Norwegian noisehead Lasse Marhaug clearly has an affinity for the cassette tape and the underground culture that went with it. So I have no doubt he compiled Tapes 1990-1999 with some sense of trepidation, going from that lo-fi handmade scene to the world of professionally manufactured digital recordings. At the same time, however, it is a testament to his art and talent that those hand dubbed tapes are now being presented as a beautifully packaged four disc boxed set, complete with a 24 page booklet of essays and reproductions of tape artwork.PicadiskIn the early days of the noise "scene," cassette tape was the great equalizer. Unlike pressing vinyl or CDs, anyone with a cheap recorder and a few bucks could release an album, usually complete with low resolution photocopied artwork. Nostalgia aside, few people could really claim to miss the hissy low fidelity sound, the unreliability of most tape decks (nothing worse than getting a brand new tape "eaten"), and even on the artist end, surely the speed of modern CDR burners is a godsend when compared to the length of time it took to do real-time dubs.
While the fidelity of noise recordings may seem oxymoronic to some, the tracks across these discs sound very clean and clear. Sequenced in chronological order, the first disc captures his early work as Herb(ert) Mullen (and a few tracks as Egoproblem). This early material shows a novice at work, sometimes sustained fuzz roar ("Untitled") to spastic tape splicing of belching, random speed metal and dialog bits ("Delirium Acutum"). Other experimentation is notable too, such as the junk percussion of "Skinpeel" and the minimal static meditation of "Out."
By the second disc Marhaug was using his own name, and had found his voice in the noise world, delivering brutal, subwoofer scraping noise exemplified on "Monster," which, at 28 minutes, takes up nearly half of the disc. This is not easy listening, but it is noise done right, full of channel-panning brutality and a subtle hint of texture that rewards repeat listening. Disc three shows him stretching his legs again and trying new things, retreating from sheer brutality to more experimentation, such as the mutilated jazz loops of "Untitled #2" and the silly tones of "Wish You A Merry Christmas."
The last disc (and most recent work) also shows this penchant for experimentation. The destroyed cheesy beat box loops of "Side B" are neither consistent with the in your face percussion of Wolf Eyes, nor are they at all reminiscent of anything vaguely labeled "electronic." The bizarre rhythmic loops of "Untitled" are similarly difficult to classify. There is no identifiable percussion sound but a rhythm is discernable nonetheless. The full on eardrum shattering noise is present as well: the full 20 minutes of "Miss Plastic Murgatroid's Red Metal Wet Dream" is well equipped to contribute to hearing loss for those who choose to go down that path.
The idea of five hours of pure noise might seem extremely daunting to all but the most hardened of harsh noise heads, but in truth, Marhaug's diverse approach to sonic destruction makes it more than just a pleasurable listen. Tapes is great opportunity to hear a prolific artist hone his craft, and is a great set as well. It's plenty harsh and painful as well for the biggest noise fans, complete with the power to alienate neighbors and friends.
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