Krapp's Second Tape: Fordell Research Unit – Heavy Petting

Released as part of the cassette-only Krapp Tape series from Wounded Knee (whose sonic experiments are effortlessly accessible by comparison) Fordell Research Unit fill side one of Heavy Petting with testing, nauseating noise. The dense feeback is slowly penetrated by a gentle guitar mantra, and for a moment it seems its tuneful loop will tame the track, but the noise proves relentless and oppressive to the end.

Side two brings a degree of relief, its sound clouds less abrasive but similarly avant-garde. It’s possible to interpret the Beckett allusion as a conceptual statement rather than mere pun (the press release is a cryptic pictogram, while online information is minimal, so either interpretation is surely possible), in which case repetition and deterioration are not just unpalatable, but key. If the riddles hidden in din excite, FRU will reward your attention, but others be warned: this may bring only displeasure. [Chris Buckle]