Genre: Electroacoustic / Experimental / Post-Industrial

01 Rafst
02 Ohagn
03 Fistelgang
04 Ral
05 Framfall
06 Spjallmotor

Niellerade Fallibilsthorstar (henceforth referred to as NFH) is a quintet of sound artists that formed in Umea, Sweden, in 2001 and 'Skrankverk' is their fifth release to date. The group engages in site-specific improvisations in abandoned buildings, swamps and forrests using materials found in each locale. The recordings are then brought home and 'arranged, edited, collaged and added to in the studio.' The results share a certain kinship with the late 80s work of Zoviet France and Nurse With Wound without sounding like either. This sounds right up my alley, so my expectations are rather high and were subsequently met much to my delight.

The opening track is an organic excursion into a world unknown. Water drips sporadically in a cavernous space amongst metallic clatter. The way in which such disparate sounds are montaged creates an imaginary landscape of sorts. In the visual art world, I'm reminded of Tanguy's landscapes, Ernst's frottages and even some of Salvador Dali's early work. Whether coincidental or not, there's a very structured feel as opposed to a random juxtapositioning of varied source recordings. Activity peaks around the fourteen minute mark and sounds more like raw group interplay before settling down again for the final two minutes. It's all time well spent at any rate. 'Ohagn' begins like a wounded jet taking flight into some perilous night sky. Once the optimum altitude is achieved, it remains a bumpy ride with obtuse clouds full of chunks of foreign particles and space debris. Rather than fight any adversarial circumstances or atmospheric turbulence, this one rolls with the punches with the aid of some plate reverb. The third piece hits its stride straight out of the box with some choice percussive action and high frequencies riding over some nondescript drone-work and bass rumbles. It's an eight minute-plus odyssey that exemplifies what NFH is capable of here. It's both abstract and concrete and has a sense of drama, however perverse.

'Ral' presents some spastic industrial percussion music that has a character all its own. It builds up and breaks down in both momentum and rhythmic sensibility to varying degrees before disintegrating into a more ambient and squealing metal (the substance, not the musical style) territory.This is not a bad thing; balance is an asset that pervades this record. The reverb-laden loopy coda is just icing on the cake. The next number is mysterious in its sources and dark demeanor, which is further enhanced by the heavy processing throughout. Fans of early Hafler Trio should not be disappointed. The final eight-and-a-half minutes are given over to 'Spjallmotor' which is a tour-de-force of metal percussion and other electronically treated sounds. Clanging, grinding and full-on pounding are the order of the day with a structural conceit that would make Einsturzende Neubauten proud. After a brief silence, there are two final minutes of sonic blowout that is sure to tease any noisehead that made it this far.

Fine music, here issued in an edition of 500 copies housed in a foldout digipak with some beautiful photography. NFH manages to strike a nice balance between the organic and the synthetic, the real and altered reality, with great creativity and very little trouble. 'Skrankverk' manages to incorporate noisy source recordings into compositions that are anything but noise and likewise presents a concrete music that avoids the stuffy confines of academia. What more do you want?