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Nocturnal Emissions / Origami Vs. Manipura
Mort Aux Vaches

Staalplaat (2000) CD
Track listing


Mort Aux Vaches, meaning 'death to cows' is apparently a show on VPRO radio, and here are two broadcast sessions from that show, one by NE, and another by er... someone else. Someone or some persons who might possibly be named as above.

Origami etcetera kick off with some remote ambience suggesting isolated mountain passes, and suchlike, before bringing in a modest rhythm section and then going all screeching metal on us (as in car crash rather than Tygers Of Pan Tang). It's good of its kind but not startling. If anything it sounds like a better recording of what NE were doing on their early albums: contrasting harsh noise with relative quiet and serving it all up on a bed of cranky fucked-up rhythms.

The NE half opens with more samply loopy stuff before Steptoe & Son percussion heralds the overdriven sound of the skipper playing harmonica while his ship goes down, finally breaking into a couple of recent live favourites. Bring Power To Its Knees' is similar to the live recording already released on Electropunk Karaoke, with some monkeying around here, and jiggery-pokery there. Finally, there's a welcome and lengthy rebooting of No Seperation with Nigel almost crooning over a steel band ambience. It's impressive that something so obviously programmed has the feel of a late night jazz workout (or so I would imagine) despite being played by robots. It's probably down to the unfussed way sequences drop in and out of the mix, the uncharacteristically relaxed feel of drum machines chattering away to each other, and Nigel's absent-mindedly wandering off into songs about his Aunty Mary, whose name conveniently rhymes with hairy, dairy, and canary.

In its entirety, this CD is probably a little patchy, but the last fifteen or so minutes compensate for any minor inconsistencies earlier on. Also, the last two NE tracks sound great when you're knackered or on the verge of passing out from prolonged alcohol consumption. Mind you, a little more information on the weirdly shaped card cover would've been nice.

War Arrow
Sound Projector 8

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