Barely has the New Year had time to open its eyes and UK noise master Tapewyrm has crushed its arrival in a tempest of spiteful corrosive hostility with the House Of Cards EP. Consisting of five sonic scourges which fry the senses and obliterate the psyche, the release marks the closure of the first creative act of the project whilst possibly hinting at the new opening scene of its intensive imagination. It is vicious, merciless, and definitely not for everyone but for those finding beauty in aural destruction the release is a fascinating and riveting end of a chapter for a sonic protagonist who has already made a lingering deep scarring mark on noise and industrial provocation.
Tapewyrm is the studio project of Oxford musician Michael Drayven which from its emergence in 2010 took little time in drawing eager attention from the following year. Two digital demo EPs marked the cards of fans, media, and industry alike, before the release of debut CD Misanthropic Noize last year cemented and sparked new awareness for the presence of Drayven’s sonic infestations. The release was a masterful and disturbing intrusion which bred fear or rapture and House Of Cards is no different in effect, potency, and quality; just more demanding and punishing in many ways and if it ticks your boxes, ridiculously captivating.
The title track opens things up and instantly has the senses under a tsunami of sonic vitriol and industrial debris. The track intimidates and scores the ears within seconds but equally there is a haunting nightmarish temptation which partially distracts from or tempers the thick rasping tempest to seduce attention and imagination. Featuring the disturbed almost childlike vocals/utterings of Tiffanie Wells from Beinaheleidenschaftsgegenstand, the insidious coaxing is an unrelenting oppressive washing of the psyche which incites and scores thoughts and emotions into spellbound submission.
The following Chasing Ghosts is said to hint at the new direction of Tapewyrm in its second era and there is certainly a shift on the evidence of the piece which tantalises and catches the imagination. Like a moment from the soundtrack of Love Story if played out in the belly of a hell set industrial mixer, the excellent short sonic narrative is an emotive caress by inventive hands with the coarsest skin and hellishly intriguing. Its taunting is followed by the outstanding Careless, another permeating of the skin which infuriates like a sonic itch and seduces with a virulent addictiveness. The rhythmic stalking of the track niggles with an insatiable hunger whilst within the cloud of noise contagion melodies dance and blossom with a sexual wantonness and absorbing elegance. The impressive and enthralling encounter is like attempting to listen to a joyous carnival procession through the thickest swamp of tinnitus whilst a jackhammer nags mercilessly away face to face.
The release is completed by two remixes of tracks to be found on the previous Misanthropic Noize album. Firstly there is the Ruinizer remix of Save Yourself, a track which twists and rotates with a vibrant and understated presence but still licks potently with every repetitive note and electro clad sonic expression. It is succeeded by the Dirty K remix of Rebirth, a harsh caustic smothering of the ears which erodes and grates the senses to whimpering submission but holds back enough to create an addition forging aural treat.
From the Juggernaut Media Group released House Of Cards it is hard not to add a little impatience to the anticipation of what comes next from Tapewyrm as you sense it will be something to shake and disturb mind and emotions. This is a project which will leave a great many cowering and running but if noise is your masochistic treat than here is one raw and minimalistic fury which just has to be investigated.
https://www.facebook.com/Tapewyrmofficial
http://music.juggernautservices.com/album/house-of-cards
8.5/10
RingMaster 07/01/2014
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