Available only in printed form

Packaging Analysis And Review, Vol. 3: A Harsh Smoker’s Sonic Compilation Packaging analysis and review by: Rx Zenabi

Roll it, smoke it, and listen to it.

Today, we feature one of the most unique and interesting compilation albums, “A Harsh Smoker’s Sonic Compilation” rolling paper and digital download package. You see, these types of multimedia art packages is what THC Zine lives (and smokes) for. It’s a well-made and well-thought out product that incorporates great artwork, art design, and music in one compact, bad-ass item.

Yes, it’s an actual joint rolling paper product with some of the most awesome packaging art, plus the music inside. Who says you can’t “smoke” your music, or listen to your “smoke”? The actual product and its packaging, design, and art direction alone is already worth the price.

It’s as big as an oversized lighter, and almost just as thick, making it easy to bring in your handy smoker’s pouch (make sure it’s covered in thick plastic) and you can carry it anywhere where there’s smoking and music-listening to be had.

Aside from the excellent rolling paper, and its expanded artwork inside, is a hot compilation from some of the best Asian/international experimental, noise, and sound art entities to give you one hell of a good time as you smoke joint after joint of this excellent product (cannabis or legal herbal smoke supplements not included).

From China’s OG Mei Zhiyong and our own JOEE Mejias, to Rudolf Eb.er and Monobloc Sound Fidelity, and everyone else in between, you have 33 of the best sound artists and experimental sound sorcerers to listen to. These 33 well curated tracks serve as the best accompaniment to your rolling papers, one per track, as you roll and smoke joint after joint of weed or some legal herbal smokes to accompany your heady trip.

The packaging features a sealable clip at the back, that opens up an accordion-style layout that displays the tracklist. Inside is where it holds the 33 rolling papers. The music is available as a high-res download and a visually pleasing online stream, complete with an oldschool winamp player and cool psychedelic visuals to make it more fun.

Each box contains 33 tracks that range from psychedelic drones and noise, to extreme sound art and synth cacophony. Cue the track, roll your joint, light it, and smoke away while exploring the black hole of the best sonic sculpting musicians from the nether dimensions.

If you’re out of rolling papers, we HIGHly recommend you buy A Harsh Smoker’s Sonic Compilation. Smoke with some of the best experimental tracks today.

If you're of the opinion that a five-hour plus long collection should come with rolling papers, step right up to A Harsh Smoker's Sonic Compilation. While curator Nikola H Mounoud threads in assorted strains of whoa - Suicide Samurai Wann's slack-jawed synthpop, Synchromancer's acid astral dub, Biology Of The Future's micro-bleep bubbling bubbly - noise is the coin of the realm here. On "Nature" Kurumi Kadoya scrambles what sound like radio signals into a toxic, ill-tempered cloud; "Waiting Room" finds Digestive Frequencies piledriving one distorted bolt after the next into a too small aperture. Bob Bellerue's rotating, rattling drone wonder "Bambú Snafu" fricassees the synapses. Scobi Wan contributes the 15 minute long "So What", a squawking squeegee workout that escalates into disorienting extremism. With the fuzzy, fizzy "Amnesia Trace", Monobloc Sound Fidelity fall squarely between a hi-fi's test LP and a moderate tinnitus flare-up.

Noise music is ridiculous. Sonically, it lives and breathes on the outer edges of convention. Thematically, it makes satanic black metal look like child’s play. And the overall package, well, there’s really nothing to save this from a fate of excessiveness, and A Harsh Smoker’s Sonic Compilation by MEOVCO.com (in collaboration with FUZZ TAPE and Foxhole Atheism) takes noise packaging to its most eclectic outer conclusions.

Featuring 33 artists and over 5 hours of music, the package comes equipped with 33 rolling papers (1 track per smoke). But being the responsible noise compilers that they are, it comes with the warning: “That said, we cannot recommend smoking! ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe.’” This hazy exercise in noise-fueled excess is quite the trip.

A Noise Odyssey… Released on December 24, 2024, this mammoth compilation is the product of MEOVCO.com, a small independent label founded by Overload Collapse in 2004. The collaboration with FUZZ TAPE and Foxhole Atheism elevates it into an international effort, resulting in an anthology that spans the globe. A Harsh Smoker’s Sonic Compilation comprises 33 tracks, each a sonic experiment by a different artist, adding up to a mind-melting 312 minutes of sound. It’s not just an album; it’s an experience that melds visual art and sound in a way that only the noise scene could pull off.

The visual aspect is an important accompaniment to the audio. Black-and-white collage art by HARO (based in Onomichi/Hiroshima, Japan) and vivid color paintings by L OO N Y (based in Hanoi, Vietnam) decorate the rolling paper booklet that houses the release. The artistic direction and curation were overseen by sonic maker • • • (sometimes written as ‘ooo’), ensuring cohesion in this chaotic aesthetic.

The philosophy of the release is rooted in pushing boundaries—both sonic and physical. Each booklet is printed locally and sustainably, containing 33 ultra-thin rolling papers, each with a unique watermark and a paper tip. These aren’t just rolling papers; they’re pieces of art, carefully crafted to pair with the auditory experience. A QR code and link provide access to a private, ad-free hosting page where the album can be streamed or downloaded in MP3 (320 kbps) or uncompressed master file formats. There’s no tracking, no commercialization—just a pure connection between artist and listener.

The conceptual backbone is simple yet ambitious: one paper, one track, one smoke. But it’s also layered with irony and a touch of humor. The “cannot recommend smoking” disclaimer and the Magritte-inspired “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” quip show that the creators are fully aware of the absurdity of their own project.

But how does it sound? There are some familiar names here. Sajjra Xhrs Galarreta I first caught wind of at the Jogja Noise Bombing Fest in 2020. The Peruvian noise maker’s contribution takes an intergalactic journey, full of rising modulators and cracked static transitions. Rudolf Eb.er also makes a contribution with the track ‘Sucking on the Rabbit Hole’. The track is avant-garde by design, featuring bizarre processed vocals with fluttering oscillations over the top.

There is a great deal more than noise to be found here. Suicide Samurai Wann contributes a track of disassembled Japanese ambient. KUROPIPE’s contribution is some of the most accessible music here, featuring guitar based lo-fi noise pop with a punk edge. Monobloc Sound Fidelity on the other hand goes full ham with 8 minutes of modular drone.

However, it’s noise that steals the show here, and of all varieties. Self Toxification delivers a dose of harsh noise and vocal freak outs. And time is truly no object with Akh.Ianno U.cello, Biology of the Future, Manuel Knapp and Scobi Wan all delivering 20+ minute pieces of varying intensity, frequency and progression.

Honourable mentions go to • • • (ooo) for the diversity of instruments, from strands of orchestral charm to the most obscure of Aphex Twin meltdowns. The 15 minute build into devastation by Nguyen Hong Giang. The dark, yet peaceful abilities of NuR. And the deeply minimal rumblings of Yan Jun who concludes the experience (if you listen alphabetically, which I believe is the only listening order due to the lack of track numbering).

Alas, there are too many names to mention across the total 33 contributors. But this is a special release not least for its eclecticism and ambition, but also for being a truly global delivery of noise, featuring not only Europe/USA but also Japan, Vietnam, China, Peru and further afield.

Note on the format: The album was printed in the form of a “rolling paper booklet” containing a digital download code (QR code + link). 10,400 booklets were made. Support this venture by purchasing a booklet and help keep the underground weird.