Chaos Remains by Kurushimi

Sydney's Kurushimi return with Chaos Remains – a violent instrumental assault of grindcore, free jazz, noise rock and everything in-between.

Built up from tracks recorded during the sessions for their previous album, What Is Chaos?, Chaos Remains is thematically inspired by John Zorn’s Painkiller and Bladerunner projects. The resulting music is harsh, wild and unexpected – throwing jazz and avant-garde improvisational compositions together with the grind and thud of metal-driven riffs.

“Kurushimi is 100% improvised,” begins lead composer and bassist Andrew Mortensen. “The music is manipulated in real-time during the recording by a conductor who uses pre-conceived hand signals based on the Violence In Action game piece by Lachlan Kerr. In the past, we have just gone in and just done it, with very little discussion. During this session, I had another idea to create improvisations with a different vibe. I created some turntable loops at home that weren’t smooth (by randomly putting a sticker on the record so it would skip and loop). Then in the studio, I told the musicians what we would do – listen to the loop and just start improvising to it, and then the conductor would be free to alter it how he felt, resulting in a ‘hypnotic’ sound.”

Mixing metal, jazz and the slightest hint of electronic ambiance, The Omen stands as the first single off Chaos Remains. Dark and brooding, yet subtle and curious, the song lives up to its name through instilling a thick, claustrophobic dread in the listener. Sludge-drenched bass, droning guitar riffs and ominous saxophone sow discomfort and discord in equal measure. Yet those who brave the fray may catch hidden elements lingering around the edges – tiny elements of atmospheric electronics – hinting that Chaos Remains is more than what it seems.

“We’re going with Track 1 – The Omen – as the first available track for preorder,” says Mortensen. “The inspiration for it is directly in the title – the 1976 film The Omen along with its accompanying score by Jerry Goldsmith. I’d re-watched the film a few nights before we entered the studio, and that had me wanting to make something that sounded ‘evil’ - I chopped up some elements from the score and made an ugly loop.”

Teasing a busy recording session over the course of 2021, Chaos Remains is the first of many releases for Kurushimi over the course of the year. Dedicated fans and newcomers alike can anticipate two wild EPs of ‘unexpected’ material and a full length slated to bear ambitious new arrangements. For now, Chaos Remains is more than enough – an accomplishment in fury, grit and improvisation that will undoubtedly leave an impact on any listener.

The Omen, the first single from Chaos Remains, is available for streaming now. The full album is available via Art As Catharsis on 26 February.

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