A Short interview with Eric, this canadian noise traveler is a really interesting artist. If you do not know his project HERMIT or his label MANUFRACTURE yet, you are really missing something!

Can you please explain what is the difference between Garbage society and Manufracture?
Garbage Society was a label more for releases of Hermit and splits with Hermit. I started Manufracture as a new label to focus more on releases by other bands, my own still too, with a higher quality level, and better distribution.

Why are you interested more into split releases and collaboration?
At the moment, I'm not so interested in split releases, but I still like collaborations - this can be very interesting. I am also very interested in live performances and recordings. It is difficult for bands to play and perform well, in an interesting way, in concert.

You have also a strong engaged attitude ecologically and socially, are you involved in specific movements?
No, I live my way the way I choose - not much more than that.

Why did you choose to come in Europe?
I find it more interesting, culturally there are more things happening. Also my parents are both European so it seemed natural.

Can you present us HERMIT?
I’ve been doing Hermit since ‘94, but I was doing noise experiments before under different names. Since I started I have released a 7" "meekohtutrah", and split 7"s with Roy Gbiv, Grunt, Napalmed, Bastard Noise, Armenia, Scab & a 10" with Yggdrasil & Eciton, and a split LP with Jalopaz. there is also the "digitrash" anti-CD, & the "pain machine" MCD. Too many tapes to mention besides the splits with Bastard Noise & Facial Mess. http.//noiseweb.com/hermit/

MANUFRACTURE = Record label and tour promotion for experimental, strange, and unconventional performances, artists, theatre, and bands. Focus is on non-commercial, "do-it-yourself", underground culture - and support of artists whose expression is limited by their economic or political situation.

A part from both reviewed here releases available are: NNY "don't happy be worry" LP ; HERMIT/THIRDORGAN "dead-tech machine gallery" CD "Solo, live, abd collaboration tracks from Hermit (obscure D.I.Y. noise freak) and Thirdorgan (Japanese power-electronic guru). Full of surprises, each track has a different ambience, from screeching electronics to reverberating metal and droning loops".

This is the first live album from this popular nature warrior. It features 6 tracks from 4 live concerts in California since 1996 to 99. The different line-ups offers different sides of the project. Atmospheric layers, improvised noise treatments, or voice samples. The whole is sounding raw, true, and spontaneous. The last track is pure violent noise assault. The only weak point is the lack of track is the typical growling vocals in the Suffocation style. "Three tracks are tribute to the Italian futurist movement, with use of machines based on the concept of Russolo's "intonarumori"". A good release which provide a Live edge to B.N. for those who hadn’t the opportunity to bear it live.

NOISEGATE AS WE WERE WALKING CD

This CD is a one-track length album of 38' from this Chicago/Oakland duo. It is in fact a studio arrangement of material from their 2001 European tour, the track from their previous CD "Suspended Animation Ambient Vol. 1". This release is sounding like the soundtrack of a journey into the nauseous swamp. Ambient dark music but not in the usual copied way. Something more warm but uneasy, melting concrete sounds and noise eruption. This suffocating vaporous music integrates a real orchestral dimension. Strange, interesting and enjoyable shot from this promising project. [www.noisegate.org]

HERMIT / THIRDORGAN DEAD-TECH MACHINE GALLERY CD

This release is a co-production from Manufracture with Alienation and Self Abuse. It features of course the 2 famous noise artist. Eric aka Hermit has 3 tracks, including an opener lasting 13 minutes, beginning with an heavy structure in the style of Headbutt and ending in a guitar larsen typhoon, then a great Thirdorgan remix, very dynamic and noisy, and finally a live based and continuous records loops and ambient noise. I have been really impressed by this last material of Eric very promising and varied noise experiments. To watch very closely. Now Akihiro aka Thirdorgan has also 3 tracks, including 1 great live assault of breaking out furious noise, one studio track which unfortunately lack of power form its recording level and 1 remix of Hermit based on diverting at first awful pop stuff and then great electro mechanical non stop robotic noise. All these material ranges from 98 to 99 are very recommended for real noisters! A great collaboration CD.