Oxidation started as an online reissue archive of endangered industrial artefacts previously found on CDR, but has expanded to itself release physical media drawing on label head Marc Benner’s broad experimental tastes. Compest and Internal Fusion are artists who both come from a backstory of earlier material – but that history is at the fringes of the noise/experimental underground which Oxidation more frequently taps, putting these two releases perhaps at the fringe of the label’s work.
Compest is the work of Martin Steinebach, the cross-contaminated result of previously more distinct projects across orchestral and ritual/tribal synthetic atmospheres, rhythmic industrial, and ambient abstraction. The title translates as ‘Ladders And Paths’, a hint at the inter-connections which bind the cassette even as it draws from across Martin’s stylistic interests.
Compest is the work of Martin Steinebach, the cross-contaminated result of previously more distinct projects across orchestral and ritual/tribal synthetic atmospheres, rhythmic industrial, and ambient abstraction. The title translates as ‘Ladders And Paths’, a hint at the inter-connections which bind the cassette even as it draws from across Martin’s stylistic interests.
‘Leitern Und Pfade’ in part builds on synthesizer atmospherics which trace an industrial lineage to N. or Hive Mind in their chill. “Leiter” and “Sprossen” utilise slow-moving low synth drones dusted with higher semi-melodics: the former track folds in an unexpected snare pattern and sparse found refuse percussion; the latter adding orchestral overlays in its second half, as its repetitious drift starts to spark a flickering tremble to the piece. Lengthy “Pfad”, and “Oben” after it, maintain a similar link but with a serious kosmische bent and without drawing in disparate sound elements – although “Oben” bolsters its triumphant melodic refrain with some subtle synth voices. These evenly spread performances are more dramatic astral aspirations which would be entirely at home cast across a Carl Sagan documentary.
The remaining tracks further the kosmische leanings while leaving any underground genre sympathies behind. “Aufstieg” is a meandering synthesizer solo, while “Umweg” and “Abseits” are both constructed pieces, utilising bass guitar, synth-derived sitar, faux-orchestral swells and rhythmic elements which wear their influences proudly, and are unashamedly soundtrack-y in their evocation. Noisier elements are present but difficult to find: the tracks add a fine distorted dust to portions but which is easily lost, and not really the point – ‘Leitern Und Pfade’ has no intentions of finding a home in the post-industrial lexicon.
French project Internal Fusion’s CDR contains only a single track but the piece plays out in movements. Its opening torrent of voice fragments is tightly constructed, with digital stutters, dead-end loops and shifting sound placement setting an intentionally disorienting introduction which the disc then plays on through its duration. The other sonic elements are just as far-reaching, familiarly intangible ambient electronics finding space as do a rush of nostalgic synth melodicism, intense sustained tones, and swarms of harder noise expansion which give the piece a needed harder edge.
Rhythmic constructs are a constant presence – at first intentionally fractured and incomplete, taken by ambient drift or buried in uproar – but over the middle third of the disc ‘Those Who Are Straight’ settles comfortably into a fulsome lilting gait and then winds back into an uneasy off-kilter percussion made from metal and other found sound, as layers of voice again build around the piece.
The blatant beat of the middle, and the piece’s penchant for slipping into rhythm even when not overt (both the beginning and end find uncertain rhythmic components slip into place around the intentionally disjointed vocal manipulations), will keep many at bay. But with some forgiveness ‘Those Who Are Straight’ exhibits a healthy experimentalism – particularly in its extended voice manipulation and at times quite scrappy noise elements – which may attract those usually drawn to more underground pursuits.
Oxidation’s packaging – attaching the disc to a square of moss (for those able to receive plant matter in the mail) may do likewise, imbuing the disc with a curiosity which matches its more unconventional moments. The Compest cassette is similarly supposed to be beeded in a layer of dirt, although international purchasers can order either release without the organic matter, attaching their own localised mire to avoid attracting the ire of border biosecurity guards. Oxidation’s physical releases have overwhelmingly entered the world as bulky, heavy, and/or messy editions which can make overseas ordering difficult – but Mark has been careful to offer modified versions which can find their way internationally.
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