Nick Bradey
Every release from the unit is interesting, exploratory and challenging. This music is
far from commercial- I hope there will be further releases soon . Thanks to Bandcamp I have discovered many excellent Australian bands - with lockdown it will be a while before they can come to the UK . . .
Favorite track: Relentless Beating.
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Sydney's Kurushimi return with Chaos Remains – a violent instrumental assault of grindcore, free jazz, noise rock and everything in-between.
Built up from tracks recorded during the sessions for their previous album, What Is Chaos?, Chaos Remains is thematically inspired by John Zorn’s Painkiller and Bladerunner projects. The resulting music is harsh, wild and unexpected – throwing jazz and avant-garde improvisational compositions together with the grind and thud of metal-driven riffs.
“Kurushimi is 100% improvised,” begins lead composer and bassist Andrew Mortensen. “The music is manipulated in real-time during the recording by a conductor who uses pre-conceived hand signals based on the Violence In Action game piece by Lachlan Kerr. In the past, we have just gone in and just done it, with very little discussion. During this session, I had another idea to create improvisations with a different vibe. I created some turntable loops at home that weren’t smooth (by randomly putting a sticker on the record so it would skip and loop). Then in the studio, I told the musicians what we would do – listen to the loop and just start improvising to it, and then the conductor would be free to alter it how he felt, resulting in a ‘hypnotic’ sound.”
Mixing metal, jazz and the slightest hint of electronic ambiance, The Omen stands as the first single off Chaos Remains. Dark and brooding, yet subtle and curious, the song lives up to its name through instilling a thick, claustrophobic dread in the listener. Sludge-drenched bass, droning guitar riffs and ominous saxophone sow discomfort and discord in equal measure. Yet those who brave the fray may catch hidden elements lingering around the edges – tiny elements of atmospheric electronics – hinting that Chaos Remains is more than what it seems.
“We’re going with Track 1 – The Omen – as the first available track for preorder,” says Mortensen. “The inspiration for it is directly in the title – the 1976 film The Omen along with its accompanying score by Jerry Goldsmith. I’d re-watched the film a few nights before we entered the studio, and that had me wanting to make something that sounded ‘evil’ - I chopped up some elements from the score and made an ugly loop.”
Teasing a busy recording session over the course of 2021, Chaos Remains is the first of many releases for Kurushimi over the course of the year. Dedicated fans and newcomers alike can anticipate two wild EPs of ‘unexpected’ material and a full length slated to bear ambitious new arrangements. For now, Chaos Remains is more than enough – an accomplishment in fury, grit and improvisation that will undoubtedly leave an impact on any listener.
The Omen, the first single from Chaos Remains, is available for streaming now. The full album is available via Art As Catharsis on 26 February.
credits
released February 26, 2021
Produced & conceived by Andrew Mortensen
Recorded live by George Sheridan at MusicFeeds 11th September, 2016
Mixed & Mastered by Andrew Mortensen at AM Frequencies, 2020
Artwork by Sam Harwood
All music improvised by Mortensen/Allison/Dawes/Lawson/Pieterse/Bartholomew + guests
Conducted/manipulated by Simeon Bartholomew.
Andrew Mortensen: bass, turntable, keyboard, samples
Chris Allison: drums
Simon Dawes: guitar
Kim Lawson: alto sax, tenor sax
Ian Pieterse: baritone sax, alto sax
Simeon Bartholomew: conductor
Additional guests:
Nick Soole - vocals, synth, FX (7, 8)
Michael Taverner - guitar, feedback (3, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Thanks:
The guys for all their enthusiasm & dedication to this noise: Dawes, Kim, Cheggs, Ian, Lachlan Kerr.
Special thanks to Simeon for last minute availability to conduct this mess!
Much thanks also to Michael Taverner & Nick Soole, Lachlan R Dale and Art As Catharsis.
supported by 109 fans who also own “Chaos Remains”
I've been listenining this non stop since I discovered it. incredible musichanship and taste for harmonies. the tracks flow incredibly well but surprise you at every change. Love the rhythm fuckery that's going on, so inspiring. Gata Vrangr
A previously unreleased LP from Hermeto Pascoal, a cultural icon in Brazilian music. A mix of structured compositions and improvised work. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 12, 2017
This schorching live set from legendary trumpet player Freddie Hubbard captures the bebop icon at the peak of his powers. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 8, 2023
What a twisty stew of different moods and sounds! As the promo says, this is a "love letter" to heavy music by people who want to emulate the spirit of their favorite music while still adding their own sauce to the mix (no stale copycatting). That is the source of all good music: people who love a sound/mood and want to make the kind of music they love, the kind of music they want to hear, without just aping styles. This record was truly unexpected, and is thus good music. pinkytheent