For its maiden release, the new Staalplaat sublabel Le Petit Mignon has issued this clear little 7" in gaudy, bright packaging with each of the artists tackling a side. Between Chessex (Monno) abusing his saxophone and Riviere (Textile Orchestra) destroying an electrophone, the results is a precious few minutes of pure sonic destruction.
Chessex’s “Power, Stupidity & Ignorance” is a rapid-fire blast of harsh noise, with a dynamic flow that puts it in league with the old school cats like Masonna and Government Alpha. However, considering that the tenor sax that makes up the core sound here occasionally swells to the surface, it resembles more of a clusterfuck free jazz take on harsh noise than anything a horn could normally do.
On the flip side, Arnaud Riviere’s “Queen Queen Banda Drive” is a lo-fi piece of sonic detritus that is obviously very intentionally recorded in the worst way possible. It’s a parade of metallic crashes that occasionally locks into a semblance of rhythm, but more often than not sounds like a microphone in a metal oil drum being rolled down a hill and run through a few pedals.
The fact that this is a short release is what makes it successful. Either track would seem to drone on for a bit too long and lose some of the visceral impact that is allotted by limiting each artist to a few minutes. It’s a nice, jagged listening experience.
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