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The Rita, "Bodies Bear Traces of Carnal Violence"
Noise, even more so than metal, shares a strange relation withviolence, death, sex, drugs, and any combination thereof. In fact itseems as though bands like Merzbow, Masonna, Whitehouse, et al.represent the extreme edge of violence and sexuality in their artwork,titles, influences, and lyrical output. I sometimes question just howmuch this fact determines the popularity of such acts seeing how manyof their releases just don't impress me.
Troniks/PACrec
The Rita, it would seem,follow in the footsteps of these vulgar giants. Two tracks make up this60+ minute record of almost pure white noise, feedback, suffocatedscreams, and unrelenting brutality. The first and most obvious facet ofsuch an approach to noise is obvious: there isn't much variation and onmost releases that makes it too easy for me to get bored. The secondand maybe most ear-catching facet is that when The Rita decide to allowvocal samples and odd sounds bleed through their curtain of damagedequipment, they sound exciting and fresh. I think the image must beholding these fellows down. I'll be the last to say there's an image touphold here, but when one song is titled "Naked Girl Found Dead in thePark" and the artwork depicts what must be a rather brutal rape, themusic inside is likely to exaggerate its real intensity for the sake ofconsistency. It's a shame, too, because while violence can be anattractive and creative event, it seems like most eyes are focused onthe less perverse and more boring, pornographic stuff that shows nosigns of creativity or understanding, whatsoever. At one point on "ViceWears Black Hose," the noise congeals for a moment into the sounds ofwhat might be a sample from a Dario Argento film soundtrack, butinstead of letting such an unsettling transition play its role, TheRita shot things back into a confused and overdriven death fest.Extremes can be interesting at times, but this is one that has beenplayed out one too many times. There are far better explorations of sexand violence out there if that sort of thing seems evenly remotelyinteresting, but the disappointing part is that The Rita show a lot ofpromise on this record and then let me down by trying to drown theirwork in the sort of noise that eventually comes to sound tame and sillybecause of its nonstop intensity. In the end it sounds normal and notat all threatening, almost as though it's become its opposite andobtained a trance-like, subdued state in the pursuit of nonstop,attention-grabbing assault. - Lucas Schleicher
Troniks/PACrec
The Rita, it would seem,follow in the footsteps of these vulgar giants. Two tracks make up this60+ minute record of almost pure white noise, feedback, suffocatedscreams, and unrelenting brutality. The first and most obvious facet ofsuch an approach to noise is obvious: there isn't much variation and onmost releases that makes it too easy for me to get bored. The secondand maybe most ear-catching facet is that when The Rita decide to allowvocal samples and odd sounds bleed through their curtain of damagedequipment, they sound exciting and fresh. I think the image must beholding these fellows down. I'll be the last to say there's an image touphold here, but when one song is titled "Naked Girl Found Dead in thePark" and the artwork depicts what must be a rather brutal rape, themusic inside is likely to exaggerate its real intensity for the sake ofconsistency. It's a shame, too, because while violence can be anattractive and creative event, it seems like most eyes are focused onthe less perverse and more boring, pornographic stuff that shows nosigns of creativity or understanding, whatsoever. At one point on "ViceWears Black Hose," the noise congeals for a moment into the sounds ofwhat might be a sample from a Dario Argento film soundtrack, butinstead of letting such an unsettling transition play its role, TheRita shot things back into a confused and overdriven death fest.Extremes can be interesting at times, but this is one that has beenplayed out one too many times. There are far better explorations of sexand violence out there if that sort of thing seems evenly remotelyinteresting, but the disappointing part is that The Rita show a lot ofpromise on this record and then let me down by trying to drown theirwork in the sort of noise that eventually comes to sound tame and sillybecause of its nonstop intensity. In the end it sounds normal and notat all threatening, almost as though it's become its opposite andobtained a trance-like, subdued state in the pursuit of nonstop,attention-grabbing assault. - Lucas Schleicher
samples:
Low (Part 2)
Well, there's a few reasons we've got a second part to this Eye special: 1.) is that Jon's overseas right now and can't produce another episode of The Eye right now; 2.) there was a ton of footage and some of it included some really great songs; and 3.) well, Low just deserve it! So, here's another part to the Low Eye special: this one, however doesn't have multiple camera shots and has longer answers, so it might be best for the super dedicated fans who are patient and like the band an awful lot.40 Minutes, Quicktime Streaming Video
