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Lasse Marhaug
Tapes 1990-1999
Pica Disk 001 CD x 4
This four-disc set, the first release
on Norwegian sound sculptor Lasse
Marhaug’s Pica Disk label, offers up
the prequel to his huge and varied
output of the last several years.
Compiling his cassette releases of
the 1990s, it’s yet another testament
to his versatility and skill with what I
will delicately label sound manipulation.
Anyone only familiar with this
prolific artist’s contributions to Ken
Vandermark’s Territory Band, or to his
mind-stomping assaults as a seminal
member of Jazzkammer, will have
heard only a part of the spectrum so
nicely captured in this set. Yes, the
grinding intensity and pure impact
are here from the beginning, the
four-minute Zonked Scum demo a
jaw-dropping stomach-raising ride
through distorted low-end pitch
fluctuation and rumble. Yet, the
brief vocal snippet crammed in the
middle and the gradual incorporation
of higher frequencies suggest that
a unique compositional aesthetic
was also in formation. Cutups and
turntablisms are introduced in the succeeding
tracks as variants of Herbert
Mullin are adopted and mutated as
pseudonyms. “Delirium Acutum” is
a hilarious look at what can be done
with a record collection, some body
functions and the neat little squeak
a cassette player makes when you
stop recording. Cutups and repetitions
have remained a mainstay of
Marhaug’s approach to composition;
even the brief blast of “Megadecimal
Shriek,” a late 1990s work, depends
on loops to sustain it. However, as
the 1990s progressed, they became
integrated in a language that was
somehow more spontaneous, the
patterns never so easy to detect as in
the earlier works in this set. The epic
“Monster,” clocking in at just under
30 minutes, is a deafening statement
that runs the spectral gamut
while maintaining an extremely high
dynamic level. Much of the early
humor is gone, not to return until
a project like “More Sugar Please”
brings a few slides and swoops to the
higher frequencies, but “Monster” is
a thing of intense power and beauty,
unfolding with the majesty and
variety of which latter-day Merzbow
seems all too often incapable. While
there is a healthy degree of violence
in Marhaug’s music, he serves no
master and espouses no dogma. The
thunderous gunshot evocations of the
youthful “Eurotrash” are simply that,
and the human screams begin to take
on the hypnotic qualities of incantation
as they proceed. Whether in
collaboration or solo, these tracks
present the work of a sonic explorer.
While so-called Norwegian noise is
diverse enough to render the category
meaningless, Marhaug’s work
is the real thing; for those in search of
visceral bursts of electronic scree and
splatter in the service of great compositions,
one need look no further than
this exhaustive chronicle of Marhaug’s
initial development. Marc Medwin, Signal to Noise Magazine
Lasse Marhaug, "Tapes 1990-1999"
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. Picadisk
In 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.
(Creaig Dunton, brainwashed.com)
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