With each of Venta Protesixes releases, the Italian noise artist shows us new and abhorrent looks into the depths of human (or in this case non-human, but we’ll get to that in a bit) consciousness and his latest release with Urbsounds may be one of his poignant yet.
The Album in question is titled “Automated Poetry about uncontrollable compulsions” and is far from VP6s first release for Urbsounds- yet uniquely different from anything he has released for the label before.
The noise is lighter, more tremulous and misty- only so often veering into the digital warping seen on releases such as Sickening Digital Rainbows or Loneliness and Deviancy.
It’s a sound Venta Protesix has been settling into the past couple of years; less trashy in comparison to his early works but replacing that camp with a level of nihilism that has been quite prominent in his discography since the beginning- however only reached its current form in the course of his release window of the 2020 Album “Existential Dread Simulator”.
In many ways, this album feels like a cut out of the same cloth as that release- but the intensity cranked up even higher and the ear splitting drones refined and calculated to a t.
Our opening track “Automated Poem about washing your hands repeatedly with warm water” drops us into familiar territory.
The harsh duo-tone, stereophonic screeches of Venta Protesixes discography familiarly grating as always.
The track however takes a sharp turn at about the 1.30 mark where it’s original sound collage because encased in a new, more sterile tone reminiscent of the tracks title.
It is as if the track itself is being rinsed clean obsessively.
Clever observations in noise patterns like this are plenty on this release, which each release containing a poem generated by artificial intelligence to read as or before you listen to the soundscapes included.
I encourage anyone to do so- as they greatly enhanced the mental image the tracks created in my head as I can only imagine- the artist intended they would.
Track Number 2, “Automated Poem About Compulsively Checking The Names And Addresses Written On Packages To Be Shipped Containing Venta Protesix Releases” is, especially compared to the brevity of the introductory track, a hulking behemoth of a track.
Coming in at around 25 minutes, this is the heftiest serving on the album- and what a meal it is.
In the course of this short of half an hour experience we run through multiple layers of textures.
Call me crazy, but it seems as if we’re getting glimpses into the titular packages as well.
I hear remnants of past works in this track. A bit of Futanari Princess, a bit of the sad epilogue.. Only glimpses of a glitchy void that is soon again swallowed up by this albums all enveloping silky smooth static.
I could talk about these perceived vignettes for hours, but I will highlight a personal favourite at the 8:00 mark where we transition into a layer that almost seems punk rock in its heaviness.
Or the monotony of 10:30 onward, calling back to the twisted soundscapes of prior urbsounds release loneliness and deviancy only to be enveloped by an almost thunder-esque darkness and to be let go again into a sea of foggy texture (11:15).
It’s good stuff and definitely manages to steal the show not only through is length but the quality of the production throughout.
Track 3, on the completely other end of the spectrum, has the shortest runtime of the album but OH BOY…. this trackhas the layout of a panic attack, low groaning tones that tickle your ear drums and pulsing heartbeat like stings followed by sudden spikes in octave.
Out of all of the showings on this album it’s probably the most intense of them all sonically. If you fully immerse yourself in its depravity it can really fuck you up. Tldr. i wouldn’t listen to this one on shrooms.
I can imagine it would be a horrendous trip and your heart would beat faster than that of a mouse.
Track 4 has an almost hysterical wail to it as if the track itself is a cry for help which, as is often the case ends up becoming more frantic and less spaced out until it sinks into a homogenised slurry at the end.
Gut wrenching.
Track 5 is a groggy morning haze, as if in a bathroom after a hangover- followed by a loud tremulous screeching clarity that is almost sickening.
The audio loops in on itself. Cycling; before ending in a staccato that slowly fades out to an even repetitive pace.
The setting in of monotony and the repetitive nature of the task the title implies being clear as day.
Track 6 is anxious, clumsy. In many respects I’d say it’s the most light hearted of the output.
It isn’t whimsical, still drowning you out at every point it can an ending, as they often do, in a low growl; however in comparison to the prior tracks this one strikes me as a hectic lunch break.
An anxious self deprecating breakdown at a family dinner you’ve ashamed yourself at. It strikes a lighter chord.
But reaching track 7, the reasoning behind its placement on the tracklist becomes crystal clear.
Track 7 is the second lengthiest showing on the record. “Automated Poem about flicking lights on or off using the same finger” The poem attached is by far my favourite of the bunch and the track it is attached to is such a pure Venta Protesix orgasm it nearly made me replicate the cover of his “best of “record (if you know, you know).
It’s everything I love about VP6 wrapped up in a bow and more.
2:55 onward for example, monotonous, dare I saw reminiscent of Akira Yamaokas industrial sound work on Silent Hill 2 and so delightful I audibly winced once it gets swallowed up again about three minutes later.
But for the time it’s there it is glorious. It is replaced by a low midi-esque hum that evolves into an aggressive sickly screech (7:00) followed by a squelching almost masturbatory dissonant flatulance at the 8 minute mark before fading out to a flat darkness around the 12 minute mark.
If the lights were flickering before, they are broken, opening the way to a loud and grating finale.
The last track of the record “Automated Poem About Checking Numerical Codes And Adding Numbers Until You Decide it’s Satisfactory” is, similar to track 6 full of brevity in a certain way.
It seems like a hysterical but fond farewell to this project and an encore to the piece itself.
It’s almost a rock and roll moment on the album and is the most technical song on the release.
A fitting goodbye from one of the most interesting noise music artists active today.
Listening to this track, I glanced at the album cover and smiled: for as dark an album as it is, it has moments of levity and strange digitised emotion.
It fits in perfectly with the last releases Italo has released on Urbsounds and compliments his catalogue nicely.
Over the past week or so, I’ve had the honour of listening to this pre-release. It has quickly become one of my most anticipated and beloved releases in Venta Protesixes’ catalogue, and I can’t wait for other people to get their hands on it.
-Nicolas Harwood
(written during a bad fever Xd)
Automated Poetry about Uncontrollable Compulsions by Venta Protesix is coming out on cassette and digital on 28th of June 2024.
