Tribe Tapes also does CD’s, yes. And some excellent ones, too, for that matter. The last time I wrote about the label was concerning several Slaughter Tapes re-releases, which I still listen to quite often. But Max Eastman, the guy behind the label, also knows where to find fresh blood. And the CD “Faults” by relative newcomer Sawn Half is a perfect example. Sawn Half has released two full CD’s so far, this one and a previous one on Flag Day Recordings. Next to that, a split/collab short tape with Confounder and a limited tape on French Market Press (sounds like a cool name for a coffee brand, too).
I’m reviewing the CD from the Bandcamp page, as the CD arrived at the main office, and there’s not much info to find there. You know how I love a little bit of background info, but being honest, this release doesn’t need it. According to Discogs, Sawn Half is Joe Hassick, and he has released music since 2024. So a newcomer with few releases behind his name and “Faults” tells you why. It’s simply because this is very well thought out, high-quality noise. For harsh noise, this is really a very good production. It’s clear, there is a lot of dynamics, it’s distorted where it should be distorted, and for example, the feedback, which can go all ways if you’re not in control as an artist, is there where it’s supposed to be.
But then the actual music. There are eight tracks, of which “Loss” is the longest. Total playing time is around 30 minutes, which is short, but the quality makes up for it. There is a lot of contact mic noise and metal and pedal structures, but I also suspect using a looping device or a sampler. There is a lot of repetition in layers where you wouldn’t expect it, but it adds to the flow of the track, which becomes way more emotional. It’s a structure, and with a relatively similar sound palette, Joe adds to the depth of the sounds. Result: An exciting composition where, as a listener, you can choose what layer to follow and still go with the flow of the other layers. So you won’t be ‘done listening’ after one time. And that is what makes harsh noise interesting in my humble opinion.
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