Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Waves Crashing Piano Chords - It Turns Me On Because it Shouldn't [H8-Track Stereo - 2013]

H8-Track Stereo presents the latest offering from Rochester, NY based power electronics artist Waves Crashing Piano Chords. Entitled It Turns Me On Because it Shouldn't, this new EP offers up 3 slabs of minimalistic power electronics, in ultra limited 8 track or 12” laser disc formats, which I can certainly assume are already long gone. 

For the uninitiated, Waves Crashing Piano Chords is the self-proclaimed “Juggalo” power electronics project of one Sean Beard. Mr. Beard’s been down with the clown since 1997 and that ain’t no joke. His live performances include full clown makeup and Faygos; molesting onlookers with nothing more than a microphone and some nasty feedback. He’s been on quite a tear over the past couple years with a steady flow of releases, including a number of limited edition lathes, laser discs, 8 tracks, and anti-records.


Be prepared to ride a wave of ear-splitting microphone feedback on the album’s opening track, “And Then I Cum.” Armed with little else than a microphone and amp, Mr. Beard sculpts a slow moving current of piercing, shrieking feedback. Sounding at times like a distressed animal, the piece is primal to it’s core. It’s so lo-fi and minimalist that I can’t help but be taken in by the brutal simplicity of it all. Despite the crudeness of the 5+ minute piece, it doesn’t feel random or sloppy at all, but rather tightly controlled. Like a sorcerer who is able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells, you get the impression that Mr. Beard has toiled with his tools long enough to know exactly where he’s taking those waves of feedback. Side A’s next track, is a punk rock sized piece entitled “I Got Off To Your Facebook Page.” Clocking in at barely a minute, the track is a delivery vessel for processed vocals and dancing microphone feedback. Mr. Beard’s high-pitched vocals sound like they were run through a pitchshifter or some other type of effect, as if he was sucking helium. It’s a departure from the burlier vocal stylings I was familiar with from some of his earlier works. Short and punishing, the track is a nice little bookend for side A.


Side B consists of a live set entitled Live At The Bug Jar 03/16/13 (I Hope I Get Aids, ..or is it me?). I’m generally not a huge fan of live recordings, however this live set compliments the overall lo-fi sounds quite well (actually the recording is pretty high quality for a live gig). The set starts out with a slow moving wave of piercing microphone feedback, but then rapidly picks up the pace. The vocals kick in to add to the brutality quotient. Gruff and harsh, Mr. Beard just straight up screams into the mic with no effects that I can discern. There’s also some interaction with the crowd to give the listener a glimpse into the insanity of the live performance. Some thicker, buzzier low end feedback takes shape before we ride the wave out after 5 minutes minutes or so of mayhem.

There’s nothing flashy or remarkable about what Waves Crashing Piano Chords does. There’s no tricks or pretentiousness to Mr. Beard’s sounds, but that’s kind of the whole point. It’s the pure brutal minimalism that makes WCPC so intriguing and rewarding to experience. In an age of gluttonous art rock and declarations of noise being dead, there’s a certain honesty about what Mr. Beard does. Perhaps I’m listening to this album in just the right mood, but at this moment, it’s really scratching me where I itch.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Hal Harmon
Latest Reviews

Waves Crashing Piano Chords - It ...
H8-Track Stereo presents the latest offering from Rochester, NY based power electronics artist Waves Crashing Piano Chords. Entitled It Turns Me On Because i...
290324   Stuart Argabright & AfterAfte...
290324   Piranha - Piranha(DVD)
280324   Typhoon Club - Typhoon Club(B...
270324   Jerzy Skolimowski Collection ...
260324   Latex Choker - Sealed
260324   Occlusion - 59: No Input Wall
260324   Nihil Impvlse - Anabasis
260324   Marta Forsberg - Sjunger För...
260324   The New Boy - The New Boy( Th...
250324   The Stargazer’s Assistant - ...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom