Masonna

Masonna's groundbreaking album, originally released as double tape in the mid 90s. The question of what’s one’s favorite item from their collection (or accumulation) consistently pops up in conversations amongst fans and collectors, and this unquestionably is always my answer. From head-to-toe, insert-to-tape, all elements are in glorious harmony and conversation with what another. Having the G.R.O.S.S. label’s ’industrial design’ fetish/obsession (some would say a relatively antiseptic departure from much of the other noise tapes of the time) articulating the sexualized rubber/bondage theme is a fantastic intersection, and one, to my knowledge, not touched upon again as overtly by the label (the subtle rope-play of The Three Temples excluded). The presentation truly is the content, and vice-versa; a unique trait in the young but deep legacy of Noise tape packaging. I marvel at the object’s concrete refined sense of pruriency – the particular choice of patterned rubber material, the ornamental silver, the crude claw of staples holding the fucker together – all without resorting to pre-fabricated means (for example Dildo & the Dildoes releasing a tape hanging from a vibrator or something). Every time I’ve slowly and carefully undone the buckle, hear the crack of Velcro, pried the rubber shell open, and later meticulously sealed up its intricacies once I’m finished, the process has felt like nothing less than ritual.

Moving on to the actual tapes themeself – double C10 – another perfect choice; four parts of “acidtronics” – a concise statement forced by physical circumstance. I’ve always been a sucker for increments of twenty minutes on cassettes (in this case the total program being twenty), as well as short tapes, maybe because they focus on what truly matters – how the “side flip” is handled: a similarity with others’ obsession with 7-inch singles. Parts One, Two and Four offer “live takes”, uncut and ramming full speed , differing from the intense cut up techniques reported on other studio efforts from the time period; just organic velocity. A fucking monolithic vacuum cleaner sucking up all bullshit ‘good time’ posturing, headbands and peace signs, and blowing them into a rubber isolation suite filled with sex gas so that one can truly get deep and “well-acquainted” with the finer onanistic details. The Third part/side is a relative anomaly, a marked contrast – echoed out spacious synth bells – the tense and the delicate sharing opposite sides of the same space as the brutish and primal. Simple but effective sequencing; a crucial piece that bare all intentions behind the churning sonic mass surrounding. Taken inside as a whole, the four side shape a massively pleasing and dynamic curve. Absolutely “psych” – psychosexual and psychedelic. A ++, five star, two thumbs up, four spurting cocks and all that.