3 out of 5

Label: Zum Audio

Produced by: Cihld Abuse / Zs

Lesser but still interesting tracks from two great experimental jazz/grindcore/whatever acts, relatively earlier in both of their careers and so perhaps less “evolved” along their respective paths.

Zs has since morphed into something more outre and unpredictable, not that “In My Dream I Shot A Monk” is predictable, but it fits more into a skronky hardcore box than later works, as a grind growl is shouted over a kind of electronic / glitchy take on -core metal music, but it’s rather palatable as long as you’re not the type to shy away from those individual ingredients. In that sense it’s more of a listen-casually track than one you might return to more frequently; it’s a bit repetitive, and beyond the initial hook of its unique mash-up of sounds, doesn’t really have any standout moments. This would work better in the context of an album.

On Child Abuse’s side, supposedly (according to the credits) Hat and Beard is an Eric Dolphy song, but listening to some takes on the original, I can’t quite map it. However, maybe the spirit of the jazz musician’s free-styling nature is there, allowing the song’s harsh, in-motion bass and guitars to continue to feel their way to exciting heights throughout, the rolling drums keeping the heavy rhythm section and grind vocals moreso in that jazz realm (which is a mainstay of CA’s sound). The followup, Conversations, is pretty slight (in time and content), kind of matching the vibe of the Zs track, and functions like a space-filler a bit.