Richard Ramirez is one of the internationally recognized names in the world of noise, and Last Rape is his long-running project dedicated to brutal harsh noise wall, often with a Giallo-themed twist. The current incarnation of the group is a duo between Richard and his partner and longtime Black Leather Jesus bandmate Sean Matzus, but this particular collection of material includes mostly collaborations with Naoki from the group Forced Orgasm and Last Rape member Mary A.D. (along with material on the third cassette featuring Matzus). The first cassette in this three-tape collection is apparently a re-release of something that originally came out on the great UK noise label Chocolate Monk. It is very different from what one would usually expect from Last Rape, featuring wall noise not based purely on texture or static but in fact driven by underlying loops that resemble somewhat the “Pagan Music” LP by Non. Truly an unexpected sound for this artist but I actually really enjoyed the more dynamic and in fact sort of tranced out take on the usually monolithic and unchanging brutal wall noise of Last Rape (or Forced Orgasm for that matter). With the strangely rhythmic loop is of course the accompanying wall noise textural exploration, making for an interesting and varied thirty minutes on either side of the first cassette. Sometimes melodic loops enter, sounding like a record player may have been used to originate some of the source sounds. The a-side has a strong thick bassy quality to it that should be familiar to fans of Last Rape’s more recent work, and is interesting to hear in the context of this more dynamic and changing material that is found here. The first cassette seems to be the only one that was not manipulated in some manner for the recent reissue, and the purity and intention of the original recordings spirit really shines through on this track. In fact, of all the cassettes on this release, it is the first one with its odd dynamics that I keep coming back to… some aspects of it remind me of the more bass-heavy work of the great Emil Beaulieau. Even people who are not interested in HNW material whatsoever should really give this stuff a listen, it is certainly a great representation of why Richard is one of the most valued artists in the noise world today. The second track continues in this vein with a less bass-heavy and more static-driven approach. The sound is still typified by strange loops and a circular buzzing that gives one the impression of an impending assault by bees or wasps. Eventually the textures slide more into the static direction, with a violent pounding and repetition always nearby. The looping effect of the sounds gives the track a ghostly aura that is manipulated into decay over the course of the track… by the end it sounds like violent explosions of stellar activity, stars being born and the like. Some really far out material that really shows some of the roots to the non-stop static walls of later Last Rape material.
Cassette two commences with texture-study material that is more related to the modern sound of Last Rape, and begins the material that comes from studio manipulations at a more recent time. Although the material has a different feel to it than the pure and raw noise sounds of the first cassette, the control of texture and strength of intention is what gives it the personality necessary to take the material over the top. The sounds have a personal and broken-up feel that is naturalistic and sounds excellent on cassette tape. As the track goes on, a violent but steady activity emerges from the depths of the occulted sound, erupting into an explosion of sonic awareness. The artwork on this box-set is executed beautifully, not sure if I had mentioned that yet by the way. Color images from giallo films such as “Torso” presented in beautiful washed out tv-screen style color, a style that I am quite fond of. The washed out static look of the images perfectly fits the lush and digitized sounds on the cassette… completely worth losing yourself in. Not only one of the best releases that I have heard/seen from this project, this is really one of my favorite Richard Ramirez (US) releases in general right now. So the second part of the a-side gets really dynamic comparatively to the first part… from there it kind of goes back into a primordial murk eventually. Side b on this one (“Cut Throats With A Dirty Nail”) has a more high-end static approach that takes things into the sort of territory that is explored by Richard’s project Werewolf Jerusalem as well as Naoki’s own Forced Orgasm. The textures and attention to detail in the weird and digitized walls that come from this track are the stuff of HNW glory. Absolutely deranged and vital static study not to be found in any other realm of the minimalist electronic music idiom except for the Harsh Noise Wall extreme… still with a tiny hint of the looping insanity of the first cassette. This music was made to be on cassette… it sounds absolutely alive coming out of the average boombox blaring through even the simplest speakers. Releases like this are the reason why Harsh Noise Wall exists- not simply something meeting expectations, but a personal dive into a world of noise tempered through intense personal dedication and desire for self-limitation in the name of a higher sourcing of sonic focus.
Tape three has a sound that sort of joins the organic spirit of the first cassette with the more harsh experimentation of the second tape. It almost sounds like there is buried percussion due to the intricacy of the textures of sound on “Glances From The Beast (Called Man).” One of the most active and beautiful harsh noise creations that I have heard from this project, the track brings new meaning to the concept of textural exploration… I feel like I am being made to hear things that cannot possibly be there. Shades of the looping material from the first cassette’s era come in and out, but in the end the third cassette is dedicated wholeheartedly to the exploration of the sonic textures that exemplifies the Harsh Noise Wall genre. With three hours of material on hand, Last Rape does the amazing feat of actually making you wish that there was more material on hand to enjoy, even after the hours already here. An addictive and constantly rewarding collection of music on these cassettes! Anything and everything you could want from an HNW release, a noise box set, minimalist experimental stuff, whatever you want to call it. Just really nice sounds and textures. So dedicated and minimal that it just starts to make its own drone, just like a tripped out force that comes right out of the air… you can feel it. Orgone energy, human feelings, whatever. It’s real and you can definitely feel it when these guys are performing live. Anyway, last track. “Rendezvous Gone Wrong.” Stark and completely skeletal crackle with almost no bass… out of left field from previous tracks but expecting the unexpected can be an important thing to remember when trying to get the most out of your noise releases. Develops this texture for a while, then after like fifteen minutes of this comes some really nice drone stuff just kind of screeching in all in the red somewhere in the distance… then gradually segues back to static crackle. Strong and subtle finisher to this powerful and entertaining cassette noise box.
Written by: Joseph Gates
Label: Nihilist (US) Format: 3 × Cassette, C62 / Cat. # nihil 57
Tracklisting:
1. Beyond The Threshold Of Autoerotic PLeasures
2. The Simplest Form Of Abandonment Ecstacy
3. Keep The Bitch Guessing
4. Cut Throats With A Dirty Nail
5. Glances From The Beast (Called Man)
6. Rendezvous Gone Wrong
