MICHAEL JOHNSEN & PASCAL BATTUS "Bitche Session" C50 (OMFT)


Organized Music From Thessaloniki is a tape label from Greece.They cater to mainly avant-noise and improv acts from all over the world, and this is their thirteenth release.A 49+ minute cassette from improv dudes Michael Johnsen and Pascal Battus.Bitche Session is overflowing with action/reaction type minimalism, or "new music", and rarely does it hold a tune or any real melody.By standards, this is just a bunch of clicks, cracks, thwaps and hums.To fans of this type of thing, this is pure gold.Together, the Johnsen and Battus manipulate mysterious analog machines, tapes, magnets, light percussion and a saw.And although you might not pick up on it by just from listening to it just once, it's actually got plenty of replay value.Side A kind of reminds me of more recent Wolf Eyes, with about 90% less sheer terror and little to no distortion.Things begin slow, with a wobbly saw sent through the meat grinder, and over time build into some fairly intense busts of random noise.Every so often they pull out these tiny squealing notes and percussive gallops, and things almost make it into "actual song" territory, but alas, they shift the very next second into a wild thudding and scratchy electronics.Side B is a bit different, it's a bit more harsh and loud.No big finishes, or catchy grooves, but consistently weird and wildly unexpected for sure.If you are a fan of this stuff, you're gonna want this one.Edition of 135.