(Bad Alchemy) Strings führt noch einmal nach Omaha, zu CAST OFF FORM, einem Pendler zwischen Acoustics und Noise, der an „Ruach“ schnupperte und auf „Resonance“ lauscht. Hier performt er mit unkenntlicher Gitarre, hartnäckigem Tamtam und motorisch knattern-dem Effekt ein Happening, als Mit- und Gegeneinander drahtig flatternder Schläge mit der schnarrenden, schnurrenden Motorik, die eskaliert in Harsh Noise als Wall of Sound und in impulsiven Schüben und so die Oberhand gewinnt. Der zweite, wieder brummig und surrend grundierte Durchlauf variiert das mit extremem Traktieren der holzig-stacheldrahtig skelettierten Akustikgitarre, denkt an Eugene Chadbournes Rake. - Rigo Dittmann
(Bandcamp) The two 25-minute pieces on Cast Off Form‘s new cassette Strings are based around acoustic guitar, though you might not know that from listening. This Omaha, Nebraska-based sound artist adds no-input mixing and modular synth to his guitar forays, turning strings into noise. Both tracks are dense and busy, with side A’s “strings one” starting in near-silence before launching into whirrs, whines, and crashes, while side B’s “strings two” is more crackly and disruptive, less a meditation than a disturbance, with crunchy sounds banging around. Both pieces are united by an intense focus that treats even the smallest sounds as something worth examining up close. - Marc Masters
(Vital Weekly) This is the “latest instalment in the Acoustics Series”, says the label, which I read about nine minutes into the cassette. It made me smile, as the word acoustic didn’t come to mind in these nine minutes. I considered writing about the noise side of improvisation. I will use it, but on ‘Strings’, the otherwise unknown Cast Off Form uses a “solid cedar acoustic guitar accompanied by no-input mixing and modular synthesis”, and whatever is done on the guitar, it all renders beyond recognition when it leaves the no-input mixing and modular synthesis. Noise it is. I also told that “Cast Off Form spent the latter part of 2023 and the entirety of 2024 exploring unconventional uses of the acoustic guitar”, which is extended as, to some, it might sound like another lovely improvised drone/rock/noise (equal measures there) guitar music. Most of the time, the distortion and feedback prevail, and sometimes, you are reminded of the presence of the guitar. This guitar isn’t played in any conventional way. I enjoyed this interaction between the guitar and the electronic part quite a bit, mainly because it stays away from the more apparent approaches that could have been taken, like droney ambient music. At the same time, it’s not always a conventional noise release, going off in a brutalist form of electro-acoustic music. Maybe a bit long at 50 minutes, but quite the ear-cleanser, mind-resetting thing. - Frans de Waard
(KZSU) 1) (25:44) begins w LFO idling engine drone, slow sloppy percussion beat slowly joins, ~8m in glorious brutal noise crashes in, evolves to lovely noise riddled rhythmic balm, organic live feel retained 2) (24:46) low fi rather subliminal noise cacophony beneath waves of lovely feedbacky low drone - Your Imaginary Friend
