I'm constantly praising releases of Urashima for their appearance. So this time I won't be original too. This Italian label releases truly wonderfully looking vinyls that you can surely recognize by just taking a glance at them. They are releases, exceptionally high quality in visuals and quite often very interesting in sound. I'm also glad that Urashima at first released only HNW, but little by little selected harsh noise, power electronics or industrial bands started appearing on the catalogue too. On this vinyl we have USA legendary harsh noise band from Texas, Black Leather Jesus that was started by Richard Ramirez 25 years ago and Ramirez's solo material. Members of Black Leather Jesus always changes, but I think I read somewhere that 5 people took part in this recording: Richard Ramirez, Sean E. Matzus, Robert Newsome, Scott Houston and Domokos. It's not surprising that noise band, consisting of 5 persons, presents dense and intense noise track, but after several listening sessions I didn't get to like the side of BLJ. Serfdom is a strict track with several evolving sound layers, but the feeling is that the sound is hung somewhere in the air without a solid fundament beneath. Variations of noise generators are lost in between static noise textures and sounds as if they would have no common link between them. For a part of a second these layers finds common denominator and merges into one solid noise formation, but after a second they're decomposed and goes their own ways. Not a bad track, but knowing that Black Leather Jesus can do far better material, I cannot let myself praise it. Richard Ramirez material is different and much more interesting for me. It is slowly evolving minimalistic harsh/junk noise track with male moaning sample sounding in the background (well, it's Richard Ramirez, it couldn't be the other way). What I like in this side is that it has composition, sound contrasts and at the same time does not loose expressiveness and aggression. These moments when feedbacks of contact microphones become silent and you don't hear stroking of metal sheets, sound totality is fulfilled with male porno. The track is divided into three logical parts. The first one is soft, distortion is absent and you can clearly hear every movement and touch of a musician. The second part is a little more active while we finally reach the final part of a track where noise explodes and after a groan "a fuck me" suddenly strikes with the wall of feedback and distortion. Richard Ramirez is truly great in this vinyl. If not for Black Leather Jesus side, I would say that this is a very nice noise vinyl. Now Black Leather Jesus side is very average and Richard Ramirez - interesting and will be repeated many more times.

Format: LP
Released: 2011
Label: Urashima
Edition: 100