Amek-Maj - Stydi (Satatuhatta - 18, 2021)
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Described as "primitive and crude harsh noise," Amek-Maj is apparently but one of a ‘new wave’ of noise from Finland, among other artists like Rotat, Jazzhand, and Kitu. This initially made me roll my eyes, as the ‘heavy-hitters’ of Finnish noise (projects such as Bizarre Uproar and Nicole 12) have typically been defined more by their try-hard, “look at me!” aesthetics and pointed offensiveness than anything of substance. Thankfully, this next generation doesn’t appear to be a repeat of the previous one; there’s still some explicit imagery and themes to be found, but nothing more explicit than anything you could find on Fusty Cunt or Phage Tapes, for instance.
As for this tape in particular: it’s nothing new or innovative, nor is it even the best material in Amek-Maj’s still relatively small discography—I was introduced to the project via their split with Rotat, from a YouTube video I happened upon by chance—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s something about an intentionally low-fidelity approach to making noise that’s uniquely satisfying, a satisfaction that simply can’t be garnered from a louder, well-produced noise record (e.g. 90’s Merzbow) despite technically being superior in frequency response, stereo depth, textural variety, etc.
While Amek-Maj’s setup is unknown—for all I know, he could just be running scrap metal through a bunch of death metals like every other noise goon—the tonal quality of their noise makes me believe (and want to believe) it’s something truly unorthodox, and that kind of mystique really appeals to me. The sound is rough and muddy, but not incomprehensible; its composition is somewhat minimal or even generic at times, yet never in a prolonged or boring way.
Keep an eye on this guy, and on his contemporaries. I'm sure they'll do good work in the future.
stream the full album on bandcamp
