Especially notable are occasional bursts of crisp, digital static. I enjoyed imagining that the performance was a kind of industrial construction itself—as though I was hearing music while looking at its naked guts.
A diverse combination of sources
Fans of energetic and rhythmic noise enjoy Thedi’s Live at FSK-HH (Hamburg). The release is grungy, loud, distorted and active. Live could have been made by combining scraps of sound from Steve Albini’s studio with construction equipment and amped radios—a diverse combination of sources.
The recording is quite overdriven in places, and particularly at first. The volume is normalized to some degree 10 minutes in. When clear to the human ear, quite a few varieties of noise can be detected. There are bass tones reminiscent of Einstürzende Neubauten’s Alexander Hacke. There are repetitive mechanical sounds that might have been loops, or are simply machines. There are fragments of musique concrète– such as spoken word in the German language. At times, an effect similar to Daniel Menche’s “Concussions” is maintained, but often the mass of swirling sound is more chaotic still.
Especially notable are occasional bursts of crisp, digital static. I enjoyed imagining that the performance was a kind of industrial construction itself—as though I was hearing music while looking at its naked guts.
For future releases, I would recommend Thedi looking into using timbre and texture to bring out the layers of sound, helping them to be more distinct. (But then, a sludgy sound blend was never my favorite). Live at FSK-HH is loud, noisy fun. Don’t expect melodic content or pastoral atmospheres—this release is grungy as a derelict refinery throughout.
Recording of the improvised live concert of Thedi at the Adventurous Music Special at Reizüberflutung radio show @ FSK Hamburg, November 25th, 2023.
Live at FSK-HH is available on Adventurous Music. [Bandcamp]
