Wednesday, December 12, 2018

don't forget to remember.




Don't Forget To Remember

an experimental short film by Thomas D. Rotenberg



these last three months has been one of the most mentally taxing creative periods I've ever experienced.

confronting the inner workings of my mind and bringing them to life via abstracted visuals is a process that I've become increasingly comfortable with, but putting myself out into the world has never been an easy task.

over the last three months, we've been preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign, which went live yesterday. 

this short film, which you can read more about over at our seed & spark page, is just the first thread in a larger storyline that will eventually encompass an episodic series, a feature film, and an immersive experience. 

let's face it, the world in which we currently find ourselves feels hopeless much of the time. society feels like it's inching closer and closer to a breaking point - political, economic, and social instability is all around, no matter what side of the political spectrum any one individual might align with. 

but we have to hope for something better, and we can all play a part in that if we so choose. 

that's what this film is really about. 


the storyline follows subject zero, a young woman who takes it upon herself to make a last-ditch effort to do whatever she can to cure the world of a fatal form of insomnia that's afflicted every living creature on earth ever since a visitation by an otherworldly force.

mysterious communications guide her every move, helping her navigate an ever-branching path fraught with potential destruction at every turn.

she is us, and we are her. desperate to escape the predicament we've found ourselves mired in, she doesn't know why she's important - just that she is, and she forces this knowledge to galvanize her so that she can walk a path that's hers alone.

I've dealt with depression for about two-thirds of my life, and I know how hard it can be to forge ahead and fight against every ounce of your being telling you that you're not capable and not wanted. but with the right help and the right people by your side, anything is possible, and it's that sense of hope that I want this film to inspire in others.


it's been close to ten years since I last made a traditional narrative film, but I've never stopped honing my skills, and I'm so excited for the opportunity to bring this world and this story to life. part of what excited me about this adventure is the chance to infuse a (relatively) traditional narrative with the abstract visual methodology I've established over the last few years with my video art.

we're just starting to build our team, and one of the cornerstones is josh graham, who will be composing the music.

josh should be familiar to all of you...that could be via his time doing visuals for neurosis, or his primary band a storm of light, or via his side projects battle of mice and red sparowes. his solo exhibition, standard model catastrophes, was the first show I ever curated and we've since stayed in touch, occasionally running into each other at events, and sometimes contributing solo work to different exhibitions.



he's been making ambient electronic music as IIVII for a few years now and I knew that the sounds being created under the moniker would be a perfect fit for the world I'm attempting to conjure.

I couldn't possibly be more excited about having him on board. be sure to check out our incentives...josh has generously agreed to lend his time to consult with a few select backers, so jump on that incentive before it's gone.

but even if you can't afford a fancy incentive, anything that you're able to contribute would mean the world to me. and if you can't contribute anything, please share the project with your friends and help get the word out...that's the most important part.

please help us out and be a part of the world we're bringing to life.




(for contribution purposes only.)





Wednesday, November 21, 2018

imperial conditioning II.



Various Artists - Imperial Conditioning II

18:11

33.98 MB

1. Death Kneel - Disposal Methodology
2. Ciarra Black - Mediate Reality
3. V. Sinclair - Another Life
4. Opiate Bath - Golden Triangle


new super-limited compilation from total black, created for a live showcase back in october.

harsh drones from opiate bath, melodic ambience from v. sinclair, lo-fi techno from ciarra black, and some power electronics from death kneel...basically, something for everybody.

sold out from the label, so keep an eye on discogs.




(for imperial purposes only.)





Friday, October 26, 2018

sangine relic - the essence of eternity's despair.



Sanguine Relic - The Essence Of Eternity's Despair

34:45

68.31 MB

1. Part I
2. Part II
3. Part III
4. Part IV
5. Part V
6. Part VI


brand new sanguine relic release courtesy of perverse homage.

reliably great stuff here, and there are still a couple items left in the perverse homage store to purchase.

really impressed with this release and the latest batch as a whole, so grab whatever you can...but don't pay outrageous discogs prices.









Monday, October 8, 2018

(memories of) degraded realms.




"(Memories of) Degraded Realms"

on display as part of "Worlds Within Shadows," curated by Gretchen Heinel




about a year ago, I was contacted to shoot some some footage for what was supposed to be a video for a well-known australian death metal band.

unfortunately, the video didn't get approved and the footage sat around for a while before I began to retool and repurpose it, but I had no direction. this was going to be my first video in a while that wasn't a commission, wasn't going to have a budget, and wasn't going to have a concrete theme around which to center my mind.

"digitally ascendant" had moments of harshness, but I wanted to push everything further. the visuals and the audio needed to be more harsh, anxiety-inducing, and destructive than ever before.

I reached out to the owner and operator of contradiction tapes who, as GRVD, is a purveyor of some of the most enthralling noise I had heard in a long time. he agreed to let me use whatever tracks I wanted off of revenge, so I had my sound.

and although I played around with the visual aspect for months, I still felt lost.


when being creative, I love to have rules and restrictions. they serve as guidelines, inviting me to play along at times and transgress at others, and they help me know where to focus my energy in order to tell a relevant story.

but without a curator and pre-established theme or concept to work from, I hadn't yet devised a story to tell.

I was wandering, grasping, desperate for something hold on to. and then I looked at the ghostly image on the screen and thought of her wandering through worlds of visual brutality and inexplicable forms, desperately pleading with others to join together and see what they might be able to find on the other side.

that was a start.


but the story needed structure, a narrative arc to hold it together.

I thought back to high school. I took a philosophy class called "death and dying," and as my final project, I did my first bit of screen writing that would actually get turned into a film. not a good film, not a film anyone will ever see anywhere ever, but one that fit the assignment: to explore the five stages of grief.

these characters inhabiting this new world, maybe they're mourning their own deaths. maybe they need to travel through that grief in order to find a place, mental or otherwise, where they can exist without fear.

this is that journey.


to visualize this world, I manipulated the original footage using trapcode mir to create expansive wireframe models, and then keyframed particular animations by controlling the various parameters of the plugin. those were then loaded into premiere, colored, mirrored, and blended with additional clips to create something that's (in my opinion) at once ominous and oddly comforting.

I'm honored and excited to be debuting this new video as part of "worlds within shadows" at the garner arts center, curated by gretchen heinel. the opening night coincides with autumn electronix II, curated by lee bartow.

featuring performances from seven sound artists plus merch from cloister recordings and a bunch of others, I can't wait to show off my work alongside so many other talented creators.

getting there from nyc is going to be difficult, but it'll be a trek worth taking.




(autumn electronix II tickets.)





Tuesday, August 28, 2018

the rita - letestu.



The Rita - Letestu

10:19

19.22 MB

1. La Courtisane
2. Paquita


new seven-inch release from the rita dedicated to agnès letestu, a french ballet dancer.

read sam's description of his latest release here, it's much more thorough than I could ever be and I don't feel like paraphrasing.

send him an email to grab a copy and support the artist.




(for ballet purposes only.)





Tuesday, August 21, 2018

lay waste / future of pulse.



Mania / Deterge - Lay Waste / Future Of Pulse


38:17

85.6 MB

1. Deterge - Gun Free Zone (49 And 58)
2. Deterge - See The Screen
3. Deterge - Three Hours, Twelve Minutes
4. Deterge - Stuffed, Soft
5. Mania - Lay Waste



new split from these two legends courtesy of fusty cunt.

copies of the standard edition are still available from the label.

what more can I really say...an intense and cathartic listen, highly recommended.




(buy a copy.)

(for preview purposes only.)





Tuesday, July 24, 2018

cross rot.



Cross Rot - Collection

1:01:51

118.76 MB

1 - 7: Demo II
8 - 11: Demo MMXIII
12 - 21: Ixuvik Reh.
22 - 24: Split with Floridian Winter 
25 - 28: First Light Reh. MMXIII



some of this is already floating around on metal area, but here's the entire cross rot discography courtesy of fallow field.

this newly compiled double-cassette looks and sound great, and comes highly recommended.

it's (gasp) still available from the label via the link below...grab one ASAP.




(buy a copy from fallow field.)


(for preview purposes only.)





Sunday, July 22, 2018

beyond a single breeding cycle.



Scant / Pleasure Island / Shredded Nerve - Beyond A Single Breeding Cycle

53:42

112.33 MB

1. Scant - Segregation
2. Scant - Distancing
3. Pleasure Island - Hall Of Columns
4. Pleasure Island - Preserved In Paraffin
5. Pleasure Island - Laying In State
6. Pleasure Island - Surrounded By Flowers
7. Shredded Nerve - Severe Deficiency
8. Shredded Nerve - Extensive Research Yields No Result



new three-way split courtesy of thousands of dead gods featuring some mainstays of the power electronics scene - scant, pleasure island, and shredded nerve.

the dead gods big cartel seems to be down at the moment, but maybe when it comes back up they'll still have a few copies.

lots of variety here and it all comes together very nicely.

definitely a label to dig into, if you haven't already.




(for breeding cycle purposes only.)





Thursday, July 5, 2018

the rita - sharks and the female form.



The Rita - Sharks And The Female Form

29:12

65.47 MB

1. Untitled
2. Untitled


this new release from the rita comes in some stellar packaging...inserts featuring shark attack photographs and abstract art are paired with torn and blood-spattered women's bathing suit fragments to form a startling and immersive whole.

each side opens with audio of a woman describing a shark attack, followed by very textured yet brittle walls.

I haven't been listening to a ton of HNW lately but sam's work always manages to pull me back in. this one is out of stock from the label but reach out to sam via his blog, he might have a few copies left.

highly recommended.




(bakurita.)


(for shark knifing purposes only.)





Wednesday, June 27, 2018

various artists - häretischer kreis.




Various Artists - Häretischer Kreis

32:39

59.4 MB

1. Swine Soul - Violent Self-Spiraling Forever Towards Utter Oblivion
2. Immatura Morte - Exclamavit Autem Mortis...
3. Xzælthu - Untitled
4. Gormanudr - Ages Of Blood
5. Funerary Temple - Chanting Woes Through The Chambers Of Flesh



co-released by perverse homage and hatework, this compilation brings together a host of stellar artists for a sonically and aesthetically cohesive side of furious black metal.

a few of these artists were new to me, but everything here is great and this easily stands up as one of the finest compilations I've heard all year.

somehow, copies are still available from perverse homage...so grab one quickly and don't miss out.











Tuesday, May 29, 2018

hand of glory - to molest the dreaming...



Hand Of Glory - To Molest The Dreaming...

33:52

62.21 MB

1. Curses Of Nightgaunt Sorcery
2. Romancing The Corpses At Night
3. Death Vessel
4. Undecayed Dynasties Of Imperial Vampire
5. To Molest The Dreaming...
6. Ghostly Chambers In Soulless Chasm
7. Gruesome Esoteric Pedophilia



there are a couple of tape rips of this floating around in the corners of the internet, but this new vinyl pressing (and first release) from livor mortis with a remaster by lampir sounds so much better that I felt it was worth sharing.

hand of glory belongs to house of first light, a brooklyn-based black metal collective primarily responsible for releasing the works of lam, who's also behind sanguine eagle, amongst others.

check out more from house of first light, and be sure to keep an eye on livor mortis...shipping from finland to the united states is expensive, but the pressings are super limited and the curation is impeccable.




(for dreaming purposes only.)





Tuesday, May 22, 2018

carved cross / malphas.



Carved Cross / Malphas

14:10

25.9 MB

1. Carved Cross - The Dawning Of Comprehension Underwhelms All Who Bask In Its Light
2. Malphas - Des Chaines De L'état
3. Malphas - Une Signe D'avenir




new split from the legendary carved cross and malphas, courtesy of tour de garde.

carved cross needs no introduction, but this was the first I'd heard of malphas and the material is really great...the easily-discernible riffs are very nice counterpoint to downtrodden murk of the carved cross track.

copies are somehow still available from the source, so grab one ASAP...very worthy of your hard-earned dollars.




(for split purposes only.)





Wednesday, April 25, 2018

lampir / witchmoon.



Lampir / Witchmoon

32:02

60.73 MB

1. Lampir - Overture
2. Lampir - Returning... The Entranced Carnality
3. Lampir - Poisonous Deflowerment & Damnation
4. Lampir - Bleeding The Infinity
5. Witchmoon - The Black Shadow of Vampyric Isolation
6. Witchmoon - Feeding Beneath The Winter Crescent
7. Witchmoon - Secrets In The Forgotten Mausoleum
8. Witchmoon - Unknown Entrance


new split from lampir and witchmoon, courtesy of perverse homage and black gangrene.

super raw, you know what to expect.

lots of great stuff on black gangrene, don't know how this label flew under my radar for so long but glad that's been remedied...and this new perverse homage batch is expectedly great.

highly recommended.




(for vampyric purposes only.)





Thursday, April 12, 2018

obsidian forest - demo 2017.



Obsidian Forest - Demo 2017

18:23

34.88 MB

1. No Breeze Disturbs This Fetid Sanctuary
2. Among The Glittering Caverns
3. An Eternal Moonless Night
4. To Forever Leave The Presence Of The Sun


excellent demo from obsidian forest, courtesy of rapacious projections.

hauntingly melodic riffs and ghastly shrieks...my kind of stuff.

both the band and label seem fairly new, with only a handful of releases thus far, but definitely keep an eye on these two.




(for obsidian purposes only.)





Sunday, April 8, 2018

flešš / lampir.



Flešš / Lampir

30:50

56.67 MB

1. Flešš - Unquenchable Bloodlust
2. Flešš - Stalking The Weak And Wounded
3. Flešš - Ravaging Pristine Flesh
4. Flešš - Skulking From Grim Towers
5. Lampir - Fading Prismal Vision
6. Lampir - Glaring Phantasm
7. Lampir - Morning Fog Of Lost Souls


finally have a working cassette deck again.

from the latest perverse homage batch, this split between flešš and lampir is yet another standout release from one of the most reliable labels around.

nicely packaged with a clear, pro-printed cassette, this is essential listening.

recommended.




(for vampyric purposes only.)





Wednesday, March 7, 2018

tasmania II.



Various Artists - Tasmania II

1:16:35

160.16 MB

1. Colour Sensory - Pixelated Waves
2. Leather Temple - Closure
3. Fixation - Time Has Changed
4. Fixation - Pounding
5. Fixation - I Can't Make It Stop
6. Claudia - The Scent Of Masculinity
7. Carved Cross - Washed Away In The Passage Of Regret And Time
8. Dysassociation - Interlude I
9. Dysassociation - Head In The Clouds
10. Dysassociation - Interlude II
11. Night Falls Haunting - Rest Of The Lonely
12. Night Falls Haunting - Ancient Rites
13. Night Falls Haunting - Tradition Dies Slowly
14. Isolationist - Knowledge Control
15. Leather Temple - The Blurred Lines Between Sex And Death
16. Gaunt - A.E.
17. Plague Whore - Invocation / Apparition
18. Plague Whore - Glory To The Mother Of Sex
19. Carved Cross - All Debris Returns Home To Rest
20. Claudia - No Sign Of Weakness



utterly fantastic compilation courtesy of overuse.

raw black metal, raging power electronics, and ritualistic ambient all come together in an incredibly cohesive package.

the night falls haunting tracks are probably my favorites, but new material from carved cross and fixation is never a bad thing, either...and of course it's stellar.

I think this is sold out everywhere, so keep an eye on discogs.

highly recommended, one of the best things I've heard all year.




(for tasmanian purposes only.)





Saturday, February 17, 2018

melancholic chants yield wounds in the night.



Moraš / Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect - Melancholic Chants Yield Wounds In The Night

15:12

29.92 MB

1. Moraš - Lair Of The Inanimated
2. Moraš - Soulless Watches
3. Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect - Bloodletting At The Gates Of The Lycanthrope (A Serenade For The Pale Bride)



the main draw here for me was new UVSS material, but the tracks from moraš (with whom I was previously unfamiliar), are really solid and I'm actively digging through their catalogue now.

the UVSS material leans a little more toward the ambient side than some of their more recent material, with howling wolves and other ominousness filling out the track beyond the usual blackened fury.

great stuff, and I wish it wasn't all over so quickly.

sold out from the source, but maybe analog worship will be getting copies...



(for melancholic purposes only.)





Tuesday, February 13, 2018

various artists - remnants of sacrificial perversion.



Various Artists - Remnants Of Sacrificial Perversion

37:14

73.37 MB

1. Funeral Altar - Rivers Of Human Sacrifice
2. Funeral Altar - Plagued Curses
3. Funeral Altar - Dethroned Banner, Blackened Empire
4. Obsidian Grave - Intro
5. Obsidian Grave - Aeons Of Inhuman Torment
6. Obsidian Grave - Unrelenting Excruciation Within Forgotten Corridors
7. Kaznaxtheh - Through Sickness Carved An Awakening In Death
8. Megalith Grave - As Moonlight Casts Upon White Eyes
9. Megalith Grave - Cursed Vampyric Lamentation



this new 4-way split from perverse homage doesn't disappoint.

new material from old favorites funeral altar and megalith grave works perfectly with the obsidian grave and kaznaxtheh tracks.

obviously this is long sold out, but don't spend ridiculous amounts of money on discogs to get a copy...just enjoy the music.




(for sacrificial purposes only.)