Totenhaus
Soma
Go Low
All You Need Is Hate
Hate Heals
Let Me Be Your Lover
Corpsegrinding Song
Do It Your Own Hands
Salivating Dog

Insane Asylum
Untitled #1
Untitled #2
Untitled #3

WARNING: be very, very careful when you play this split CDR between Totenhaus & Insane Asylum for the first time. Ensure the volume level is set to low. Very low. In a homage to Spinal Tap they must have set the recording levels to eleven when they were laying down the tracks as the wave of noise that hits you when the first track plays is enough to knock you flat on your arse. Watch the speakers don’t blow.

The eight tracks by Totenhaus sound like very early Non crossed with SPK released on the Ant Zen label. With me? The machine like rhythms that at first appear to be repeated looped noise actually hides more subtle melodies the more you delve into them. Add to this the various samples that blend into the music and you have a very engaging and engrossing experience which initially you thought wouldn’t happen. To derive the most pleasure from the music of Totenhaus requires headphones as through them the full spectrum of sound is given the freedom to reveal their hidden nuances. Insane Asylum meanwhile contribute three untitled tracks and are the chalk to Totenhaus’s cheese. Or something. Working without a rhythmic dynamic and focussing more on the electronic noise / radio interference style of aspect their music is unforgiving in its approach. This is pure full in the face, take it or leave, fuck you asshole noise. Insane by name. Insane by nature. You would need to be slightly mad or psychotic to actually take their tracks to your bosom and say you love them. Even I who have a high tolerance level to this type of music found their tracks a struggle to get into and much preferred the music of Totenhaus. To each their own I suppose.

All in all "On obedience and Insanity" should be dipped into to those with an inquisitive and open mind and for the Totenhaus tracks alone is worth investigating. Just ensure your volume control is set accordingly.

ANM