Genre: Power / Martial / Industrial Electronics
01. role play
02. breeches
03. dagger
04. discipline
05. death rune
06. beautiful executioner
07. locust
08. black leather uniform
09. body invasion
10. crossing the bridge at dawn (to max & lucia)
The first release by Bleed ‘Bondage & Discipline’ was an eye opener in many
ways more than one. Everything from the music to the packaging was nigh on
perfect. I was happy as a pig in shit to receive it in for review and duly
wrote it up in impressive terms. You can read it here for yourself if you
don’t believe me. After the review came out Gwen, Bleed himself, wrote a
very nice email thanking me for the review and saying that if I thought
‘Bondage & Discipline’ was that good wait until I heard ‘Black Leather
Uniform’ which had just been released on the Nil By Mouth record label. I
was slightly sceptical to say the least but secretly hoped that his comments
weren’t just all hype and bullshit. I’ve been caught out in the past by
similar boasts from other artists and my fingers remained tightly crossed
behind my back. If ‘Black Leather Uniform’ was even 50% as good as ‘Bondage
& Discipline’ then I would be overjoyed. The wait seemed to go on for an
eternity but at last the opus I was promised duly arrived. The rest…as they
say…is history.
‘Black Leather Uniform’ is the first release by the Italian label Nil By
Mouth. They have since released further tapes and CDR’s. Nothing though
prepared me for the packaging which this label has seen fit to accompany
this recording. Coming housed in a plastic case, wrapped around a quality
leather sleeve, the CDR has 6 small postcard inserts depicting all manner of
sexual and military imagery. The cover artwork is a collage of erotically
bare breasted women and German military regalia with a skull thrown in as an
extra element. The statement of intent is clear from the off. This is a
recording worthy of such extravagance. This is a recording that merges Power
Electronics with Martial Industrial and a strong sexual flavour. This label
cares about the artistic endeavours of its artist and by fuck it shows. To
release a recording in packaging that must have cost a pretty penny or two
in today’s climate of uncertainty, where we’re spoilt for choice and
drowning in daily releases, is a huge gamble for a label just starting out.
The fact that they had the balls to do it makes it even more commendable.
Packaging though, no matter how impressive it is, needs to be backed up by
the music if it’s going to get even a half decent review. The sceptic in me
has withered to dust. The ten glorious wondrous tracks that Gwen has
conjured up is…something else entirely. Based around, in part, the fetish of
women dressing up in uniform for sex this is a highly charged evocative /
provocative piece of music. Breaking out from the traps he throws caution to
the wind and goes straight for the jugular with a grinding piece of Power
Electronics that’s like a thunderclap from the Gods. This massive pounding
piece is further enhanced by quality frazzled noise and disembodied voices
before ending on a small Russian martial music sample. Which is where the
melding of the Power Electronics and Martial Industrial music comes into
play. This format is played continually throughout ‘Black Leather Uniform’
where the aggressively lead percussion elements fight with the highly
abrasive electronics for ultimate control of the pieces. Sometimes the waves
of sound dominate and crash and crush all asunder, sometimes they succumb to
the remorseless rhythms, whilst on other occasions they remained locked in
a deadly embrace with neither coming out fully on top. No pain no gain. As
the music blitzkriegs across the tracks a brutal sexual element and
undercurrent takes hold where sexually charged and murderous explicit lyrics
dominate. This is a coupling not of love but pure animal lust. Fuck like a
beast. Fuck like a leather coated beast. As the music reaches and rolls onto
its climatic conclusion you begin to realise just how much you’ve been held
in awe at what you’ve just been privileged to listen to. An anaconda
couldn’t hold you in a gripping embrace more tightly. As Gwen unleashes hell
for the last time, foxing the listener with an introductory piece of
melancholy before pushing the boat out once more, the far too short 33
minutes nears conclusion and you’re left, like all good sex acts, exhausted,
sated and fulfilled.
With two releases now firmly under his belt Gwen can take heart that he has
made his mark within the whole Power Electronics scene. He mixes heavy duty
muscle music with an erotic art temperament in a way I haven’t encountered
before. The Susan Sontag quote found on the inside of the rear cover is
worth repeating here: ‘The colour is black. The material is leather. The
seduction is beauty. The justification is honesty. The aim is ecstasy. The
fantasy is death.’ Now picture that placed to music and it neatly sums up
everything to be found on ‘Black Leather Uniform’…and then some. There’s an
honest quality about his work that cannot be denied or faulted that marks
him above the mainstream. They say sex sells. In this case they would be
right. I’m sold on the concepts and music that Gwen creates. You will be to
if you dip your toes into the murky depths of his mind.
