- Over the years, Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S. label has nurtured an extensive network of sonic weirdos that draws on the noise cassette underground, lo-fi house, loner acid and grimy techno, introducing us to artists like Delroy Edwards, Terekke, Svengalisghost and Beau Wanzer. After a slew of singles on that label (and its offshoot, Russian Torrent Versions), Wanzer carved out a particularly grimy nook for himself. His self-released albums have contained warped miniatures that wallow in the red. In grotty condition, they are hard to date. Have these tracks been left to grow mouldy over the years? Did Wanzer find a tape in his old bedroom, or did he cut the record yesterday afternoon?
Wanzer's third album—untitled, like his first—moseys between EBM, IDM, industrial, dark wave and squalid techno. Though his first Untitled LP was rewarding, the same sort of material on the third go-round has more misses than hits. Nothing here matches the raucousness of tracks such as, say, "Beefhearts." The album lacks focus and urgency. Outside of some queasy frequencies fluttering over the track, "Dr. Dre's Smelly Feet" feels directionless. "Ultralean"'s distorted handclaps and smeared effects—even after you allow for the track's title and duration—are rudimentary. Wanzer marries toms, gurgles and white noise to intriguing effect on "The Tape Curses," but the results, again, seem underdeveloped.
Whenever Wanzer works through his rough drafts, it shows. Ludicrous amounts of distortion coat the creepy EBM of "Shitty Cough 14," a standout that could bring on a cluster headache. The primitive "Shock Therapy" would slot easily into a coldwave compilation. On "Staring At A Fish," Wanzer conveys an eeriness that Aphex Twin perfected on Selected Ambient Works Volume II. He nails that feeling in a way that makes your skin crawl—in a good way. But, as "Staring At A Fish" comes to a premature close, Untitled shows Wanzer's indiscriminate—and frustrating—treatment of bangers and cast-offs. Whether these tracks are ten years or ten minutes old, you'll wish that he'd spent a bit more time on them.
Tracklist01. Dr. Dre's Smelly Feet
02. Front/Side View
03. The Tape Curses
04. Something Stinks
05. Starting At A Fish
06. Ultralean
07. Shitty Cough 14
08. Weak Blizzard
09. Shock Therapy
10. 2:16 A.M.
11. Happy Birthday To Me
12. Memory Loss