2024 Artist Highlights

     Its December, so you know what that means: all the good little noise boys and girls are writing their end-of-the-year top 10 lists and checking them twice. I'll spare you the rest of the Christmas analogy I WAS going to write. Anyway I am still mulling over my top 10 releases for the year of 2024, but until it's finalized I thought I'd come here to simply throw out some artist highlights of the year, because why the fuck not? 25 notable artists and releases that I found enjoyable, that's all. If you haven't checked any of these out, well then now is the time. Some may end up on my top 10 list, but who knows you'll just have to be patient. So here we go;

(In no particular order)

1. Slave Labour - Vol. I and II (Dada Drumming) Good lord this is a dense and at-times overwhelming display of '90s Americanoise. Highly recommend if it is still available.

2. Primitive Isolation Tactics - Time Hole (White Centipede Noise) Taylor always delivers with PIT, and this CD is no exception. Well crafted and interesting sounds.

3. Prolepsis - Spirit World (Abhorrent A.D.) An excellent trip into the strange world of Prolepsis. Here is a project to keep an eye out for.

4. Acoustic Shadows - Fredericksburg Entrails (Hospital Productions) The mysterious Hospital exclusive Civil War post-mortem project run by Spawn of Kentucky. This is probably my favorite tape by the project yet. More refined than past releases. 

5. Slacking - Outrageous (Summer Interlude) Jim Slacking goes on tour, and this tape brings us along for the ride. Experience two live Slacking sets in all their glory. HIGHLY recommend.

6. Viodre vs. A Fail Association - Self-Titled (Dada Drumming) Two long time noise kings blasting away in extremely caustic and abrasive fashion. What's not to love?

7. Scathing - I Hope This Weapon Finds You Well [Special Shaker Box Edition] (PRESSORTAPES) The tape came in a handmade, working shaker box, and its Scathing. Need I say more? 

8. 96 Year Old Foot - Mycetoma (Abhorrent A.D.) A late year entry from AAD and Jacob DeRaadt. A phenomenal harsh noise exhibition that really took me by surprise. Definitely buy a copy of the CD while you can.

9. Aquatic Death Investigations/Vomiting Shit - Self-Titled (Breathing Problem Productions) Gore noise noisecore that does what it should: gurgle and play fast.

10. Point of Memory - Void Pusher (Misanthropic Agenda) Jason Crumer retired, but now we have Point of Memory, and it doesn't disappoint. Drastically from anything on this list, POM continues where JC left off with Thin Ice. Grandiose and shimmering beauty that transcends expectations. 

11. En Nihil - Forms Undone (Abhorrent A.D.) A collection of En Nihil hits. If you don't know about En Nihil or don't like the project, well then you're missing out. Grab this CD and play this shit loud.

12. MPW - I'm Sorry You Had To Go (Cruel Symphonies) I'm somewhat biased here, because I consider Mark a friend of mine, but even if he wasn't my friend, I'd still love this tape. A phenomenal display of what MPW can do.

13. Haustorium - Self-Titled (Fusty Cunt) A PE collab project I didn't know we needed. Deterge and Heretic Grail team up to serve some tasty weird-as-fuck PE. I got the test press version too, because sometimes you gotta treat yourself to the fancy sandpaper LP.

14. Organ of Corti - Rex/Extremum (No Rent Records) More innovative synth/tape-loop fuckery from three kings of aforementioned noise styles. Also I agree with John Wiese. & inch records are such a perfect way to present noise.

15. Recombinants - Splatterfarm (Tribe Tapes) A weirdo tape noise garbled gaggle of goodness from Jacob DeRaadt and Max Julian Eastman. 

16. David Gilden - Texas Pillbox [18 CD Edition] (Fusty Cunt) Words really can't describe this behemoth. 

17. Bluebird - Ad For A Gun (Eternal Tapes, R.I.P. Danny Costa) PE from Danny Costa and the fella from Sadist. Well defined parameters offer up intense and hostile sounds for your little ears.

18. The Grey Wolves - Exit Wounds (Tesco Organization) The Cultural Terrorists strike again with a collection CD of some of their finest work. Tesco did good with this one, that's for damn sure.

19. Prurient - Class Ring (Hospital Productions) Prurient goes ambient, but not in a dumb way. I thoroughly enjoy this collection of tapes. Someone criticized it as a low effort cash grab from Dom, but I disagree entirely. It is evident that much thought and careful crafting went into this beast. 

20. Devil's Tramping Ground - Self-Titled (Magnetic Irritation) Max and Max make noise, and it's really fucking good!

21. Vincent Dallas - Met de Stoomtrein op Ruimtereis (Abhorrent A.D.) Space train noise for a brain cell blasting good time.

22. Met Glas - Sharpen Your Senses! (Abhorrent A.D.) Released simultaneously with the Vincent Dallas CD, this Met Glas offering is just as explosive and manic as you'd want it to be. Straight ripper.

23. Awenydd - Gwyar (Satatuhatta) Cold, cold, cold, and suffocating PE from the heart of Europe. Like a memory that never ceases haunting you this tape lumbers in and out of your every waking thought.

24. Sarin Snow - Death Numerology (Fusty Cunt) A name that only garners attention in certain circles I suppose. This is another crucial addition to the SS catalogue. Very highly recommended for people who claim to love PE.

25. Kazumoto Endo - At the Controls (Dada Drumming) KE + DD = a much needed CD in your collection. Endo brutally scraps the wax out of your ears and fills them with classic cut up demolition noise.