Premiere: Eviscerate Your Soul With Experimental Project Mouth Wound

Life can be an overwhelming pyroclastic cloud of absolute stress and bullshit, sometimes, you know? This blog/website/cesspool was and remains my way of dealing with it, but, not going to lie, it sometimes, out of habit, out of pressures, turns into one of those smoldering rocks that chase me down and pummel me. And yet, even within that jaded, wrought existence there are moments where all those squishy parts fall into place and "it" happens. "It" meaning, of course, musically, but also socially and culturally. The social aspect here are the good friends and truly dedicated ambassadors of weird art behind Brucia Records. The musical, is, naturally, the incredible new album from Danish experimental project Mouth Wound – a harrowing, emotional rollercoaster made of shattered glass and hardly pent up emotion that makes for one of the most fascinating and poignant listens I can think of, especially recently. It's the kind of music that heals by assault, and assaults tenderly and ominously.

So, those are the first two elements: Brucia Records, and Mouth Wound, who will be releasing her stunning new album – titled Nothing Will Belong to Us – via the aforementioned good people later this month. You can hear a fantastic sampling off of that wonderful amalgam of sound and pain right here, in the form of the excellent fourth track "You Won't Let Leaving Come Between Us." You can listen to it right here:

The cultural aspect that rounds off the healing against pyroclastic bullshit is this wonderful interview with Mouth Wound's Trine Paaschburg about the music that inspires and enriches her soul. I love it, it's filled with incredible music I can't wait to check out, and serves, I think, as the perfect compliment to the entire affair. What I lucky person I am, sometimes, you know?

As always, check out my various interview projects and other cool shit. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and now also a tape-per-day series on TIK TOK!), and listen to my, I guess, active (?) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You can support our unholy work here (Patreon), if you feel like it. Early access to our bigger projects, weekly exclusive recommendations and playlists, and that wonderful feeling that you're encouraging a life-consuming habit. On to Trine and Mouth Wound.

What was the first album you bought with your own money, and where did you buy it?

Spk – Leichenschrei. Bought in a vintage/used records store solely because it was under the experimental/industrial section (which was very small). It was on sale, and my teenage brain thought the title was so evil and cool (cadaver/corpse scream). I knew absolutely nothing about it, but I had stumbled upon Throbbing Gristle's “Hamburger Lady” track and some monte cazazza on a music blog earlier that year and was out to find more of that kinda thing. It really grew on me, the repetitive rhythmic parts in this are oddly meditative like a trance of some sort.

What 2-3 albums did you hear the most growing up?

Swans – White Light from the Mouth of Infinity. If we are talking as a teenager, the first album that springs to mind would be this one. I had originally borrowed Various Failures from an older friend because the cover artwork was very appealing, haha. I found out the tracks I liked the most were from White Light from the Mouth of Infinity so I went and borrowed that at my local library. I don’t think I ever returned it. At that point I had not heard anything that sounded so giant, for a lack of a better word. It sounded like a baroque painting to me, by Gentileschi or something. I picked the Mouth Wound name inspired by lyrics from “Better Than You”: “…close your eyes, touch your mouth in the mirror/ it’s the wound that is made where the past meets the future.”

Throbbing Gristle –  20 Jazz Funk Greats. I listened a lot to this in a creepy basement space I shared with a couple of people that  I used as a workshop/art studio after school. I was often the only person there at night so I had music playing, to make it feel less empty. That album is the one I remember most. I loved how it mixed so many elements style/instrumentation wise, avantgarde jazzy  and melodic at times, but disquieting through and through.

Soap&Skin – Narrow. This really changed the way I thought of classical instrumentation in electronic music, and it has stuck ever since. I grew up with playing piano and the way she composes really got me back into getting writing music on that instrument. Beautiful album. My partner and I were lucky enough to hear her play a couple of those songs last year at Tempodrom. The live rendition of “Vater” was absolutely overwhelming! There is such visceral presence in Plaschg’s voice alone, that is not just a question of technique, it is raw emotion [Sorry to butt into Trine's interview, again, but I love the fact she mentions a song I was in love with and mentioned way back in the pre-history of this blog, along with, as it turns out, my first mention of a ton of bands and artists that have meant to world for me since. Cool, MM].

What albums taught you the most about the technical aspect of making music?

Basinski –  Disintegration Loops. This was the first album I heard that had an element of something so repetitive (in a good way), that slowly evolves, or in this case the mutation of the work happens through deterioration. I liked the idea of something seemingly continuing forever but cracking and falling apart in the process. This album was a gateway into sound processing of different kinds.

Diamanda Galas – Schrei x. An album that got me into expanded vocal techniques. Liberation and lamentation through screaming but with amazing technique and control. Animalistic with operatic peaks. Extremely uncomfortable and exciting to listen to.

Demonologists/Bastard Noise – 12” split. When I did vocals for Demonologists on these tracks, It taught me a lot about adaptability and being able to gauge how much space the voice should take up depending on the sound. to have enough room to concentrate on vocals solely, taught me so much about working on the fly with a feeling and to really play with it, making things fit in someone else's environment. It turned into one of the things I am most proud of having been a part of. Those guys have my eternal gratitude. Also their production on that record is so good.  My favorite track to do was “Molten Earth.”

What is the last album that absolutely shocked you?

Lingua Ignota – Caligula. This album is like a punch to the gut in a good way, especially when “Do You Doubt Me Traitor” goes into the “I don’t eat, I don’t sleep”  part. It feels like a personification of the female rage, at least I think so. The build up and instrumentation is absolutely beautiful on the entire album. Guts yanked, emotional exorcism [Read our interview with LI about this album here, MM]

What album relaxes you or centers you the most?

Sarah Davachi – Antiphonals. It varies a lot, but at the moment it would probably be this one. Like a blanket of snow. but warm and very tape sounding [Interestingly also mentioned on the Succumb interview. Cool. MM]

What are the 2-3 albums you’ve listened to the most recently?

Xiu Xiu – Ignore grief,  Full of hell/ Primitive Man – Suffocating Hallucination, and Aaron Silloway & Lucrecia dalt – Lucy & Aaron

What album is grossly underrated?

Darja Kazimira – Monochromia. Not the same as “underrated,” I would say, but more people should know about Darja Kazimira. They build their own instruments and have an all consuming voice. All their releases are great but I would recommend more people to take a listen to this album if I had to pick just one.

What album would you recommend from your local scene?

øjeRum – Reverse Cathedral. Soundscapes that you can just get lost in. øjeRum also makes amazing collage art.