(Noise, Harsh Noise, Experimental) [CD] The Rita (Sam McKinlay) - The Voyage Of The Decima MAS - 2009, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Live snorkeling source sounds recorded in Pender Harbour Canada August 19, 2009
Ocean mic constructed by Trauma Tone
www.iheartnoise.com
In the past few months I’ve dipped my toes back into some old school noise. I’ve been trolling Discogs for old Wolf Eyes, Aaron Dilloway and Sick Lama CDR’s and have managed to snap up a few. When I scroll through a Discogs noise seller’s inventory there is invariably a coupe of The Rita CD’s up for grabs as well and I suspect that these records probably haven’t necessarily got the attention they deserve.
I’ve got a fair few The Rita records and this is one of my favourites. For those of you who haven’t heard of him before, The Rita is the pseudonym of Sam McKinlay, a Canadian noise artist who specialises in that most specialist of noise sub genres, Harsh Wall Noise. HWN is pretty well described by its title. It is usually identified by tracks consisting of thick walls of static with very little or absolutely no compromise to anything that may comfort the listener by way of any recognisable musical forms. There are certainly no beats or homages to industrial noise – the sound can either be overwhelming or strangely trance inducing and on occasions exceptionally boring.
I can assure you that The Rita and specifically The Voyage of the Decima MAS are not boring. The Decima MAS were an Italian frogmen unit formed during the second world war. McKinlay references the subject matter by interposing snorkel sounds that he recorded in Vancouver Harbour as breaks in the walls of static that he conjures up. It’s not the first time he has used nautical subject matter and related field recordings, his Thousands of Dead Gods CD from 2006 used recordings of a great white shark dive cage to weave through all the static. I suppose the reason I like both these records so much is that unlike most harsh wall noise, my listening experience has been active rather than passive as I anticipate the use of the field recordings.
This record is pretty great but if you decide to pick up a copy expect something brutal, harsh and noisy. - Ducks Battle Satan
'The Voyage Of The Decima MAS' sees The Rita return to the Troniks/Pacrec label which released such landmark & genre classic Rita/HNW recordings as: 'Thousands Of Dead Gods' , 'Bodies Bear Traces Of Carnal Violence' & 'Total Slitting Of Throats'- but this is far from simply another HNW record or a retread of The Rita’s past work.
On offer here is a just shy of fifty six minute long single track that’s made up of edited, manipulated & texturally layered Live snorkelling source recordings made by Sam McKinlay(who of course is The Rita) in Pender Harbour Canada. The track starts off relatively calm & rather haunting with just the rush of water & snorkelling tone present, but as the track progresses McKinlay adds in more textural detail & jittering noise risers yet it still keeps returning to the untouched & stripped snorkelling recordings. Moving towards the 20 minute mark & things start to get more fierce, thicker & more wall like in it’s feel as McKinlay nudges up the intensity of the track, yet he still never complete abandons the textural snorkelling & water rush tonalities. By about the 26th minute he’s really turned very noise & jittering wall like; but instead of going into all out noise burn 'n' boil attack around the half an hour mark he strips the track right the way back down to the atmospheric, wiry & thin snorkelling, water & static air hissing. The rest of the track really plays out in this strange, watery, jittering, spaced -out & atmosphere rich manner- sure there’s the odd dart or boil of more thick & powerful noise raisers, but for the most part it just stays in the aquatic, jagged & at times oddly soothing & haunted state.
Certainly not an album for those expecting all out thick & unforgiving harsh wall noise making. This for the most part is a lot more considered, controlled & atmospherically rich take on The Rita’s sound. - musiquemachine.com