Maurizio Bianchi : Amen Test

Maurizio Bianchi so far has had a career intertwined with William Bennett, Steven Stapleton and Jehovah’s witnesses.  He has drifted in and out of obscurity, surfacing every now and again to rupture the ebb and flow of industrial music.  Influenced by Tangerine Dream, Throbbing Gristle and Conrad Schnitzler Bianchi began experimenting with sound in Italy during the late 70’s.  Enigmatic loop combinations are at the core of what Bianchi does, initially released under ‘Sacher-Pelz’.  Eventually he began to work under his real name once his material was more resolved in itself, sometimes under simply ‘MB’ (and once as Leibstandarte SS MB by William bennet on his label Come.org).  'Amentest' is Bianchi’s most recent release involving patterns, rhythm and decay to forge locked incantative grooves.  He draws on these familiar elements with fresh approach capturing the dead line on the other end of a telephone, the static, grey areas in-between where true horrors lie.    Limited to 300 copies. Artwork by Ryan Martin (York Factory Complaint / Dais). This is out through Dias now.

Sun Kil Moon : Benji

'Benji' is Mark Kozelek's 6th self-produced album under his Sun Kil Moon project.  The name is taken from memories of going to the cinema with family, fittingly summing up the nature of this album.   Kozelek's vivid story telling gathers details of life events forging a confessional and raw collection of songs hitting right in the folk pleasure centres.  The album is constructed of characters and stories drawing on death, physical ailments and love voiced in a frank and direct diarist manner.  Vocals aching with disquiet alongside light eddying strings set an ebonied tone, just as opener 'Clarissa' ends you're gripped.  'Benji' varies in mood just as much as subject matter; songs about Kozelek’s upbringing shifts to lyrics based on murderers, sandwiched in with his reaction to seeing 'The Song Remains The Same' to memories of his first girlfriend.  Through Kozelek's candid approach to using mostly himself as subject matter, 'Benji' manages to reach one on a more personal level than most records do.  This release has just had a second pressing issued, and if it weren't for someone telling me about it this may have totally passed me by.  Maybe if I hadn't cottoned on earlier perhaps some others hadn't either - hence this quick post.  You can search 'Benji' right now and find countless other glowing reviews of this album so I'm not going to waste anymore of your time, or try and say it any  better than other worthy blogs and publications  - take that time and spend it listening to this album.