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connexion bizarre

If you have some knowledge of the North American electro-industrial scenes, chances are the name "Squid" (or "Sqwd") will ring some bells. One of the members of the influential but now defunct Toronto Industrial Kollective, Squid has moved on to start his own label, Bugs Crawling Out Of People, and develop a spoken word (or rather "spoken wordcore") project, It-Clings, in collaboration with a variety of musicians. Justin Brink (a.k.a. Pneumatic Detach), Squid's 'partner in crime' for this album, is also well known for his musical work in critically praised albums such as "[pa.re.ses]" and "[vis.cer.a]" and should dispense introductions.

The basic premise for "The All Too Logical Descent Into Madness" (and for the concept of "Spoken Wordcore") is a seemingly simple one: combining Squid's misanthropic spoken word rants border on the psychotic with an accompanying musical background. Simple in concept but perhaps not so simple in execution, It-Clings and Pneumatic Detach managed to achieve a very effective creative synergy which extends to the entirety of the album and makes it a memorable listening experience despite a couple of flaws. To my ears, the minor flaw seems to be an occasional unbalance in the intensity of music and spoken word. The first and foremost of these flaws is that the album's pacing is so relentless that, when listening to it on its entirety, it may happen that it will on occasion fade into the background. However, when the tracks are taken individually, there's no escape from the delivery of their brutal payload.

Aptly titled, one can't help but wonder if one isn't listening to the raging ramblings of a psychotic madman or, at the very least, a seriously maladjusted misanthrope. In any case, someone you might not want to meet under any circumstance or, if there was such a thing as a 'Thought Police', who would be a prime candidate for execution for what goes on in his mind. Perhaps, in the end, "The All Too Logical Descent Into Madness" is actually a cathartic experience recorded for posterity. It-Cling's texts are explicit to say the least: visceral and violent reflections about the world at large and It-Clings' personal demons. Sex, self-mutilation, misanthropy, madness: every track is one step down, each delivered with frightening lucidity. Pneumatic Detach's ferocious musical compositions fit It-Clings charismatic and expressive spoken word performance like a glove, driving the madness to new heights of intensity, rage and despair.

Morbidly violent, "The All Too Logical Descent Into Madness" is a very intense and definitely interesting release which should be, at very least, checked out. After listening to this album, one can't help but wonder what will come of future It-Clings releases and from collaborations with other artists (though there are quite a few already out there, scattered over a variety of different albums).

-- Miguel de Sousa [8.5/10]

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heathenharvest

William Seward Buroughs was one of the first I suppose. He bunged out spoken worded recordings of his written work depicting his time as an honoured alumni of the junkie fraternity and his extreme obsessions. Which were many by the way. That’s the problem with writers. Most are fuck-ups in one way or another. Reviewers fall into this category as well come to think of it. Many other artists have followed in Mr Buroughs illustrious footsteps. Lydia Lunch…damaged goods in more ways than one, Jello Biafra…putting the dead into The Dead Kennedys. Henry Rollins…the muscle bound thug with brains. The list goes on. Of course some artists use the spoken word with accompanying music. Some make it an art form in itself. Who needs to sing when you can spew / yell forth your viewpoint on whatever happens to be bugging the shit out of you that day. The Extreme Electronic music fraternity have been doing this sort of stuff for years. William Bennett of Whitehouse being the eldest of elder statesman of the spoken rant and roll with accompanying visceral noise. Now though it’s time for a different take on the spoken word with musical backing. I give you…the spoken word with rampant blasting beats. Are you ready? I hope to fuck you are because this is one eye, or ear for that matter, opener.

The past: There’s this young guy. He’s called Squid. Not on his birth certificate obviously. His true identity remains a secret between close family and friends. Of which I’m neither. He finds he has a knack for making music. So he works within the Toronto, that’s a big fuck off city in Canada in case you didn’t know, music scene with some fairly well known Industrial bands. One day he takes the big step of starting his own Record label. He calls it Bugs Crawling Out Of People. Catchy but with a faintly disturbing aura. That was back in 2004...or thereabouts. Time means nothing. Unless you’re Dr Who of course. He releases the very good V/A - Revelation as a first release. This recording featured Nitrous Flesh, Iszoloscope, Scrap.Edx and Pneumatic Detach amongst others. Reviews were mixed. Aren’t they always? Squid then goes one step better and releases Dead Man's Hill - Lakes Of Sacrifice. A tasty recording when all said and done. Although Squid has contributed to other artists recordings in the past he has this urge to put his creative juices to better use. A seed is sown He needs an outlet for all the thoughts continually buzzing through his head. He needs a Robin to his Batman. He needs someone who can dig and go with his vision. Enter stage left Justin Brink. He of Pneumatic Detach. The seed takes root. What flowers no-one could have expected.

The present: The result of this combining of creative minds is the third release from Squid’s own Bugs Crawling Out Of People record label. Re-inventing himself as ‘it-clings’ Squid and Justin set down 14 tracks of spoken word pontificating over hardcore devastating beats, electronic squiggles and melodic tunes. The combined effect is awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Luckily the comprehensive booklet that comes with the release features all the words that Squid throws about with a gusto so you can follow / rant along with it if you so want. But be warned. Squid’s thoughts are very dark and disturbed and tinged with the whiff of misogyny. His words would make a whore or the Yorkshire Ripper blush. This is a man who apparently has serious issues that transcends onto the insanity side of things. Or at least he likes you to think he has these issues. He is after all an artist. And artists use their vivid imaginations more than others to shock and awe in their attempt to be creative. Tales of self abuse, loathing, hatred and murderous visions litter the release giving off a pungent stench that is hard to eradicate. If this is the ‘real deal’ then Squid is not someone I would want to meet in a dark alleyway. Not by myself. Certainly not without a weapon or two. Such is the strength of feeling he puts into his pronunciation that you start believing he means every word. A scary thought. The borderline psychotic he portrays is played to the hilt and comes across too convincing in places. Which makes the release the musical equivalent of Bret Easton Ellis’s ‘American Psycho’. Only without the riches and swish swanky apartments. And as Squid regales in the torments of his mindset Justin, whose contribution to the release shouldn’t in anyway be underestimated, provides the thumping backdrop…raising and dropping the tempo as required. The listener caught in the two pronged assault to the senses as the music and wordplay intensifies through each track. Anyone who can make that most innocuous of implements, the spoon, seem like the Devils own instrument of torture gets my vote. And another vote also goes for calling a tune ‘Murder and fucking’. The first line in the last track ‘the end’ says it all…‘mind blurred, can no longer think and I need some scotch and a long dirty stick that is twisted and corrupt’. Strong fucking stuff. After sitting through ‘the all too logical descent into madness’ a few times I know exactly how he feels. Squids words are a thunderous rain of verbal horror that torrents down upon the listener with no chance for a break amongst the black clouds. It stupefies and stuns and is more enjoyable for that fact. Nihilists will have a field day with this release. They should put it top of their shopping list if they haven’t already done so.

The future: well its looking bright if nothing else for our man Squid. The depressiveness of his words will strike a cord with many people. Having aligned himself with an approachable musical accompaniment, rather than using the standard extreme electronic fare found in similar recordings, gives him an unusual edge which he should be able to mine for a few years yet. Although the copyists are probably already out in force as I write this. That’s the way it goes in today’s music scene. In the meantime I’ll happily listen to more from his twisted mind so hope that this won’t be the last I hear from it-clings vs pneumatic detach. The success for his Bugs Crawling Out Of People record label is, of course, rightly assured. He'll be squids in as they say.

reviewer: Alan Milne, August 2007

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ectomag.com

One of the goals of most artist is to get some sort of reaction out of people, to make them feel something through their words and music. Icvspd's album The All too Logical Decent into Madness, is definitely an album that will garner a reaction from all who hear it. This album is almost more like a performance piece than a series of songs. More spoken word laid over grinding abstract beats and sounds. As he speaks you gather images in your mind of a man sitting in a straight jacket ranting and bouncing off of the walls in Rats and Purpose, but its Necessary Evil, I Get Ready for sleep and Tomorrow I wake Up and Everything is the Same and How Terrible is it All, that are far more sinister. They aren't the ravings of the disturbed, they are the thoughts of the seemingly rational normal humans that surround us daily. Tired of the day in day out plastic of out existence, bored to death with the soulless surroundings that we find ourselves trapped in from day today. The words made even more powerful because these are thoughts so many of us may have had at one time or another when we're disillusioned with our jobs and relationships. Those moments where we feel we need something drastic and maybe even violent to get things moving again. Icvspd lays our darkest desires bare before us on this album. The All too Logical Decent into Madness will definitely get a reaction out of you. Weather it makes you recoil indisgust or drives you to make some sort of change in you existence this album is honest and intoxicating and you cant ignore it!

rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

reviewer: Administrator, 2007

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chain d.l.k. e-zine

Behind this “band” moniker hides a mutual collaboration between the US-based Powernoise artist PNEUMATIC DETACH and the Canadian spoken-word artist IT-CLINGS. Regarding the chosen title, well, take it seriously and be assured that this turns into a quite different form of Industrial music you haven’t discovered so far. There are on one side the hammering and pounding Powernoise efforts of Justin Brink, which itself are always a welcomed and appreciated listening experience, as his releases on the defunct Frozen Empire Media and Hive Records are sold-out. But for this release his efforts have to take the backseat of the cadillac, because the clear spoken-word performance of Mr. IT-CLINGS has to take the spotlight of attention here. As most of our readers also I have discovered his hypnotic voice on the last FRACTURED album “Only Human Remains” for the first time. On that album it wasn’t expectable how far and in which direction his words would tend. After checking this album multiple times with the required attention to follow the printed lyrics, I can assure that words can mutate to a weapon. Seriously, if you’re already impressed with that sort Hellectro bands wearing fake blood and offering their repetitive lyrics influenced by Gore/Splatter movies, then you should check this clear and natural hurting performance by IT-CLINGS. After the first 3 – 4 tracks I was expecting that the ongoing tracks would offer the often heard content of “how evil humanity is” or “how much this all disgusts me”. Well, lately with track 5 the lyrics turn more and more in schizophrenia describing someone with serious mental disorders. Track 6, to me one of the most remarkable pieces on here, describes drastically self-infliction (“Maybe These Wounds Won’t Heal Anymore”) and also Mr. IT-CLINGS’ words and his performance turning into a hurting experience – it sounds really that he feels with the actor – maybe he IS the actor? Also recognizable here and there is a form of sadistic vein. There’s the track “Spoons” for instance. Do you know what spoons can do? Well, let’s take a quotation out of the lyrics: “...I press you up against a hard surface, a brick wall, and then I drive the spoon hard against the tightened meat and feel it cut into you, feel it digging into the wall behind. I roll it back and forth, back and forth over your skin. I dreamt of scooping your innards into my mouth, just having them sit there in my open mouth, not swallowing this disgusting muck,...”. No stuff for the faint-hearted of the audience for sure and I guess there’s no need to dwell deeper into this. The combination of rhythmically Powernoise and spoken-word action can be surely seen as a new form of two different kinds, which on a first look won’t fit together. Quite “entertaining” to consume, purchase it and you’ll get something special.

reviewer: -[Marc Tater] 2008

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