Pope Joanna - Divinity Corrupter [Harsh Noise - 2007]Pope Joanna is the solo noise/voice/ sound sculpture project of one Clarisse Ducasse. And what a demented and harsh often chaotically beautifully second release Divinity corrupter is. Ducasse uses her voice in a demon from the abyss talking in tongues, or harshly whispering, or animal type guttural sounds to spit out religious obsessed vocals. Then she throws tangles , walls of pulsing noise and feedback at them, all in a focused and coherent way & like the best noise you start to see structures and repetition of sound after a few plays.
The tracks for the main part of the cd are taken up by Stations I to XIV, these last around the 2 to 5 minute a piece. Then we have a fifteen minute track called Sermon VII: Candle in hell and to finish the album off we have another tow shorter tracks. Which gives a nice balance of track lengths. Though out every track the pace depth and texture of noise is altered to a very invigorating effect. It goes rhythmic bounces & punches of static, to screaming storms of hyperactive noise, to unfolding corridors volatile of sound. The mix of Duncasse distinctive vocal sounds and boiling noise scapes gives this a quite unique and interesting sound, you can see real thought has gone into composition and layering of tracks. Surprisingly we even drop into more atmospheric and ominous synth like drones on a few tracks. The last track of the stations tracks features eerier discordant piano pitter-patter, under which feedback shapes grow, with Duncasse sounding like a demonic prosessed old woman trying to get to sleep, making a rather chilling end to the Series of tracks. I think this is where the matreail is most impressive, and for that matter disturbing when you can make out the layers of her vocals, it really gives the already impressive noise constructions another edge. This is One of my favourite noise releasers in the last few months. I Can already see this in this years end of year list some place or another. Really a very unique and bizarre take on noise. To find out more & to buy direct go to worship here . Roger Batty
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