Best of Richard Ramirez/Black Leather Jesus/WWJ/etc

[New Forces]

Yes, this took a bit longer than I originally hoped, I tracked down all the original masters so we could get good quality Ramirez reissues, original artwork, and so on... there are also some very extensive liner notes. Hopefully worth the wait.

[Lactating Tardigrade]

I'm an unapologetic Richard fanboy. Somebody has to keep up with him, right?

He just dropped two new tapes titled, Male Bag and Hot Property. They are very much in similar areas of expression but a little different. I think I've said it here or elsewhere, but Richard's solo work has taken on a more dynamic and exploratory range of work recently.

The latest split with Respirator and the Eye Contact album on Oxen Records in particular have been excellent and are great examples of this new approach.

Male Bag falls into what I've been recently describing as the new "harsh ambient" style I've been hearing from Richard as of late. I don't know if he or anyone else would agree with this term, but it makes the most sense to me. Slow and floating feedback-driven tones that are sometimes harsh but also sometimes relaxing in nature. I LOVE this shit and can't get enough.

Hot Property is the most minimal of the two tapes but is not completely static in activity even though it might feel like it at first. There is a mid-level crunch and an underbelly of engaging improvisation of sounds. I swear Richard has mastered the layering of samples because I didn't even notice all of them on the first listen but they add to the overall atmosphere and eventually reveal themselves.

I know it's hard to keep up, but lots of good new releases from Richard constantly.

[informalreleases]

i can't claim that i have an academic knowledge of RR's work -- i've listened to a lot of it, but he is just too prolific. however, listening to his work has made me understand so many things about harsh noise and harsh noise wall. i used to be an obsessive HNW listener and it's always impressive that even the most experimental wall you come accross today (or a few years ago, when the scene was more active), he has aldready done something in that style 20 years ago.

anyways, here are two personnal favourites:

NEW YORK RIPPER - NEW YORK NEW YORK https://richardramirez.bandcamp.com/alb ... k-new-york
the tonal element, the reduction to a few essential textures and minimal crunch, the use of stereo... incredible album that sounds nothing like the "harsh" or "lofi" RR, this one could have been made by OPAQUE.

VWBH & FORCED ORGASM - YOUNG APRIL https://richardramirez.bandcamp.com/album/young-april
one of my favourite HNW releases, for a good reason. crunchy, bassy, generous and organic textures that just engulf you. i had the tape but lost it and can't forgive myself for it.

[SS1535]

Is there any info on the supposed west coast tour dates/locations for next year?