Cassette Review: Network Of Individualized Sonic Extremism "Phoneme Ruination" (Orb Tapes) v/a

[$5 // Edition of 12 // https://orbtapes.bandcamp.com/album/phoneme-ruination]

Though this might appear to be a name (Network Of Individualized Sonic Extremism) and title (Phoneme Ruination) this cassette actually collects a group of twelve different artists to create twelve different songs.   The sounds vary from song to song, so much so that no two songs really run together so much as to confuse the pacing for the listener, but yet it somehow still manages to flow as one cohesive unit.   It does take breaks between most songs, but when it does they are so small that you might not even notice them if you let yourself get fully emerged in this one.

Through static fog and space lasers this has an industrial feel to it.   There is a hum with lightsabers, Transformers, beeps and static filled transmissions, as if someone is going down in their plane and the radio is cutting out.   Whirrs and "Star Wars" help to round out Side A as it has robots and droids sound in it as well.   Side B has screeches, modem static, audio clip glitch, R2D2 and static blasts.   There are some harmonies which can come across like organ tones, but yet that is also when it seems to get the darkest.   Quieter, static waves is how this cassette compilation ends.

Now what you need to understand about this is that these twelve artists all create unique sounds, yet they can all be put together in the best of ways to make you think less about this being a compilation and more of the effect of all the artists working together as one.   This can actually be done with any number of genres, if you look at the best soundtracks or compilations anything from punk and hardcore to rock n roll and hip hop could have similar results.    You know in the back of your mind that all of the songs are not by the same artist, and they do each have their own signatures, but yet they still convince you at times this is all by the same artist.

This might also be due to the fact that these songs (as per the Bandcamp) are all based around the sound of the human voice and then those pieces are manipulated and whatever to create what you hear.   So I do think that sort of theme, if you will, is what helps to unify these songs as if they are by the same artist, but then there is enough to remind you they are not.   It's like a really good covers compilation where the artist being covered brings everyone together and yet the artists are still themselves.   Very much worth exploring.