KD02: MOTHGUTS / HRMAG - Split 12" EP

Released: 2007

Info: Free recipe insert. Limited to 400 copies pressed on 12" red coloured vinyl.

 

As the unsavoury subject of this split EP cover more of a grindcore is expected publication, I would like, start with the B-side, since in fact have the Mothguts prescribed that same direction. However, while they do not squint in the direction of punk and metal, but are rather tied to the jazz department, are also Massacre, Painkiller and Naked City (John Zorn is especially a network with the Americans by the very present more often in the Saxophone sense).
The three pieces were recorded entirely live in a day and according to sound raw and improvised), but (with one exception, however, is anything but arbitrary. If in "The Only Good Cop Is A Dead Priest" freejazzig drauflosgeschreddert still very early, get the song at some point later in the turn and enters the second half almost in the direction of Doom is not surprising when one knows that the Mothguts are big fans of Black Sabbath. The very impressive "Ethopian Jews" winds significantly reclining, but nonetheless also very uncomfortable by the ears. In the short bouncer "hand jobs" but betrays not only the unmotivated thrown something in between "Wild Thing" riff that was here mainly just "quickly improvised. A pity, because the impression left by the first two pieces, was a better.
Honey Ride Me A Goat certainly do not grindcore, but also control their back on this split 50:50-mixture of improvisation and fixed structure of which has already promised me on their debut EP and the split with Upsilon Acrux so.
In the rough in the best sense "Varicose jibs" and particularly in the subsequent "Spastic Colon" they do so even little more than a little bit better than the two mentioned publications, as these two songs are even more colorful than usual. As on the Mothguts page is also the last piece of something out of the context, for "Newts" in comparison to the other two contributions significantly more guitar. Unlike their split partners goodbye HRMAG but much more positive, because this is a very complex piece from beginning to end and exciting offers of odd pulsed geriffen to jazzy sounds much that is simply fun.
HRMAG so go easy, not least because of the recent botched Mothguts including contribution from this comparison again emerged as the "winner" if you're really keen to identify such (so can avoid the very common in these publications never ). One should therefore be interesting to see whether HRMAG on their next split pub again have their noses in front, because this after all they are competing against the 2009 late Hugh Hopper, who stand in his Vitae slightly more than the recent split Partners the British.

 

BABYBLAUE-SEITEN (Translation)

 

The world's a bit devoid of good old noisy jazz bands these days, and Mothguts do the 'If Lightning Bolt were a Jazz band and even weirder' sort of thing very well. Mind you, it's not easy to get into at first, but once the flailing saxophone claws its way into your conscience, there's nothing you can do to get it out. A flip of the vinyl later, you can find the even more interestingly monikered Honey Ride Me a Goat. In my opinion at least, this is even better. It's the sort of music Don Caballero should be making instead of the flawed-but-still-alright ‘World Class Listening Problem’, and there is a significant amount of Damon Che's Pennsylvania lot's influence on this side of the record. However HRMAG do put their own manic spin on things, and keep you hooked for every single second that they’re playing. Vinyl fans might be interested to know it’s on a red 12" limited to three hundred copies. Well worth a tenner or however much it costs.

 

TASTY

 

The first thing I want to say about this record is that it's lovingly pressed onto blood red vinyl. Also, it's a lovely chunky piece of vinyl which is nice to see instead of a cheap, flimsy rush-job that a lot of bands are known to put out. Anyway, on to the release itself... This is the second release from the Kitchen Dweller label (the first being Honey Ride Me a Goat's self-titled 10") and is a split release with HRMAG filling side a with their own brand of intelligent-yet-freakish Punk-Jazz and side b being handled by Mothguts, a U.S band who describe themselves as "experimental grindcore jazz". Honey Ride Me a Goat start their onslaught with "Varicose Jibs", a stuttering, off-kilter number which almost seems to follow on from where their previous 10" left off. If you've never heard this band before then there's very little to compare them to, suffice to say this track (like most HRMAG tracks) follows it's own structure and time signatures often changing style/tempo/etc when you least expect it. Varicose Jibs starts as if it's ending and slopes through many different structures before falling apart and back together again in different forms over most of side a. "Spastic Colon" has been a live favourite for a long time and finally makes it onto vinyl here. Starting as if it's going to become a fast rolling monster, the track quickly becomes a haze of jazz drums, bubbling analogue synth and guitar washes before slamming into more chunky unexpected riffs, trumpet screams and lively bass action. Side a concludes with "Newts" which features what seems to be one of the most complex riffs I’ve ever heard played in the strangest way. This track also features a large jazz style breakdown which actually scared me the first time I heard it. There's so much going on here it will take many listens to fully appreciate every element of it. Just when you think you're getting to grips with this ‘Newts’ it ends abruptly which is a perfect example of how Honey Ride Me a Goat like to break your brain. I don't know that much about Mothguts, but they do like to make an impression. Side b opens with "The only good Cop is a dead Priest" which is a horrific nightmarish vision from an otherworldly embodiment of David Lynch's "Naked Lunch". This saxophone led beast twists through horror-show stabs and guitar wails. "Ethiopian Jews" takes a more laid back approach and opens gently with mild bass and saxophone stylings meandering snake-like through the speakers. The relatively soft start soon builds into a more sinister wash of sounds before falling back into the pieces earlier mood. Final track "Hand Jobs", although short, is a cool, multi-layered construction with a multitude of ideas and riffs fighting for attention one after another. A well known rock-n-roll number even sneaks in for a 2 second appearance. Overall, this release is like two personalities of the same lust-filled serial killer. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something far removed from the slew of standard bands around and would like to challenge themselves by listening to something which is just the right side of pretentious and often unsettling.

 

FIPZIE

 

Pressed up on (and I quote) "gut red vinyl" and complete with 'comedy' track titles, even the sleeve art is looking to gross you out, featuring a detailed photograph of fish heads and entrails. Consistent with this you'll find a recipe for fish curry printed out as an insert included with the package. Oh you pranksters. You're totally freaking me out, etc. Etc. But what of the music? It's actually a hugely gratifying improvised jazz-punk onslaught, featuring stop-start rhythmic shenanigans, howling sax freakouts and the sort of noise fusion guitar you'd find on a Moha! or Scorch Trio record. Although this is a split EP there's a shared mindset on this release with both groups aiming for a similar aesthetic and clearly sharing a fondness for outrageous improv grindcore. And guts.

 

BOOMKAT

 

Red vinyl, we like red vinyl and we like this! Yes we like this lots, let me run a little test... Yeap, turn it up loud and just as expected, everyone comes running to see who what and where. Going to need some serious dancing around architecture to get anywhere near describing honey ride me a goat with mere words as tools - help! Twisted turning obtuse instrumental post rock pronkoid springly boingy avant jazz-rock post-punk jazzness that's seriously way out there without ever once getting too far out there. The sound is unique, all the challenge and complexity of Upsilon Acrux or the Aleuchatistas, challenging enough to be on a respected label like say Cuneiform or Skingraft. Honey Ride Me a Goat are from Medway (Kent) and who needs Cuneiform when you have Kitchen Dweller and curried cod recipes. Thing is, Honey are clever and complex and as pretentious as this is, it never ever is annoyingly pretentious. Hold the boat, I just got through the glorious thirteen minute mind-boil of HRMAG and Mothguts are now pummelling us with some seriously heavy post-rock Van der Graaf sax style Ornette Coleman flavoured pronkoid earfood, that's easily as challenging and wholesomely rewarding as Honey Ride Me a Goat. Mothguts are from New Jersey and they complement the English band perfectly, an excellent match up. There are only 300 of these beautiful slices of red vinyl to go around so we suggest you stop reading this and go grab one for yourself right now! Single of the week - highly recommended!

 

ORGAN

 

Kent based free-jazz-heavy-as-shit bulldozer trio hit the right wrong notes again with this split with NY based Mothguts. Tasty red vinyl in a sleeve that will make you puke until you realise it's a scene from any ordinary market or kitchen. 'Varicose jibs' has a zappesque but raw intro of a jazz elec guitar alternating with almost grungy rock, head on, with effect! Tightness has the piss taken with a technically perfect six note nightmare of a repetition eventually being slaughtered by all out live and kicking, "...you just can not hold her down!" plenty of practice shows as chaos and order swap roles slickly, dominated by Onion Skidpants' grating fuzz axe. Onion is a good lad, at gigs he is resplendent in apron and strobe flashing welder mask; he proves himself a good rhythm player on 'spastic colon' while 'Pervy Mike' (interjecting here on skizzly electronics and even sax) and 'Morris Jelly' build up from the rear. Morris's drums get to dance and strip naked and he once told me he's never had a lesson in his life. Smooth rolls and total command make this hard to believe. The lads' settle for some foreplay in a mellow mid-section then it all cums together in a hot, wet cake-mix of a free-jazz skiddly-doo. The curiously named final track, 'newts' shows some restraint (at least in part) as we are introduced to a more mature side. There's a tightness and drive with this outfit (live and on their first album as well) that will ensure them success, indeed they already appear to be attracting attention as some exciting work with Hugh hopper (soft machine) is already underway...seriously can't wait! Mothguts on the other side offer a one-day live recording session, opening in the shape of a gorgeous freak-out, in a similar vein, though with a dominating alto saxophone they present a far more liquidy sound that their vinyl-buddies. I love sax, especially when it sounds like a demented sewer rat cornered in a pit-bull's kennel...some rocky-horror type spoken vocal wouldn't go amiss here, perhaps just like our oft-mentioned frank would have; a commentary on something so pathetic it's important to dedicate at least one whole album to it..? Anyways, it's also quite film-soundtracky. Midway through the side the freestyling attitude seems to plateau and lose a bit of momentum, almost as though the guys are surrendering without the passion, or that they got wasted at the beginning of this totally live set. The brief blast of 'wild thing' reinforced the sense of lack of direction. Yep the brits come out on top for me...ah...blighty!

 

FREENOISE

 

What's this!!! It's a fish head...with spilt guts. Ok it's a split 12" on red vinyl by honey ride me a goat and Mothguts. First up I have HRMAG with every beat and pulse matched by guitar, bass and occasional sax. It's a craaaaazy wig out by talented musicians with a lot of time on their hands. I think they'd call it jazz... You know dead clever and impressive for a minute, but tedious at one minute one second. At one point a sample kicks with a woman shouting "this is an evil and insane thing you are doing and you must stop it at once". Ok so they know they are being a bit maverick. Turn it over and bang the same thing by a different band. Thing is for me is if they're trying to "be different" and there's a band that's doing exactly the same thing would you not question how original you're being...why not both of you work together...or both of you quit? If I had to call a preference I’d have to go Mothguts for having the edge and for not being so muso and wanky. Includes a good recipe for cod curry.

 

NORMAN RECORDS