Andrew Coltrane – Urge to Kill (Cérebro Morto, 2011)

Andrew Coltrane – Urge to Kill
Cérebro Morto 2011

I’ve seen Andrew Coltrane’s name around a bit and I always thought it was funny to see that last name in the context of the contemporary noise scene. I don’t know if it’s a pseudonym or a given name, but either way, the name brings out the badass, free jazz side of John Coltrane, as if Andrew was some long, lost, grand cousin.

Anyway, Andrew Coltrane is based in Detroit, Michigan and has collaborated with John Olson of Wolf Eyes and Heath Moerland of Sick Llama. Urge to Kill was recorded in early 2011 in Detroit. Track 1 utilizes low, distorted drones mixed with sporadic screaming vocals, also blown out. The drones turn into wide and dense washes of noise and hiss before cutting out a couple minutes into the piece. The sounds become more minimalist and less heavy but still have a droning quality. Beams of noise shoot out atop another low, distorted drone along with high-pitched, wavering feedback. The pace is pretty slow, and I enjoy that, as waves of distortion drift in and out. I think there are intermittent vocals near the end, which sound pretty monstrous. “Track 2” is less dynamic, featuring a warbly, blown out stampede of dense hiss and bass-y rumbling. The source of the production or its process might reveal something worth noting, because it sounds like it could be a field recording.