I chose to be random in my selection of the first disk to review for my reintroduction into the Foxy community and pulled “Grisp” from the box. The dark cover art I like, but the fear arose that I would play the disk and find no value.
I try to enjoy noise projects but often, I just don’t get it. When I do, it’s brilliant (Wolf Eyes, “Human Animal”, for instance) This however feels like a noisy office and office work is on my list of “dislikes” right now. I like my noise less sterile and more organic. Much of this disk seems forced. Two tracks are not bad, “Teenage Kick (Anti-Anxiety)” and “Jerk Loose”-the only almost melodic track. Note: Almost.
The project headed by John Weise is what it is. Crisp and scratchy with bleeps, feedback, and moments of Jazz. Weise has an impressive resume having worked with bands like Sunn O))) and Wolf Eyes. I just think that “Grisp” does not surprise me much and feel that what I’ve heard from the disk is not new. Other than the previously mentioned tracks, I honestly find it a little boring.
I envision that I could be amenable to “Grisp” as art. In an art show with a performance or as the soundtrack for a video piece, I can accept what “Grisp” is. I don’t find that it stands up well on its own but needs another layer and I think something visual is what it is missing for me. It feels incomplete on its own. Perhaps that missing piece is seeing it live.
