Black Milk
I WIll Not Survive The Ravage
Imitate-Meditate
Not Just A Conflict
Note To Myself
We Degrade
I Got Mice On It
To Grief And To Hold
Get Down And Finish The Job
My Sister

‘Your mission, should you choose to accept it Nathan, is to infiltrate the group going by the name Poochlatz and write up your findings about them and their recording "Victims of Self Preservation" within a very tight time frame. This review will self destruct in ten paragraphs time’…

Ten… Haven’t got long. This task seems exceedingly difficult. A mission impossible. Head to www.myspace.com/poochlatz as my first port of call. Have nothing else to go on.

Nine… Got it. The band are based in Israel. There are two of them. They go by the names Maor Appelbaum...that name rings a bell... and Rani Zager. Won’t be able to speak to them direct. My plane's fucked. Seek out more information. Clocks ticking.

Eight… They’ve a huge range of influences. Whitehouse, Foetus, Big Black, Masonna, Killing Joke, Barzum…he’s cropped up before. Got reviewed one time if memory serves me right… Einsturzende Neubauten, Merzbow. Good range. Can’t take them for granted.

Seven… They say they sound like Prurient, Wolf Eyes (highly overrated), Masonna, KK Null, Dissecting Table, Sunn O))), Haters. See where they’re coming from. But do they actually get there? I'll soon know. Grab the cd… oh no!! …

Six… Someone’s sold me out. The inside cover puts the music down solely to M Appelbaum. Check my data files on Appelbaum. Thought so. He’s got history. I knew the name was familiar. A veteran sound engineer and producer. Also records under the names I.W.R, Vectorscope, Lunisolar and Screening amongst others. Damn… he’s also a writer. My cover could be blown. Wait a minute. He doesn’t mention Poochlatz anywhere on his website. There’s a conspiracy going on and I’m caught in the middle. Also… where does R Zager fit into all of this?

Five… Ten tracks. Nice black and white cover. Very professional. I’m not dealing with amateurs here. Start to perspire.

Four… Thought as much. Standard noise with a little bit of variety which I’ve come to expect. Lots of extreme power electronics. Some nice growling / screaming thrown in. Also some spoken samples in Hebrew and taken from the radio. Neat touch.

Three… There’s even a clarinet on here. Clever. Haven’t heard that instrument in a long time. Not since the heady early days of Pere Ubu and Clock DVA.

Two… This is music to exorcise the inner demons. A harrowing squalling piece of frightening electronics and assorted gizmos. Distorted and bended / blended into hellish shapes. It frizzles, crackles and drones with a will of its own. Part all out aural assault. Part intelligent experimental electronic composition. I’ve underestimated this task.

One… Nearly there. "Victims of Self Preservation" is a roller coaster of a recording. An exhilarating and queasy ride you won’t want to get off. The open void of uncompromising cacophony awaits those tempted by their wares. Finished. And just in ti…

KABOOM!!

ANM