steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
blankred.jpg (4669 bytes)
info opinion

The Mist Toggles / Baron Knoxburry

"Unconventional" CDR

Sarurtra's Music

Genre: noise, chiptune

Tromos, Norway / Ann Arbor, MI

March 2010

A noisy split from the Belgian Sarurtra's Music clan, here given a rather appropriate (if unspecific) title. The Mist Toggles designs basic, rhythmic compositions that merge electronic chiptune elements with noisy corruption, as on “The Gaia Hypothesis,” which matches menacing 8-bit synths with noise-tinged beats. “Roots in Mud” is even grittier, filled in with even more dirty abrasion. The approach is a tad simplistic for my tastes, but I can appreciate the spirit of experimentation on tap. On the other hand, Baron Knoxburry adheres more faithfully to the noisehead's manifesto on his eleven minutes of fun, designing growly soundscapes which wisely implement synths and electronic textures for the sake of stylistic variety. Abrasion lovers, worry not – Knoxburry's method packs a sizable harsh noise wallop.

the mist toggles' myspace / baron knoxburry's myspace

Michael Tau

[Vitals: 4 tracks, limited to 30 copies distributed by the label, released 2010]