“Must be listened to at maximum volume” is such a tired request—some of us like having undamaged hearing!—I couldn’t imagine listening to Побочный Эффект (which translates to “side effect”) any other way. Over each half of the C40, Шумоизоляция crafts a mercilessly loud and abrasive wall, almost painful in their concentrated assaults, like high powered drills boring through your head. But throughout both pieces, the compact columns of abrasive, crunching noise seems to expand from its initial constraints, becoming more and more oppressive—and immersive—as they progress. The first side is relentless and infernal, and its mangled frequencies unfurl into a fiery soundscape of roiling, crackling distortion. In this first piece and the one that follows, the densely packed layers slowly reveal buried signs of instability beneath the forceful wall, restless clatters and shudders that underlie a seemingly unyielding explosion of sound. As the second track unfolds, it’s this facet that I can’t help but direct my attention to, and by the end I’m convinced that the entire thing is going to collapse under its massive weight. High volume gives the cathartic blasts of Побочный Эффект the thick, deafening, overwhelming presence they deserve.
Noise Not Music 