The Eastern Front
Shadow Theater is a collaboration between Flutwacht and Vincenzo Bossi, two projects from Germany and 'Siona' is already their eigth release. This CD-r was released on the Israelian label T'an!_Kaven!!_Ash!!! which on its turn is the more experimental outlet of the better known label The Eastern Front.
The whole album was 'performed and recorded live without audience' which indicates either a lack of audience (when the emphasis is on "performed") or the way it was recorded. My guess is the second, because there is definitly an audience for this style of European powerelectronics.
The nine tracks can be divided in two styles: The tracks which are based on ambient-noise soundsculptures and the straight forward PE. The whole album is a well balanced mixture of both.
The titletrack of the CD-r is a good noise-track where the live-aspect of the recording is very well audible. If it would have been a studio-recording the result would have more impact. Which is on the one hand the charme and on the other hand the shortcoming of live-recordings. This setting continues on the rest of the album which differences in structure, for example through addition of rhythm ('Dog by dog') or inaudible screaming ('You are dead').
'Siona' ends with two untitled tracks and these happen to be the best of this release. 'Untitled' is quite erratic, but it came out really nice and opressive. And shocking as well, if only because of the absense of words. 'Untitled 2' is the final track and has pounding beats with loads of noise filtering and distortion.
All in all I can see why Shadow Theater released eight albums because it's some good stuff, but to belong to the top of the noise scene it is just not good enough. Powerelectronics are based on a musical or verbal shock-effect or a message. And neither of those two could be found on 'Siona' ...
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