Music Promo Post #7: Converter.

Good afternoon hoers fans! Time for another music promo post.

This time, we're switching gears once again. Get ready for some powernoise!

Powernoise, for those who don't know, is a genre characterized by a heavy, repetitive, rhythmic beat that is accompanied by a good deal of noise and distortion. It tends to quickly shift in character, going from a more danceable beat to something more noise based without warning. It varies from stuff that sounds like slow drum n bass run through distortion to much more experimental material. Obviously, today's highlight is going to be a powernoise group.

Converter was one of the first powernoise acts I go in to back in 2002, when I was first introduced to the genre. A friend of mine who was fond of old school industrial and noise music just so happened to be VERY active in the powernoise scene himself, with his own one-man act and a small indie label. He recommended I check out Converter, Winterkalte, Mlada Fronta, and a handful of other artists, mostly those associated with the Ant-Zen record label. I got in to this label, and was soon intrigued by some of its aesthetics and intentional approach to packaging.

I had intended to post some powernoise on this blog from the moment I began drawing up the list of acts to feature, and Converter seemed like a good place to start.

The album Shock Front is one of their best regarded works, and is as good a place to start as any, as the above title track makes clear. More below the page break.

This album is a fine example of how a group in this genre balances itself between experimental noise and something more rhythm-based. At times it grabs your attention, while at others it fades away, serving as ideal, if unexpected, background music. There's something about this material that I find incredibly relaxing, absurd as that may sound. I melt in to it while listening, and it never seems confrontational or at odds with the listener. At least not with this listener.

The track Cannibals is a good example of something that, while structured, seems ready to go over the line in to totally non-musical territory, yet never quite does.

The album, has a few other highlights. Sacrifice is a good instance of powernoise being mixed with a more ambient approach, though it remains firmly in the rhythmic noise mold. Sadist is a nice, high energy track, and I think it was the first Converter song I had ever heard.

Anyway, that's Converter, and powernoise. I will be highlighting a few more powernoise groups in the near future, so be on the lookout.