Carl Johnson/YCПЕХ! - Split

Labels: Polar Summer

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 11 Dec 2017

Tracklist:

1. Carl Johnson - Unworthy Of The Name

2. Carl Johnson - Ice Cold Killa

3. Carl Johnson - Inversion Therapy

4. YCПЕХ! - Эптеп-септеп

5. YCПЕХ! - Эзет-эзет

6. YCПЕХ! - Чай-пай

As a record/cd/tape collector, there are lots of releases that I know I'll probably never come across. A good number of those have come from Polar Summer. They're out there but would be difficult to obtain even if I could. I'll make do with continuing to write about them instead, as I pick up where I left off in my Polar Summer review series.

This split between Russia's Carl Johnson and YCПЕХ! from Kyrgyzstan was released in December 2017 and was limited to 20 tape copies in total. I've covered both bands in previous reviews, so don't have anything extra to add at this point other than that if you like emoviolence from the Eastern block, you're in the right place.

A nice split release is just what I needed, given that I’ve spent most of today wishing it was Friday. I shouldn’t wish too hard though. Opening this split up, Carl Johnson’s ‘Unworthy Of The Name’ wastes no time in awakening the senses. It’s an intro that sees explosive screamo bookended by ringing feedback. ‘Ice Cold Killa’, excusing the gangsta vibes of the title, is an epic approach to emoviolence. It’s part crust, part skramz but with a lot of melody and some punk rock for good measure. The instrumentation is top notch while the vocals are as intense as intense can be. 

Ending their portion of the split with ‘Inversion Therapy’, Carl Johnson bleed one song into the other, leaving you with their most chaotic number (for the first half at least). The latter half is a lot gentler on the ear. This release came before their split with Mrtex, but after their first and only full-length, which I don’t think ever had a physical release. The second half of the split belongs to YCПЕХ! and on their opener ‘Эптеп-септеп’, you get a sound that’s more DIY and raw, yet also more melodic. Less emoviolence, more emo with screaming. The guitars are much higher up in the mix for sure. 

‘Эзет-эзет’ is heavier in tone while still maintaining the live recording, which is where that rawness comes from. I personally really enjoy the different approaches of both Carl Johnson and YCПЕХ! on this split. ‘Чай-пай’ builds with background chatter and gentle guitar. You expect it to explode into life but it leaves you hanging. It’s a glorious way for the split to end, as it ends up being the most emotive song here (in my opinion). YCПЕХ! have amassed six releases to date (I don’t know if they’re still active).

This is one of those releases that really chokes me up, without sounding dramatic. Both bands really cared when they recorded these songs, which shines through. I could sit here wallowing in the fact that I’ll probably never hold a physical tape copy, but it’s not about me. It’s about preserving and sharing great music.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally below:-

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com

Mrtex/Carl Johnson - Split

Labels: Polar Summer/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 27 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Mrtex - That Plant Gets Me On A Deeply Personal Level

2. Mrtex - Human Is Death Process

3. Mrtex - Our Governing Body Is A Toxic, Rotting Corpse So Let's Dump It In The Fucking Sewer

4. Carl Johnson - Second Wind

5. Carl Johnson - Against You!

6. Carl Johnson - Pull The Trigger

7. Carl Johnson - Enemy/Self

8. Carl Johnson - Hot Kila

This review feels like the end of era, as it's the last one I'll get to write about a Mrtex release. This split with Russian screamo/emoviolence band Carl Johnson was released back in early 2018, on tape (limited to 50 copies) via Russian label Polar Summer and Zegema Beach Records. Mrtex have three songs here while Carl Johnson has five. Also, I feel a Polar Summer deep dive coming!

If you’ve been following my ZBR roster review series or even my random review schedule that came before it, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the emoviolence that made Mrtex what they were. Giving it their absolute all on this last release was the only way to go. Their opener ‘That Plant Gets Me On A Deeply Personal Level’ features the noisy, intense craziness of Mrtex for what seems like the briefest of moments before the movie/tv sample takes over. Itself, making perfect sense on top of the buzzing/atmospheric guitar. 

‘Human Is Death Process’ is vintage Mrtex, where sub one-minute songs are still filled with enough music to get the blood pumping. Closing both their side of the split and their final chapter, ‘Our Governing Body Is A Toxic, Rotting Corpse So Let’s Dump It In The Fucking Sewer’ is like the emoviolence version of a rock-opera (I mean that because of it’s playing time). Off-kilter signatures mixed with pogoing percussion lead into an introspective second half that builds in volume and emotion. What a way to sign off!

Talking of signing off (or maybe not), this split also contains the last recorded output from Carl Johnson to date. The screeching feedback that opens ‘Second Wind’ is downright piercing. It leads to a somewhat heavier, more hardcore influenced sound. CJ’s longest song ‘Against You!’ is also their most dramatic, with it’s anxiety inducing guitar melodies and higher-pitched screams. 

Wrenching you back in a faster and heavier direction, ‘Pull The Trigger’ mixes emoviolence with chunkier hardcore. It’s a sound that really catches the ear, especially if you like things slightly heavier. That sound carries on into ‘Enemy/Self’ with it’s bass-laden tones and mathcore-esque explosiveness. It’s latter half is where the grandeur happens, reminding me a bit of the final track from Totem Skin’s Still Waters Run Deep, albeit condensed.

Carl Johnson close things out with the hot mess that is ‘Hot Killa’. All twenty-four seconds of it. The subtlest of subtle melodic riffs join a final burst of technical, noisy screamo/hardcore. For me to sum up this split, I’d say that both bands fell silent too soon. Granted CanaDave has talked at some length about the break up of Mrtex, it’s still a loss given their complete output. Carl Johnson left behind a briefer discography but one that, especially with this split, really left an impression. The feels are strong on this one.

You can stream and download both sides of this split from Mrtex, and Carl Johnson below:-

Mrtex - https://www.facebook.com/mrtexrebellion

Carl Johnson - https://www.facebook.com/carljohnsonforlife

Tapes copies are still available from ZBR's US store here - https://zbrusa.com/collections/tapes/products/мятеж-carl-johnson-split-cassette

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords