ninehertz

This is an intriguing album all round, initially from the Nick Drake in corpse paint artwork, through a listening experience that never allows you to settle or be able to predict where the next song will take you.

SSMMÜTT is the work of Berlin-based Robert Mirolo aided by a hatful of guests, and A Blight on the Perfect Organism of Death is released on the ever-vigilant Cursed Monk Records. It is an eclectic listen, although it is obvious that there is a clear artistic vision behind it. There are two main faces through the nine songs – the dominant exploration of noise soundscapes and the less frequent Krautrock tracks that naturally stand out.

Of the latter, Ann Dullahan is the first to appear with its cool, electro Kosmiche feel. The synths flicker between the ears of my headphones in an attempt to disorientate, before the guitar leads take over with a slight gritty edge within an airy backing atmosphere. Later on, Every Part Replaced is full on electronica Krautrock style, developing a dark and delicious beat before ending abruptly – too soon, as I could have happily had many more minutes of that.

Before, between and after these nuggets are a variety of noise – ambient or harsh, minimalist or industrial, with acoustic guitars and field recordings all utilised. One track will make you feel like your brain is being melted, the next is blessed with wind chimes, which in turn is followed by an evolution into slow beat psychedelia, submerged in a shroud of fog. Here it is gentle and mystical in a comforting manner – but the scorched-throat cries elsewhere will have you a nervy mess.

It ends with a doom-slow industrial number with Reznor-guitar style and a mechanical groove, in one final twist before it closes. It is indicative of the feel of free-form inventiveness that has crafted this, a record that reveals itself afresh at every turn.