Guevnna/Monochrome Nausea - Split Tape

Labels: Kakusan Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 01 Nov 2019

Tracklist: 

1. Guevnna - Into The Night

2. Monochrome Nausea - Based On Photographs

Following last night's Mental Health In Music interview, I wanted to right about something that was connected to that. That something is the recent split tape between Japanese doom band Guevnna and Norwegian noisecore duo Monochrome Nausea. It features one song from each band and was released in very limited number early last month. I last featured Guevnna here back in July 2016 when I reviewed their split with Self-Deconstruction, while MN were featured in September following their split release with Sete Star Sept.

Kakusan’s releases are always loud and Guevnna’s groovy doom on Into The Night is no exception. Their familiar disco-like rhythms and harsh vocals are used to great effect, with melody and distant synths (possibly) making an appearance. Either way, this is great and as is the label’s modus operandi. experimental and forward thinking Japanese music is championed here.

Monochrome Nausea’s noisy rawness comes as a bit of a shock on Based On Photographs but it’s the contrast between them and Guevnna that’s part of this release’s charm. MN’s music seems more improvisational and the bass/drum aesthetic takes more from Sete Star Sept in influence than maybe others. The vocals are sporadic but equally as harsh and there are some grooves hidden in the depths of it all too.

This could be considered one of the most bizarre split releases on 2019 and that isn’t a bad thing at all. It won’t be for everyone but that’s the point. Guevnna’s tones are more soothing while MN’s are downright nightmarish. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

You can stream the split below, where it's also available to buy on tape and digitally:-

Guevnna - https://www.facebook.com/guevnnaband/

Monochrome Nausea - https://www.facebook.com/monochromenausea/

Kakusan Records - https://www.facebook.com/kakusanrecords/

Sete Star Sept/Monochrome Nausea - SSS/MN Split 7"

Labels: Duel Disk Media/Friendly Otter Records/Don't Live Like Me Records/Cake Soda/Kakusan Records/Destruktomuzik Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date; 23 Apr 2019

Tracklist:

1. Sete Star Sept - Follow Rules

2. Sete Star Sept - Dizziness

3. Sete Star Sept - Commander Error

4. Sete Star Sept - Merits And Demerits

5. Sete Star Sept - Collapsing Castles

6. Monochrome Nausea - When We're Ready To Sing, We Step Up To The Microphone And It Comes Out Something Like This

7. Monochrome Nausea - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Art-Core Band

8. Monochrome Nausea - Anger And Violence

9. Monochrome Nausea - Perception Happens In The Brain

10. Monochrome Nausea - Bicycle Rocket Man

11. Monochrome Nausea - My Typewriter Is Drenched In Booze, Sweat And Semen From Problematic Post-Modernists

12. Monochrome Nausea - A Rapid Exit Through The Local Vomitorium

13. Monochrome Nausea - Experience And Theory: A Defense Of Kantian A Priori And Kepler's Philosophy Of Science In Light Of Modern Space-Time Physics

14. Monochrome Nausea - You Big Fat Sack Of Merda

15. Monochrome Nausea - He Dit

Here's a long overdue review of a crazy split 7" that was released earlier this year! Japan's Sete Star Sept and Norway's Monochrome Nausea came together to commit 15 noisy, grinding and improv tracks to wax and tape, which were brought to life via the labels above, while also leaving a scathing aural whole in the Internet.

Having written all of this split’s song-titles out above, it feels like the opening paragraph is a little small in comparison. Still, there’s plenty of opportunity to change that. Japanese noise-mongers Sete Star Sept get five songs in as many minutes here. Noisy is the right adjective to use when describing this duo as well. Their bass-heavy rumble on opener Follow Rules is frightening, as is the feedback. Dizziness induces just that as the cacophony of bass, vocals and drums railroads you into submission. 

The rawness of their sound is unbelievable but there’s still a perversely listenable element in there too, even during the screeching feedback that ends Commander Error, which grinds like a lunatic. There’s no let-up with Merits And Demerits either, with the vocals flitting between high-pitched shrieks and tortured deeper bellows, SSS’s final song Collapsing Castles is filled with mesmerising bass riffs and extremity that only the Japanese can pull off. Not for the faint of heart.

If your’re hoping for an easier ride with Monochrome Nausea, it’s probably best to turn away now. Quickfire opener When We’re Ready To Sing, We Step Up To The Microphone And It Comes Out Something Like This is eleven seconds of similarly hellish noise and it gets no easier as the amusingly titled Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Art-Core Band takes over. This one feels long in comparison but its music deconstructed into its most primal form. 

The aptly titled Anger And Violence sums up this entire split as its improvisational nature sees tempos change and ear drums explode. MN takes things to further extremes during Perception Happens In The Brain and its followed by a slew of songs that are equally as short. Bicycle Rocket Man highlights the influence that they’ve gained from their split-mates, while My Typewriter Is Drenched In Booze, Sweat And Semen From Problematic Post-Modernists highlights their more obtuse side.

By now, you should know that it’s not gonna get any easier but the fast, slow, faster structure of A Rapid Exit Through The Local Vomitorium is great fun. Things return to the weird thanks to Experience And Theory: A Defence Of Kantian A Priori And Kepler’s Philosophy Of Science In Light Of Modern Space-Time Physics…all four-seconds of it. Penultimate song You Big Fat Sack Of Merda is no lengthier and kind of feels a bit strange given the pause before and after it. Split closer He Dit seems like a true long-player at this point, but don’t let that fool you. The abrasiveness is still there as is the improv madness. 

Fifteen songs in not very much time at all from two bands that don’t care for normal structures or melody. If you like your music fast and loud then this is for you. An acquired taste maybe, but one that’s addictive and just plain silly.

You can stream the split and purchase is digitally below:-

Sete Star Sept - https://www.facebook.com/setestarsept/

Monochrome Nausea - https://www.facebook.com/monochromenausea/

Physical copies can be purchased from the below labels:-

Cake Soda - https://cakesoda.bandcamp.com/merch

Kakusan Records - https://kakusanrecords.bandcamp.com/merch

Friendly Otter Records - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex/

Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme/

Cake Soda - https://www.facebook.com/CAKES0DA/

Kakusan Records - https://www.facebook.com/kakusanrecords/

Destruktomuzik Records - https://www.facebook.com/destruktomuziklabel/

Frequencies Deleted #3 - Monochrome Nausea - Monochrome Nausea

Label: Self-Released

Format: Digital

Release Date: 12 Oct 2017

Tracklist:

1. Someone Bent My Yucca

2. Disco Acrylics

3. Oh The Olsen Twins, They Play Power Violins

4. Don't Be Afraid To Bring Your Gazpacho To A Potluck

5. Pastels in a Passe Chevrolet

6. Pissing On Woods

When it comes to the noisy side of extreme music in Scandinavia, I always think of Sweden. Their feedback drenched crusty-hardcore was something that was exciting because it was so raw and in your face. When putting on Monochrome Nausea's S/T release, I was surprised to see they were from Oslo, Norway. They had that raw and in your face vibe. The guitar feedback which creates an anarchic environment and backed up with some killer tornado-like drumming.

Someone Bent My Yucca starts off like an air-raid, giving us a chance to take cover. We hear the bombs falling out of the sky. And once it hits the ground, a sonic blast of carnage starts laying waste. Oh The Olsen Twins, They Play Power Violins is a pretty sick down-tempo/sludgy track. For some reason I get the vibe of getting run over by a steam truck on a road made out of rubber. Don't Be Afraid To Bring Your Gazpacho To A Potluck is probably the most intense track on this album. Imagine a battle bot going ape shit at Burning Man. That's how much angst this track has. And to close the album, Pissing On Woods sludgy/noise is bliss. The guitar sound’s like its a knife fucking you in the ear very smoothly. And then starts getting very rough in the end, leaving a very sexy mess.

When bands have that freedom to be creative and not follow any standards, you tend to get something fresh. Or in most cases, something that's really out there. And it's the reason why I appreciate bands like Monochrome Nausea. It's the true definition of being nihilistic. There was definitely no FUCKS given while listening Monochrome Nausea. At times, the songs invoke a feeling of misanthropy and in others, it feels like good ol' anarchic fun. Monochrome Nausea are an awesome addition to the "noisecore" sound. I can only imagine them brewing something more monolithic in the near future.

You can stream and download "Monochrome Nausea" below:-

Monochrome Nausea - https://www.facebook.com/monochromenausea/

Thanks one again go to Mikey for writing this review. He's going to be contributing more metal reviews in near future, as well as some live reviews so keep an eye out for those.