Grim

*125 copies limited edition* Having released a small body of work in the mid-80’s, Grim are a cult name among the pioneers of Japanese noise and power electronics. The one-man project returned in the 2010’s, and has since then released a number of well-received albums and EP’s, including six albums on Steinklang.

However, if you’re expecting straightforward noise/power electronics, you’re in for a surprise. Mixing even danceable electronica rhythms, organ music and moments of serene ambience with uncompromisingly harsh and brutal barrages of violent noise, torturous feedback and layers of crackling distortion, Magnolia’s Dream is a multi-faceted, varied and odd album. Each track surprises the listener with new atmospheres, new approaches and new elements. Which is of course exactly what fans of Grim would expect.

Magnolia’s Dream is a complex album, one that takes the listener from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye. Where one track can lull the listener into a sense of calm with beautiful, understated melodies, the next will shake him awake with unrelenting harshness and audial violence or plunge him into deep pits of unease with haunting death industrial soundscapes.

But whatever guise each track takes, one thing’s clear: it’s a master at work here.