aren’t personal attacks as much as they are an individual’s reaction to what has been presented to them. I would rather an honest unbiased opinion than a thoughtless pat on the back from a buddy/bro/pal/etc. I must admit that I miss art school, simply for the “critiques”.
“The highest order of mind is accused of folly, as well as the lowest. Nothing is thoroughly approved but mediocrity. The majority has established this, and it fixes its fangs on whatever gets beyond it either way.”
~Blaise Pascal
Yes Mr. Panicsville but they don’t all put the time and dedication to “switching it up” as you do… Not to say I have liked or listened to all of your work, but if Mark spent any of Bloodyminded’s 15 years alternating ideas and not just churning out the same 5 second-2 minute two minute track with different but similar lyrics, maybe he would be known as someone other than “that nice noise guy who has been doing this forever” or “that really hilarious guy from Bloodyminded”.. he is now in the territory where he is releasing all of the same material in live form, in remix form, etc. all on cd-r or cassette… maybe even he himself has realized all of the songs are the same and what is the point of treading new territory???
Time tells all. I’m glad people are starting to realize how awful certain bands are.
Although I will admit that Bloodyminded can be a bit redundant at times, has everybody forgotten all about Intrinsic Action? Sado Electronics is a true masterpiece. Also, Mark’s new band, Anatomy Of Habit, is great too, and in a completely different way.
He’s smart enough to surround himself by OK and good musicians. The truth is anyone could be the front man for AOH. Someone more age appropriate would be better. That band has one of the ugliest/dumbest logos ever.
I wonder how many of the anti-Bloodyminded posts are from “awful region”…
‘Holy fuck’, 16 acts and only 50 fans can get in…pretty sure that says something strong about this genre but you do the math.
Mark should have some sense of his fan-boys (boys PLURAL) not giving a shit anymore about what he does. People slam Bloodlust! all the time. If people are less vocal on the internet, than so be it.