Heathen Harvest Review: http://www.heathenharvest.com/index.php?topic=webzine

Artist: Harm Stryker

Title: Class Consciousness

Label: Sockets

http://noisear.blogspot.com/

Harm Stryker - Class Consciousness

Harm Stryker -- S/T 3-inch cdr [Public Guilt]

A duo from Richmond, VA, Harm Stryker kicks off a new limited-edition cdr 
series on Public Guilt with this intriguing slice of audio collage art. The 
single untitled track opens with a brooding, buzzing drone eventually gives 
way to a growing cyclone of layered noises, screeching, and glitch sounds, 
with cut-up sound and sweeping sonic violence that builds to a frenzy before 
abruptly quieting again, at which point they begin to build new sound 
collages from an initial hiccuping drone. Textured noises and a cut-up 
approach to sonic architecture are the cornerstones of the duo's aesthetic 
-- they eschew overly harsh noises, for the most part, in favor of urban 
sound bites and glitch-laden noises, assembling the pieces in layers that 
flow freely in terms of texture and density. Over the full length of the 
piece (just under 17 minutes), they incorporate a number of extremely 
different and interesting sounds, including screechy tape manipulation, 
found sound, and processed electronics -- it all adds up in a striking way, 
with an evolution of sound that remains vital and interesting right up to 
the unexpected ending. Limited to 100 copies.

From thesoundprojector.com


The American Public Guilt label has, like a gigantic vulture or condor, just 
dispatched a triplet of three-inch CDRs like baby mice into the hungry beaks 
of the awaiting goslings. Harm Stryker's eponymous release (PGL001) is a 
sonic construct put together by a duo, Kelly Norse and Kenneth Yates, and 
housed in a tiny sleeve with a cover-mounted photograph of a contrail and a 
triangular tower in shilhouette, a relaxing view which you can contemplate 
as you follow the twists of turns of their highly dynamic electronic drone 
overlaid with colourful barbs. Darsombra have vomited out Deliriums and 
Death (PGL002), which could be my personal fave of the three - suspect this 
is 'art-metal' in the Nadja mould, built up from relentless overdubs of 
feedback and loops by the tireless Brian Daniloski working overtime with his 
amplifiers and four-track. Really nice screenprinted artwork on textured 
paper too, a mini-frieze by germ?, which skillfully blends decorative 
typography with darker imagery. Finally, for sheer power and anti-social 
banging blasts, you need only scoop up your copy of Korperschwache's A 
Mountain of Skulls for the Clueless Cowboy (PGL003). Assuming you'll permit 
a record with a dumb title like that past the gates of your abode, you'll be 
amply repaid by full-bodied guitar and headache-inducing drum noise from 
this Texan duo of RKF and Doktor Omega, rough customers with beards who take 
their cues from experimental Black Metal and guitar-based noise bands, 
snatching the prize coarsely from the hands of more sensitive artists like 
Hototogisu. All these gems are limited to 100 copies, so today's tip is to 
utilise thy cloven hooves for online purchase with appropriate speed.

Bloodties [ http://existest.org/bloodties/ ] reviewed a CDR we took with
us to The No Fun Fest in NYC.   This is actually going to be put out on
804noise Ltd. very soon.  It's been mastered since this cdr, so it's much
louder.  That'll be the only difference.

Harm Stryker  Live February 24th & 25th CDR: http://harmstryker.org

Overall Rating: A-
Composition: A-
Sounds: B 
Production Quality: A-
Concept: B
Packaging: D 

Harm Stryker live is definitely a great experience and this CDR captures
that experience accurately. About half an hour (just as long as their
previous effort on Brise-Cul) of experimental electronics recorded live.
This was most likely recorded strait from their mixing boards because it
sounds great, the performances are excellent, this is definitely Harm
Stryker at their best.

Feedback loops, pedal effects, rugged drones, and squelching blasts of
sound is what can be found within this gem. This is fast paced, always
moving but not very harsh experimental noise and it is arranged with a lot
of feeling and thought to it. White noise is ever invasive here but it
compliments the breathing electronics instead of hindering it. This makes
me think of being electrocuted only not having it harm me at all, there is
a kind of comment about everydayness in these sounds, they seem to
represent the confusion and over abundance of distractions that people
wrestle with each day.

February 25th starts a little slower but once it gets going it is very
busy. It sounds like its possibly the same pedal configuration but you
get enough variety of sounds and feeling from the first track that it
totally works. This track is harsher and calmer at the same time because
it goes back and forth between harsh sounds and more droney sounds. Nice
high-pitched feedback, but not to constant or loud it acts as just another
part of the music and not as crutch which is great. Of note is the
excellent panning activity that never slows down throughout the entire
CDR. The sound is always moving around so as to give the feeling of a
whirlwind, this makes me dizzy listening, in a good way.

The sounds used are great, sometimes almost even feeling organic like a
giant mud monster and at other times sounding like a dying tuba filled
with water. This is an excellent little CDR especially considering its
live so get in touch with Harm Stryker immediately and grab one before
theyre all gone.