THOM ELLIOTT - HUMAN HEART WORM

Cassette, https://tribetapes.bandcamp.com/

Our friends from Tribe tapes have been at it again. Last week we wrote about "Alkaline Hydrolysis" by Bestattungsinstitut, and there is another to write about this week. Thom Elliott is the brains behind Pleasure Dome Tapez from Michigan and is active in shitloads of different projects. Not going to mention them here because, well, we have Discogs for that, and I'd just be copying from what's on there. But, in all honesty, I had never heard of him before. So I aim to find out if his works make me long for more.

Going through his projects and the releases of his Pleasure Dome label, I notice a gap from the early 10's (2013) until recently ('21 / '22). No releases of any kind during the years in between make me wonder why. But it also defines the accumulation of urges Thom must have felt to express himself again. Because a lot happens in a person's life, you can only swallow up so much. The heart worms eggs had a nice and warm place to hide, but... now they hatched and triggered this four-track, one-hour expression of emotion.

On the - simple yet tasteful - artwork by Max Eastman, there is a mention of the used equipment, which already gives away a little information on the creative process and what to expect. It's no HNW or, in another way, distorted pedalscapes like we often hear from US underground - although there are moments on the release where it touches that specific sound.

Musically/soundwise, it touches the common ground between noise and psychedelica. So no: The sounds on the tape are not considered 'noise', but the composition is definitely. There is random and chaotic behaviour constantly, nicely layered and brought together by the mastering process (done by Grant Richardson of Gnawed fame). The analogue madness of the MS-20 sneers through it and, at moments - fully justified - hurts.

This release is an example of an artist's direct and honest emotional expression with something to say. And even though the message isn't clearly audible, his emotions are. Well done, and welcome back, Thom!

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