Mick Harris & Ambre - Dys (2001)

The third and final part of Hushush's threesome-series pairs up Mick Harris and Ambre.

Going to work in his Birmingham studio, Mick Harris started reworking the samples provided by the Belgian trio into five ambient soundscapes very reminiscent of his more experimental work with Lull.

Abandoning the usual methods and rules of traditional music, Harris dishes out a main course of abstract audio soup consisting of minimal drones, hissing pops and crackling clicks whisked together with a few layers of atmospheric ambience.

Dys is easily the most abstract of the threesome-series, making it the hardest to digest for the uninitiated listener. The seemingly structureless pieces offer very little to grab on to, and the cut-up and rather hectic atmosphere remind me of the Eraserhead-soundtrack at times.

48 minutes of experimental sound collages for the mind-bending surrealists out there. Although the album may feel a bit challenging or "out there" at first, it's definitely worth a few repeated listens. Enjoy!

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(95+09MB/320CBR)

Mark Spybey & Mick Harris - Bad roads, young drivers (2000)

The second part of Hushush's subscription-threesome pairs up Mark Spybey and Mick Harris. Good times are about to be had.

Another mail collaboration, this time Mick Harris was responsible for the source material, which he then sent over to Mark Spybey, who at the time of recording resided in Klaverland, Netherlands. Additional saxophone blares were contributed by the legendary Niels Van Hoorn of the Legendary Pink Dots.

Bad roads, young drivers puts more emphasis on the rhythm than the first part of the series, but as Sfumato was practically void of beats, that should come as no surprise to the observant listener.

Fusing together dark and brooding soundscapes, wicked sound manipulations and a truckload of diverse percussions, featuring everything from minimal hip-hop beats and mangled rhythms to furious drum and bass, Bad roads, young drivers certainly brings out the best of both artists. They do such a good job at blending their styles that it's hard to tell where Harris's input stops and Spybey's begins.

An eleven-track excursion with a couple of scorching head-on collisions await you. So better jump in the back seat, buckle up and let these young drivers take you down some truely funky bad roads. Enjoy!

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(95+45MB/320CBR)

Equations Of Eternity - Vevè (1998)

Harris, Laswell and Bernocchi return for another collaborative effort under their Equations Of Eternity-moniker. Vevè picks up where their self titled left off, spicing things up with even more magick references than on their previous album. Let's sneak a peek behind the veil of secrets, shall we?

Many building blocks of the previous album are left intact. If it works, why mess with it? Laswell simply let's his bass do the talking. The throbbing lines of low-pitched goodness flow onward like a thick stream of glue, gently binding all elements together.

The beat constructions are signature Harris. Like the whole album, they're slowly evolving, and in absolutely no rush to get anywhere fast. Everything is nicely topped off with Bernocchi layering his gloomy soundscapes around the listener. The programmed electronics, manipulated guitar tones and ritual chants really bring the tracks to life. Slowly unfolding and subtle audial movements, constantly floating in and out on the listener. Again and again.

Reading about the track titles and studying their themes will flesh out the tracks even more, and maybe even open up new worlds for the interested and uninitiated. Going through nine tracks of smoothly flowing soundscapes in 56 minutes, everybody is allowed along for the trip. The sounds are certainly worth a listen, even if you don't care for the occult references and themes within.

"But the aim is to go behind the word to find the meaning, and to go beyond the sound to find the wisdom."

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(95+27MB/320CBR)

Equations Of Eternity - Equations Of Eternity (1996)

Mick Harris, Bill Laswell and Eraldo Bernocchi. Three prolific musicians. Three different countries. Two continents.

Judging by the liner notes, the material for this album was created by each participant, own their own, in their own studios, and finally arranged, mixed down and produced by Bernocchi. Luckily for us, the international mail system was still working to some degree during the late 90's, thus making this collabration possible.

Harris provides some noisy samples and his instantly recognizable spare beats, although for this record he has spiced them up with a touch of tribal feel, sounding almost ritualistic at times.

Laswell provides the driving force of the album. His signature bass sound, thick and groovy, has been mixed decisively into the foreground for the listener to catch on to. It's almost like a steady flow of thick tar oozing from your speakers.

Bernocchi, with whose work I wasn't too familiar during the time of the release, except for a few compilation casette appearances with his group Sigillum S, is the puppetmaster of this show, pulling the strings, providing programmed electronics and manipulated guitar sounds to accompany Mick's beatwork.

Throw in a healthy dose of mysticism, specifically Haitian vodou-references, some distorted chants and a Crowley-quote to boot, and you get this dark, beat-heavy monster of a ritual record. Originally released by Wordsound in 1996, the disc features nine tracks with a running time of 55 minutes.

Enough with words, it's time for you to get lost in this thick concoction of dubby drone. Enjoy!

"Things connect in the end, somehow, mysteriously".

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(95+23MB/320CBR)

Trace Decay - Dispersion (1999)

Trace Decay was a one-off project between Mick Harris and John Everall, the label boss of Sentrax records.

Combining ideas and influences of both Harris and Everall, the result is a moody combination of acoustic drumming and electronic sounds.

The recipe includes rather slow and hypnotic drum loops played by Harris, deep and groovy basslines, different kinds of looped background rhythms, washes of white noise, crackling static and some found sounds (for example marine band radio signals).

The overall feel is a warm session between two friends, both artists being able to bring their view into the mix while jamming on with the flow. To be enjoyed with dimmed lights and headphones, just so you can soak in all those background movements.

For the next hour and three minutes, let these seven tracks of excellent material help you to kick back, relax, empty your mind and fill your ears with sound. Enjoy!

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(95+44MB/320CBR)

Lull - Collected (2003)

Compiled by Mick Harris himself, this is a compilation of rare or unreleased Lull material. If you've sampled any of the earlier albums, you know that for an hour and ten minutes, you're supposed to dim the lights and soak it all in.

The disc features material from the 1990's, collecting various compilation appearances, from '91 up to '97, on one disc. The sixth track, Escape, was intended for The Cheese Records compilation, but likely never happened, as the track is listed as unreleased in the booklet.

This collection chooses not to plunder the albums, instead plucking a wide-flung collection of compilation tracks and unreleased material, juxtaposing various shades of dark mood and creating a time-spanning overview of the project whole.

Leave the cosy computer-controlled, carpented environment and enter a place hewn from the blackest rock and most malign shadow.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Enjoy!

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(95+56MB/320CBR)

PS: If anybody is in possession of the limited special edition, and would like to share the accompanying They're coming out of the walls CDr, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks in advance!

The Weakener - What do you know about it? (1998)

"Holy asshat, Batman! They're aiming some kind of supersonic weapon at us!"

Although Scorn was on indefinite hiatus during the time this baby was put out, Mick Harris on the other hand just wasn't ready to kick back and relax. It was time for another project, another release and more work to keep the man sane.

Harris is ready and comes prepared. He sets the background with an arsenal of hypnotically slow beats, thick, throbbing and full of echo. On top of that, a seemingly endless variation of drones and noises work their way back and forth in the mix. Spiced up with enough low end and bass to defy, and take on, the Mariana trench, you'd better keep an eye on that subwoofer.

The album features seven tracks in, give or take, 50 minutes. If you're looking for variation, you'd better sample another album. On the other hand, if you're interested in tight beats, a menacing ambience and enough sonic boom to sink a submarine, this is a sure bet.

All work and no play doesn't seem to make Mick a dull boy. Quite the contrary, in my opinion his vision is shining brighter than ever.

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(95+15MB/320CBR)

James Plotkin & Mick Harris - Collapse (1996)

Amidst all these releases with angry shouting men, it's always good to return to some isolationist ambient. On Collapse James Plotkin teams up with Mick Harris to perform an album full of beatless, ambient landscapes.

The album consists of five long instrumental pieces, which are put together with guitar loops and a ton of processed (un)natural sounds. Imagine the cold, dystopian soundscapes of Lull blended together with Plotkin's floating noisy guitar loops.

Let's summarize: Two prolific musicians combine their views on ambient music. The result is a massive cloud of sound, filled with abrasive low end rumble, heavy drones washing over the listener with some, occasional, melodic guitar plucking going on in the background. Ambient? Yes. Soothing? No. Enjoyable? Very.

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(95+51MB/320CBR)

Quoit - Properties (2001)

Here's one more album by Quoit. The familiar drum and bass-formula of the first full length has been refined even more, and out comes an album that is almost surgically stripped down to the bare necessities: drum and bass.

Like on the previous Quoit album, Harris once again dishes out enough low end and subzero bass frequencies to rupture holes into the space-time continuum. The second key aspect of this album is the thing which many artists, in any possible genre, are missing: atmosphere. The ambience and mood is reminiscent of his work with Lull, with harsh breakbeats and drilling bass layered on top.

If you happened to like the previous Quoit-album I featured, you know what you're in for. The sound is cleaned up even more, it's almost clinical in purity at times.

Those who are still struggling with the term drum and bass, give it a chance. I think this swirling mass of chaotic and mixed up rhythms, harsh and distorted beats, is purity at it's finest. This really doesn't give your eardrums much of a rest at any point, it's an sonic onslaught at all times. Be prepared for the audio artillery attacking you from every possible direction, drilling it's way into your brain with a barrage of noises and beats.

Mr. Harris, whatever you put your paws on, you never seem to disappoint. Try it, feel it, love it.

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(95+19MB/320CBR)

Quoit - Lounge (1996)

Boys and girls, it's time to feel the love again. Just in time for the weekend, here's our dear Mick Harris unleashing one of the true masterpieces of drum and bass.

Don't worry, though. If you don't want positive vibes with your music, that's pretty much been stripped away here. Heavy drum and bass beats with isolationist soundscapes floating all around you. Very atmospheric!

The album features eight tracks, with a total running time of just under sixty minutes. Before you decide listen to this, heed a word of warning: The deep end on this album is HUGE. No kidding, the bass is somewhere really down and out there. Hope you enjoy!

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(95+29MB/320CBR)

Lull - Cold summer (1994)

Time for another plunge into the pool of isolationist ambient. Just in time for the weekend, it's Mick Harris turning the knobs through four tracks: 'Slow fall inward', 'Lonely shelter', 'Long way home' and 'Lost sanctum'.

Although the album is very minimalist in nature, it doesn't feel improvised at all; quite the contrary, I feel it's a very strongly structured piece of ambient landscapes. There is the same kind of dread which was present on Dreamt about dreaming, this time it just feels stronger. Close your eyes and take in every nook and cranny of this subterranean lullaby. Enjoy!

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(95+80MB/320CBR)

Mick Harris & Bill Laswell - Somnific flux (1995)

What happens when two very prolific musicians combine their views on ambient sounds? Somnific flux, that's what happens. Two mammoth tracks, both over 30 minutes in length, are featured on this album.

The first track, 'Distal sonority', is a gigantic wave of bleakness washing over your senses, time and time again, only to slowly consume everything in it's path.

The second track, 'Capacious', features a bit more movement and structure. There are some cleverly hidden scratching and clanging percussions in the constantly moving aural darkness; once you think you've gotten ahold of something, try again, it's already gone. Was it there in the first place? Is my mind playing tricks on me again?

Once again, I can only go ahead and recommend this warmly. After listening to this album, the silence floating in my flat was deafening. It seemed to take up all the space in the room, only to loosen it's firm grip on me after the last wash of noise had died from the speakers. The atmosphere is truely suffocating. Take a ride into a minimal and bleak soundscape, there's a lot to be discovered. Hope you enjoy!

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(95+51MB/320CBR)

Lull - Journey through underworlds (1993)

Time for another journey into the darker side of ambience. Lull's debut album, Dreamt about dreaming, was a oppressive ride into suffocating sounds and bleak imaginary landscapes. On this second full length, we now continue the descend into this weird underworld of sounds.

While there are only three tracks on this album, it is in no way a short listen. The running time exceeds 70 minutes, with the last track being over 45 minutes in length. So take the time to enjoy this netherworldly descend; I prefer to engulf myself in the sounds with some good headphones while lying in a dark room (preferably on a bed or a mattress). Hope you enjoy!

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(95+71MB/320CBR)

Lull - Moments (1998)

Here's one more Easter treat for you. Mick Harris presents us Moments: Rumoured to be inspired by the soundtrack to cult David Lynch movie Eraserhead, Harris gives us 99 individual tracks which, when listened sequentially form one smoothly flowing, though evolving and once again spooky, soundsphere.

The album really gets interesting once you listen to it on shuffle: you're thrown from one moment to another; from harsh to mellow, from pleasant to troubling. The randomization offers almost an infinite amount of ways the album can be percieved; each listen is a different one (My only gripe with this is the short, glitchy click before each segment).

Either way you decide to enjoy Moments, I hope you discover worthwhile things with the smooth flow of the big picture .. or the chopped up and rearranged chaos. Enjoy!

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(95+51MB/320CBR)

Lull - Dreamt about dreaming (1992)

Lull was conceived in late 1991 by former Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris (also active with ambient dub project Scorn). The idea behind Lull was the attempt to create sounds that would stretch the structures of conventional music; to develop and explore soundscapes without beats.

What we got on Dreamt about dreaming is a petrifying journey into dark ambient. Horror, fear and darkness are all key elements to Harris's sound. There is no warmth, only oppressive noise swirling all around the listener.

The whole album is reminiscent of a horror movie soundtrack; this time you just need to close your eyes and let the visuals play out in your mind. The keywords to the plot are paranoia and isolation. Enjoy!

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(95+35MB/320CBR)