The reissue of Wince’s Self-titled / Vasovagal Syncope offers a chance to revisit the origins of an artist who has left substantial marks on the landscape of harsh noise. Encompassing two formative works now presented together, this CD captures the anxious, physical churn of Wince’s sonic language: heavy with distortion and layered hiss, yet animated by carefully steered feedback and sudden, cavernous ruptures. Each segment is saturated with the raw aggression that defines the genre, bringing listeners back to moments when harsh electronics meant not only confrontation but a unique kind of catharsis.
What pervades throughout is the sense of durability and transformation, where abrasive textures and repetitive motifs mark both continuity and progression. The album never allows easy resolution; instead, it steers through jagged structures and moments of dense clangor, mapping a territory that is fraught but resolute. The decision to honor these tapes at their fifteenth anniversary highlights not only their sonic impact but their role in sustaining a vigorous strain of noise music. Wince’s work here serves as a touchstone—the riotous tumult, the feedback-drenched atmospheres, and the commitment to tension over comfort all feel undiminished by time. For those already initiated into Wince’s abrasive registers, or seeking new pathways into contemporary noise, Self-titled / Vasovagal Syncope stands as a potent summary. The collection affirms how, even today, severity and instability can foster vibrancy; the sound is as compelling now as when first released. Celebrating the anniversary is less about nostalgia, more about reaffirming noise as a living, mutating organism—one capable of enduring despite, or thanks to, its myriad disruptions.
