Madness! Aperiodic’s Like A Disfigured Jesus Lizard, Paavoharju Religiously Despairs

MADNESS! is a recurring series of audio WTFs and head-twitching, spine-tingling experimental or chaotic fun (k-k+st-s-t+l-l)icks. Today, Aperiodic bring chaotic free jazz noise, and we pay slight homage to past sounds via Finland’s haunting Paavoharju and post-hardcore classics The Jesus Lizard.

++ SEE: FULL POST + MADNESS POSTS or MUSIC COLUMNS

 

Aperiodic

Aperiodic’s Future Feedback begins with “New West”, a slow growth of jingling bells and static that bumps found sounds up against R2D2-type electronic beeping. Banging, off-tempo jazz drums and distorted guitar all grow in intensity throughout the duration of the 4-minute track, and one could suspect that the remainder of Future Fedback will be comprised of hardly palatable instrumental wankery. In a sense, one would suspect right, but this type of music always took a special musical ear to appreciate.

Elements of musique concrète, free jazz, and noise are at the forefront of Future Feedback, which champions improvisation’s most chaotic possibilities with a natural erratic twitch. Aperiodic have described themselves as “The Jesus Lizard disfigured beyond recognition”, and it is the spirit of the post-hardcore band that shines through, not actual music parallels. The disfiguration comes in Aperiodic’s cramming of heavier noise elements into a free jazz framework in absolute madness. Only on one track, “Amalia’s Regret”, does the band slow down to explore their more minimal side via creepy breathing and classic piano. You can rest assured, though; structure hardly plays a more significant role even then.

The entire album is now available via Phratry Records, and you can stream its digital noise stylings via the Bandcamp embed below. Prepare yourself for all of the guitar distortion, manipulated samples, and pummeling drums you can imagine. And while you’re at it, see the full post for a stream of The Jesus Lizard’s full-length from 1991, Goat.

 


Paavoharju

Finnish experimental pop weirdos Paavoharju are not exactly new — they had released Yhä hämärää in 2005 and a follow-up Laulu laakson kukista in 2008 — but they were an instant love when I heard them two years back. Their music has the looming foreboding of Gothic churches as well as the plainness of deep country wells, and the ultimate feel of the Finnish group is hauntingly beautiful. It makes sense, then, that their music is supposedly the outcome of the study of dreams, religious despair, art and literature, and living in dark abandoned places. Despite the wide breadth of their sonic stylings, their music does sound, consistently, as their influences might suggest. The samples below are just some indicators, the latest of which is the relatively straightforward “Ikkunat näkevät” from 2011.

Paavoharju – “Aurinkotuuleen”DOWNLOAD MP3
[audio:/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Paavoharju-Aurinkotuuleen.mp3|titles=Pavoharju – Aurinkotuleen]

Pavoharju – “Kuu Lohduttaa Huolestuneita”


The Jesus Lizard

Blast from the past. This is The Jesus Lizard’s second full-length, released in 1991 and produced by Steve Albini. The album cover, designed by bassist David William Sims, is actually a topless woman, not a flame. Surprise!

THE JESUS LIZARD – GOAT TRACKLISTING
1. Then Comes Dudley – 0:00
2. Mouth Breather – 4:23
3. Nub – 6:41
4. Seasick – 9:12
5. Monkey Trick – 12:24
6. Karpis – 16:43
7. South Mouth – 19:54
8. Lady Shoes – 22:58
9. Rodeo in Joliet – 25:40

 

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Written by
Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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