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VARIOUS ARTISTS   Be Very Afraid: Electronica Obscura Vol.1   CD   (Dead Mind)    11.98



This first volume in the Dead Mind "Electronica Obscura" series is exactly that, an ultra-diverse collection of left field electronic drones, beats, noise, and avant-electronica...every track is excellent, and there are some real gems from little-known artists in the underground avant-electronics scene.Monotonos delivers some sublime sine-drone, followed by Bag Lady and Ostomy, who both lay down some glistening glitchbeat and hypnotic fractured electrofunk. Brutal gibbering noise and crunchy Atari blasts follow from the Crank Sturgeon vs. Outermost collaboration, "Sonic Sluggard", then Truck Van Rental emits some whooshing sci-fi space-noise whirr. Kamp Chaos mashes up dub vocals over a grinding distortion bass loop...heavy, trance inducing stuff. The Rubber O Cement VS. James Twig Harper jam, "Subaceous Gland Shoppers" is a 3 part skulldrill of deranged feedback honk, merciless distortion honk, and epileptic oscillating freakishness, not too unlike Harper�s NAUTICAL ALMANAC. Dead Husbands follow with a minimal, almost micro- breakbeat jam, all clicks and squeaks and funky damaged breaks.Mouse On Mars collaborator Harald Sack Ziegler drops "Landebahn 2002", a gorgeous, totally charming and beautiful song that starts off like a bombastic techno pop number, then quickly turns into an orchestral-Tangerine Dream-like synth epic with cute squelching electronics and horns and tinkling cascades of chiming electronics like looped Steve Reich pieces, and a beautiful, insanely catchy melody (that sound like sad female vocals, but I�m not quite sure-ending with a keening, smoky sax solo. Hands down the best track on this compilation, and I can�t wait to hear more from Ziegler. Awesome stuff. Buckettovsissors follows with "Genomic Injunction", a bone breaking exercise in brutal powernoise. The drill noise beat is skullcrushing. Kingdom Scum are next, and dig in immediately with an old school breakbeat backing rhythmic snorting noise and bells. Hard as nails. The final track from Tumour, "Prepare To Putrefy",closes out the compilation with a ferocious blast of grindnoise gurgle,hyperspeed micro-blastbeats,and subterranean metallic puke loops. This compilation RULES. Essential for fans of left-field underground electronics.