The 2004 Reviews Section: Some Asian Females Bodybuilders/Invader From Mars, split

SOME ASIAN FEMALES BODYBUILDERS

DALE TOMITA
INVADER FROM MARS
TRASH NOISES/SPRING 2003
SPLIT TAPE
SMELL THE STENCH TAPES, 2003

For those unwilling to believe that I am actually doing daily reviews (well, technically I'm not - course, I have a life so feck ya) here's a noise split from Smell The Stench Tapes. It's strange how I could only find one e-mail address out of a possible three and even then the address belongs to another band (Some Asian Females Bodybuilders is a side project from a member of Hinyouki). Still, I got this for a few bucks from Ghetto Blaster Productions so I can't complain.

Invader From Mars seems to be a Kei Yokota side-project. Kei Yokota is probably most well-known for Outermost. At first, I hated IFM's side of the split but I've grown to appreciate it. It's basically thirty minutes of clanking industrial-type sounds. Of course, by industrial I mean it in a literal sense, as Trash Noises is thirty minutes of metal and cans hitting each other. There is a fair bit of static noise and that kinda got boring after a while (given that I've never appreciated bands like Whitehouse for focusing on static noise and nothing but), but on the whole I could appreciate and enjoy IFM's sound. I don't buy noise on a regular basis (I sometimes make noise music but I'm terrible at it) but I'll try to check out Kei Yokota's work in the future.

Some Asian Females Bodybuilders (broken English, but it's a Spanish side-project so it's expected), on the other hand, do this pitch-based music that I really enjoy. SAFB's half of the split is essentially atonal whistles that seem rather monotonous at first glance. Hell, maybe they are but SAFB seems to be exploring the relationship between silence and the pitches the "band" creates. Sometimes SAFB will experiment with dropouts, as for a few moments near the end of the tape I thought the batteries in my walkman (which as I write this is attached to my speakers) had run out. I know whining high-pitched experimentation is not to everyone's taste and I could be more intellectual in my discussion of this album, but I enjoyed SAFB's side of the tape immensely. Also, I can be intellectual-sounding but then I'd sound like every other bullshit music reviewer so fuck that.

That reminds me, anyone ever review actual bullshit? You know, literally? The interplay of feces, texture and exposure to the air can be really interesting, especially when you get a wet one on your face. I've shoveled shit before, so I should know.

Anyhow, write the guys at Smell The Stench and support the work the label does. If you've forgotten how to write a letter or use non-AOL-aided grammar, then I really feel for you.

INVADER FROM MARS
c/o Kei Yokota
064-0807, Sapporo
Minami 7, Nishi 12
2-5-304
JAPAN

SOME ASIAN FEMALES BODYBUILDERS
c/o Crypt Vihâra
C/General Díaz Porlier, 57
3C Madrid 28006
SPAIN
[email protected]

SMELL THE STENCH TAPES
c/o Leigh Julian
2 Clematis Court
Meadow Heights
Melbourne
Victoria 3048
AUSTRALIA