Top 10 Splits & Collaborations of 2011
Splits and collaborations are dangerous tools in music; dangerous because in the wrong hands both can be lazy and even absolutely terrible given the right (or wrong) circumstances. These were the exemplary releases of this ilk that I continue to go back to over and over again. I may be a little more partial to collaborations because they have the potential for really stretching the involved artists to new musical climes , but splits can be a ton of fun.
Locrian & Horseback - New Dominions (Utech)
One of the more fitting pairings in recent memory, Locrian and Horseback join forces to create this single sided LP of two new pieces of music that bring together the best elements of two of the more challenging outfits in their spheres of influence. New Dominions is all bleak atmosphere and creepy moods as both tracks are full of tension with little release.
Sequences & Isolated Existence - Graminaea / Poaceae (Music Ruins Lives)
Graminaea / Poaceae is one of those releases that I love but have an extremely difficult time explaining just what draws me to the release over and over again other than that I find all three pieces rather soothing in a creepy sort of way. The concept of the “record” is great as well with a track each from Sequences and Isolated Existence and then an equally impressive collaborative effort that just takes the whole effort up several notches in my book.
Livimorket & Sequences - Voidness (Sunyata)
A massive and ambitious collaborative effort conjured by two young but increasingly prolific artists with almost an hour of ambience and stark atmospheres that emanates an ominous malaise that could quite possibly induce anxiety and panic attacks given the right circumstances. Voidness is a challenging black mass whose name is wholly appropriate in both sonic results and the possible visual images that form in your mind while this is playing, and while it may not physically pull you into oblivion, this collaboration may simulate it better than most other objects and cause some passing moments of catatonia.
Mamiffer / House Of Low Culture & Merzbow - Lou Lou… In Tokyo (Sige)
Now this may be a live record, but this live album puts to shame many studio records from other artists. Lou Lou… In Tokyo is both a split and a collaboration with Mamiffer offering 4 songs, including one new one, that really shows how the outfit can be a different animal altogether in the live setting while House Of Low Culture joins forces with Merzbow for their one track offering before all three outfits collaborate with Atsuo from Boris on the “Lou Lou”. Intense, gripping, and pretty, Lou Lou… In Tokyo is what live albums should be as well as a great of example of artists collaborating with each other to create something new.
A Death Cinematic / Ekca Liena - Preturnatural (Small Doses)
This record delivered in two ways: one, A Death Cinematic dropped its usual post apocalyptic sounding aural vision down like a hammer meant to slowly bludgeon you to death while you are not paying attention because if you do pay attention, you hear a sonic landscape like no other, rich and rewarding; two, Ekca Liena is transfixing with its swirling ambiance that just fully immerses you in this sonic landscape that sounds so warm and inviting, if you shut everything out and turn this part of the split completely up it is the most pleasant sensory depravation experience that you could ever have (save for the sound of course), and I literally feel like everything that I was thinking about just melted away.
Ash Borer / Fell Voices - Split (Gilead Media)
Honestly, this is the first that I heard both bands and was a release that sparked my interest in black metal this year to where I no longer kept things at arms length. Both of these bands destroyed some of my conceptions about what could be done within the confines of an at times staid and tired insular group of kvlt worshippers. This record feels or sounds like two sides of a coin; both bands crush you in similar ways but still maintain a sense of self while creating one of the best split of the year.
Seven Sisters Of Sleep / Children Of God (A389 Recordings)
Dear lord is this ever one of the heaviest split records in quite a while, and I am sure that I don’t have to explain how that is saying something; but both bands on this could wreck your speakers on their own anytime so having them both on one slab of wax is a completely different kind of punishment altogether, even down to the cover art (that prison inmate looks like he wants to shank you). Bar none, this was the heaviest split that I heard this year, and that is saying something.
Pyramids & Horseback - Throne Without A King (Hydra Head)
The second collaboration involving Horseback here on my list, only this one is with Pyramids. Throne Without a king is impressive (on vinyl it is an LP+7”, which is always a good time) in that there is one song from each entity on the 7” and then a huge collaborative piece spread out over two sides of an LP that features both of these acts and Aaron Turner (House Of Low Culture, Mamiffer, ex-Isis, et al). The collaborative piece is the centerpiece as everyone involved pushes themselves to create something almost quite literally… massive.
Great Falls & Kenji Siratori (Dead Accents)
While I was expecting this collaboration between Great Falls and Kenji Siratori to be more along the lines of the Great Falls material on the split with Pastor Tonal from last year (the same mechanistic, churning, noisy guitar driven dirges that the band excels at producing just with Ryan from Trap Them on vocals), this release took me completely by surprise with the squealing noise oscillations and slower tempos that are heard on the 5 tracks on this cassette. It is nice to see a group branch out and try something new, but Great Falls outdo themselves with this collaboration. It really makes me curious to see where they take their sound next, and even if they do not pursue this sound again, this document exists for those that find it… good, good stuff.
Words: Bob
