Note: Released in collaboration with Bastardised and Sicksicksick.

Genre: Noise / Live Electronics

Five untitled tracks

Kilt is something of a power trio of hard-hitting folks from the west coast free noise scene. Bob Bellerue (Anarchymoon, Redglaer), Raven Chacon and Sandor GF (of Bastardised repute) team up to deliver the goods on this colored vinyl LP. If you have any affinity whatsoever for the Wolf Eyes / American Tapes / Hair Police style of improvised electronics then look no further; these are kindred spirits to say the least. If you're looking for the type of electro-acoustic improv thats stems from the post-AMM camp, the Japanese “onkyo” scene or something you would find on the Erstwhile label then you may not be so smitten. The hand-screened covers, rubber-stamped disk labels and multiple record label release are a further testament to the contemporary American noise music propulsion from which these cats spring. In this case, you may actually score a copy of the record because there are a whopping 500 of these puppies.

“Snow White In Hell” kicks off with a high-frequency whine that is joined almost immediately by low-mid rumbling and white noise shuffling. This pretty much sets the pace for what follows for the first side. There's no shortage of squalling feedback, abrasive textures, percussive noise and tortured voice escapades. Fortunately the music never becomes an overwhelming wall of noise and comes across as three people actually playing together rather than a pissing contest amongst a noise trio. The second track is significantly shorter and has a more industrial feel to it. Really it evokes imagery like that of a clean-up crew at the site of a bombed-out building. Not that it's necessarily negative, but is evocative of such a situation in a sonic context. The third cut clocks in at just over nine minutes and is less dense texturally for the most part. Here Kilt really shine as a group of listening improvisers and not just three guys making noise for the sake of making noise. About halfway through though the sparks really start to fly like an amphetamine-riddled teenager set loose with an old stone grinder and a wheelbarrow full of steel pipes. This is pretty cathartic actually and not as annoying as it may seem by description. The finale is the best part yet with what sounds like a clarinet player with his family jewels firmly placed mercilessly within a vice grip. Sure it's noise per se; riveting and unrelenting, but never offensive nor lacking in sensitivity.

The second side rolls along in similar fashion starting with a five minute track that segues almost imperceptibly into the concluding piece of nearly eleven minutes. Young musicians interested in making noise records should especially take note of the way these guys build and resolve tension. There's a natural sloppiness at times (inherent in most improvised music), but overall Kilt seem in control of the ebbs and tides of dense noise, subtle transitions and a sense of drama that is not always easy to achieve (nor often desired, unfortunately) in this type of music. Having said that, when the music gets noisy it does so to a degree that renders your petty defense mechanisms and prescription drugs' effectiveness useless. The consistency of the way in which the music flows is impressive enough and the conclusion is actually something of a disappointment. Perhaps that's the point. If this is Snow White in hell, I pity the fate of Cinderella or that cartoon babe from Sleeping Beauty. Just don't tell my daughters about this.

Information is scarce about who did exactly what, the scenario surrounding the recording and whatnot, but that's neither here nor there. “Snow White In Hell” is a solid record that should appeal to enthusiasts of noise music and challenging improvised electronics. The sound quality is not the best I've ever heard but is of little consequence to the overall effect of this disk. Luckily Kilt is not merely a one-off project, so here's to hoping for more free noise from this trio wherever they may be living now.