HR105 - Konstruktivists - The Last Moments Of 1923 - C60 — 1989
SIDE 1:
DEVILS TRIANGLE LAST POST POST MORTEM ERAZERHEAD 23RD TRIP |
SIDE 2:
REAL SURREAL ATTACK/YOU AUTOGHOSTS WEE HEAR ALL FRANCIS BACON BLACK ON BLACK ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
The Last Moments Of 1923 is the fourth Harsh Reality released cassette album by Glenn Michael Wallis' Konstruktivists. Well, fourth if we ignore the nuances of spelling. Psyko-Genetika II (HR007) was also released under Konstruktivists, but Spanish Movements (HR011) and Live At The King Charles Ballroom (HR046) were released as Konstruktivits. Can you see the difference?
‘Devils Triangle’ opens with pleasant keyboard, quickly transitioning to a darkly somber soundtrack. It feels like the Residents with a Goblin horror soundtrack edge. While most of the tracks are in the 3-to 5-minute range, ‘Last Post’ is by far the lengthiest at over 13 minutes. It’s a haunting atmospheric piece with ghostly/alien rushing breezes, eerily whining melodies, and sci-fi effects. I like the droney cello-like moodiness, offset by chirping and soaring effects plus shimmering soundscapes. Contemplative, spooky, freaky… It’s sparse yet compelling. Very cool. ‘Post Mortem’ at first continues this theme, though quickly starts to create images in my mind of a UFO hovering over the desolate, foggy evening London streets of an old film. ‘Erazerhead’ is an abrupt shift in intensity, ascending into space on a cosmic blend of road race and interstellar tornadic activity. ‘23rd Trip’ starts off like Kraftwerk but with a more exploratory space electronic edge, before morphing into a parade of cascading and swirling sci-fi effects.
This theme continues as ‘Real Surreal’ begins Side 2. I love the busy, playful urgency of the music. There’s a lot happening, feeling like a blend of outer space amusement park and early 70s tuneful kosmiche jam. ‘Attack/You’ is another well-crafted deep space carnival of freaky sounds and effects. ‘Autoghosts’ is similar, conjuring up images of disembodied extraterrestrials floating in a cosmic limbo. ‘Wee Hear All’ is beautifully space-orchestral. 'Francis Bacon’, which melts into ‘Black On Black’, is different for including vocals, sounding like a ghostly lo-fi electro space rock tune. Finally, ‘Assault On Precinct 13’ is a sound noodling effects and tones symphony that closes the set. Lots of great spaced out fun on this tape!
The Last Moments Of 1923 is the fourth Harsh Reality released cassette album by Glenn Michael Wallis' Konstruktivists. Well, fourth if we ignore the nuances of spelling. Psyko-Genetika II (HR007) was also released under Konstruktivists, but Spanish Movements (HR011) and Live At The King Charles Ballroom (HR046) were released as Konstruktivits. Can you see the difference?
‘Devils Triangle’ opens with pleasant keyboard, quickly transitioning to a darkly somber soundtrack. It feels like the Residents with a Goblin horror soundtrack edge. While most of the tracks are in the 3-to 5-minute range, ‘Last Post’ is by far the lengthiest at over 13 minutes. It’s a haunting atmospheric piece with ghostly/alien rushing breezes, eerily whining melodies, and sci-fi effects. I like the droney cello-like moodiness, offset by chirping and soaring effects plus shimmering soundscapes. Contemplative, spooky, freaky… It’s sparse yet compelling. Very cool. ‘Post Mortem’ at first continues this theme, though quickly starts to create images in my mind of a UFO hovering over the desolate, foggy evening London streets of an old film. ‘Erazerhead’ is an abrupt shift in intensity, ascending into space on a cosmic blend of road race and interstellar tornadic activity. ‘23rd Trip’ starts off like Kraftwerk but with a more exploratory space electronic edge, before morphing into a parade of cascading and swirling sci-fi effects.
This theme continues as ‘Real Surreal’ begins Side 2. I love the busy, playful urgency of the music. There’s a lot happening, feeling like a blend of outer space amusement park and early 70s tuneful kosmiche jam. ‘Attack/You’ is another well-crafted deep space carnival of freaky sounds and effects. ‘Autoghosts’ is similar, conjuring up images of disembodied extraterrestrials floating in a cosmic limbo. ‘Wee Hear All’ is beautifully space-orchestral. 'Francis Bacon’, which melts into ‘Black On Black’, is different for including vocals, sounding like a ghostly lo-fi electro space rock tune. Finally, ‘Assault On Precinct 13’ is a sound noodling effects and tones symphony that closes the set. Lots of great spaced out fun on this tape!