the infinite betley catalogue, part four: bbblood – rust (digital edition)

May 4, 2012 at 11:24 am | Posted in new music, no audience underground | Leave a comment
Tags: bbblood, mp3, new music, no audience underground, noise, paul watson, tapes

In order to subsidise the creation of future releases, London based noise artist Paul Watson, known to his many admirers as BBBlood, has re-released a sold-out, limited edition tape in a digital format.

Rust now comprises four tracks: the original sides A and B plus the previously unreleased sides C and D – newly created with racket reprocessed from the original sessions.  46 minutes in total.  I am amused by the idea that because the cassette is no longer a physical object it can now have as many sides as Paul wants (up to a pan-dimensional side Z, presumably).

The content – balls-out noise of the most physical variety – is terrific throughout.  It is as gripping and relentless as your favourite zombie film.  It is as inventive and anarchic as the best Tom and Jerry cartoon.  It is as chaotic and violent as a downhill pile-up in the peloton.  It is as nihilistically hilarious as a brick in the spin cycle (please click – you’ll thank me for it – all kicks off at 55 seconds).

It is a welcome reminder of how exhilarating and liberating harsh noise can be.  It’s a slate cleaner.  So what does Paul want in exchange for this masterclass?

One pound.

Yes, you read that correctly: a quid, singular.  Any patron of the arts out there can donate more, of course, but the minimum acceptable payment is only slightly more than fuck all.

In fact, all readers of this blog with an interest in the more brutal end of noise should be frogmarched to bandcamp in order to buy here right now.  Failure to do so will result in a visit from the RFM goon squad, two of whom will kick you up and down the stairs whilst the third tapes it to send to Paul for use in the future release you should be helping to fund…

(Editors note: does that last bit sound grumpy and aggressive?  It is meant to be a joke.  Forgive me – I’m ill and all over the place.  The whimsy will be back soon..)