In Vital Weekly 1371, I already reviewed two releases by Leslie Keffer and a fundraiser project to help her out in the difficult times she's going through right now (still valid *hint hint*). And before me, a new release, although not really 'new'. It's a rerelease from 2005 where she explores the radio as a sound source from a more noisy perspective. Originally as a cassette and later as a limited CDR in support of a tour and now as pro CDR by No Part Of It packed in a so-called DVD case.
Eight tracks and almost an hour of loud experiments with radiosounds, an Echoplex tape machine and probably a mixer and cables, no chains of guitar pedals and such. The result of these experiments is, on one side, the noise, as we all know noise. A sound source, feedback loop, and control over the sound through filtering and using the equalizer. If done well a feast for the ears and the possibility to go from ultra-deep bass drones to high-pitched mechanical feedback / screaming sounds. But because the radio is as sound source, things get added to these experiments. During the track "Noble", for example, it seems like a radio station broadcasted just the right track for Leslie to start working from. And during "The Wheels On The Bus", a detuned station (or maybe a short sample looped into the Echoplex) breaks the massiveness of layers enough to let the whole track sparkle. Yes, sparkling noise. There. I've said it.
So, is "Pollutes" something I haven't heard before? No, but it has a massive sound and shows Leslie's development as an artist. So from that perspective, it's an interesting document.
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