Reviews

Channels and Protocols
IkEcht - songsoverruins (c) 2009

I may have mentioned the term "cross-pollination" before when I reviewed an album of Exuviae on the net label Endless Ascent, a sister label to Dark Winter. It seems the favour is being returned with the album "Channels And Protocols" of Endless Ascent-frontman Nathan Larson on the net label noiseKoncept. A label belonging to, indeed, Exuviae-frontman Brooks Rongstad. NoiseKoncept is profiling itself as a label that, yes, likes noise, but rather takes it where noise has not gone before. And this album of Bunk Data seems to fit that bill just fine.

"Channels And Protocols" contains eight tracks, together spanning just under an hour, and varies from interesting audio experiments to tracks that fail to excite me. It starts fairly low-profile with "Interference Extraction"; pulsating drones and minimal sounds. "Error Signal" and "Departing From The Spirit" manage to convery a rather pressing atmosphere with nervous rhythms and noises that could, perhaps, be very distorted voices. Up to this point the album has managed to hold my attention reasonably well, but "Resistance Degradation" and "Parasidic Capacitance" are rhythmic tracks that inch forward only slowly and are not my cup of tea. The remainder of the album, including a collaboration with Exuviae, luckily returns to the first approach of minimal drones, strange noises and distorted would-be voices. After giving this album a couple of spins I have to add it works better on headphones on high volume.

"Channels And Protocols" is a collection of fairly abstract pieces of noise that refrain from excesses or loud outbursts. I don't think it will have a wide appeal, but connoisseurs (pun intended) that like the less accessible work of for instance Coil or Throbbing Gristle will probably dig this. The album can be downloaded as an archive with 192 kbps mp3s from noiseKoncept's website.

Originally written for the Dutch weblog IkEcht, English translation by the author.


Zombie Machines
Music Emissions - Mike Hood (c) 2007

Bunk Data make aggravating music, in a good way. Like the way sand aggravates a clam until the pearl is made, the three untitled tracks here push and shove, then pull back and see what has been sculpted. It is no accident, then, that their industrial noise and ambient is augmented by the sound of waves, oceanic and tonal. The combo produces an abrasive, yet comforting sound, as if during chaos the still, small voice of reassurance can be heard.

Silence-is Not Empty is as literal a label name can be given their approach. Bunk Data is one of the label’s best adepts at find deep meaning in routine sound, harsh lessons in listening that shock and awe on a personal, rather than communal, level. I feel like listening to this and quoting David Lynch: “I have his disease in me now.” It is a living disease, and it is beautiful.