Sometimes German, sometimes English. • The title of this blog used to change from time to time. • Interested in me reviewing your music? Please read this! • I'm also a writer for VeilOfSound.com. • Please like and follow Audiovisual Ohlsen Overkill on Facebook!

2026-07-22

GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE und SLEET live an Bord der MS Stubnitz, Hamburg (21. Juli 2026)


Gestern wurde mal wieder gestubnitzt und abgesehen von einem schnellen Lob an Vinyl-DJ Psymy, dessen siebzigerlastige Jazz Rock/Fusion-Auswahl mich mehrmals begeistert die Musikerkennungsapp anschmeißen ließ, werfe mich einfach mal ohne großes Vorgeplänkel mitten rein ins Review:




SLEET
Den Opener Sleet fand ich... jetzt nicht wirklich schlecht. Aber irgendwie war das Trio aus Hamburg schon weder so recht Fischbrötchen noch Labskaus. Da waren packende Parts und fette Stoner Riffs, aber auch mittelmäßiger Gesang und Dorfhardcore-Grooves, die mich an norddeutsche Undergroundbands der Neunziger und frühen Zweitausender erinnerten, an deren Namen ich mich nicht einmal mehr... öhm... erinnern kann.

Mit weniger songwriterisch zufällig hineingewürfelten Beliebigkeit, nur auf das gute Zeug fokussiert, hätten mich Sleet durchaus voll mitnehmen können. Vielleicht bin ich auch ein klein wenig unfair, denn selbst von einer deutlich stärkeren Band wäre nach dem Spektakel des bevorstehenden Headliners des Abends wahrscheinlich nicht besonders viel hängengeblieben...








GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE
Auftritt die Gewinner des Esbjerg Fuzztival 2025!

Auch wenn die drei Japaner wie immer den Großteil der Show auf ihren Allerwertesten sitzen blieben, war ihre Show doch ein höchst sportlicher Exzess. Auch hier im Schiffbauch zeigten sie wieder eindrucksvoll, dass es bei Progressiver Rockmusik nicht primär um die klinisch saubere Reproduktion technisch beeindruckender Schauwerte gehen muss. Green Milk From The Planet Orange sind unglaublich wild, dreckig, ungeschliffen, emotional.

Ja, die spielerischen Fähigkeiten dieser Band sind phänomenal, egal ob man auf die flitzefingrige, alles zusammenhaltende Bassperformance oder die selten an einem Ort verharrende Kreativität der Gitarre schaut. Allein das niemals enden wollende Solo im über zwanzigminütigen "Tragedy Overground" ist einfach Gilmour und Hendrix highfivende Weltklasse - nicht weil in Zeitraffer Skalen durchgehext werden, sondern weil seine sich immer weiter steigernde Dramaturgie so natürlich und naturgewaltig mitreißt.

Und was für eine athletische Ausdauerleistung vollbrachte nicht nur in diesem Stück der Drummer? Explosiv, dynamisch, mal gnadenlos nach vorne treibend, mal voller jazziger synkopischer Furchtlosigkeit, ließ er keine Zweifel offen: der Mann ist ein Tier und stammt definitiv nicht von diesem Planeten.

Green Milk From The Planet Orange mögen es Progressive Rock nennen, doch tatsächlich zelebrierten sie ihre Musik als maximalen Freakout im Geiste der durchdrehendsten Eskapaden aus Psych, Noise und Punk. Das Ergebnis war eine irrwitzige Show, die das Publikum einfach nur breit grinsend und glücklich zurückließ - und zu Recht in Scharen an den Merchstand trieb. Großartig!







2026-07-20

More of that WV Sorcery with ARROKOTH, DOPE PURPLE & KAWABATA MAKOTO and SCATTERED PURGATORY


Yes, once again I give you a bunch of recent releases by the commendably unique French/Chinese one man label WV Sorcerer Productions! We're starting with a record I could have grabbed directly from the band's merch table after their fantastic show in Husum - but alas, I had to wait a little longer, since I had already preordered it. (I did however get another album exclusively available at their shows.)





DOPE PURPLE - Live Evil (Coral Pink vinyl LP) (2026)

Yes, this is as wild as the two names on the cover - and the downright audacious album title famously used by Miles Davis and Black Sabbath before - promise: During this hometown show in June 2025 the Taiwanese Psychedelic Rock maniacs Dope Purple were aided my none other than their obvious paragon, Japanese Psych Noise legend Kawabata Makoto from Acid Mothers Temple!

Armed with drums, bass, synths and (including Makoto) three guitars the band wastes no time and immediately shows us what that means. We've heard "New Psyche & Beyond The Body" before, but this version is the noisiest, most rabid version yet. There are no brass or other wind instruments involved in the three longtracks of "Live Evil", but with all those chaotic trippy cascades of Boris-level six string Noise and relentless Kraut overfeed(back)ing your floored ears won't miss it, because how could this insane force of sonic overflow possibly not be enough?

This album surely isn't Dope Purple's most beautiful or delicate work, but fuck yeah, it will cleanse the space between your ears for good! Is that's too much for you I won't even judge - personally I'm having a blast with it. So far these freaks seem incapable of dissappointing me. And with coloured vinyl and OBI strip the presentation by WV Sorcerer is great as usual as well. Bottom line: banger!








ARROKOTH - Avàvâgo Zamran! (CD) (2026)

Arrokoth is a celestial object in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. It's also a project initiated by Neptunian Maximalism mastermind Guillaume Cazalet, featuring John McKusick, Dimitar Dimitrov and guest Zakiyya Mahmudova. Uniting traditions from Central and Southeast Asia, India and Northern Africa it clearly resides within his signature realm of trans-cultural, trans-historic shamanistic world music, his other projects have built before.

Passages of these long ritualistic tracks would easily fit into the context of any Neptunian Maximalism or Zaäar release. This album however presents the most shapelessly flowing, primordial Ambient form of Cazalet's vision. The four average nineteen minutes long tracks use a familiar array of sounds, created by gongs, bowls, other percussion instruments, electronics, incantatory vocals and throat singing. The latter has such an important role that "Avàvâgo Zamran!" feels like a wanderlustly cousin of Phurpa.

The packaging of this simple digipak CD may not be the most spectacular we've seen either from the artist or label, but the music contained here is a highly immersive and transcendent experience. A meditation like spiritually hovering inside the eternal pulse of Earth's core. The sound of forever.








破地獄 SCATTERED PURGATORY - 破地獄 Post Purgatory (CD) (2026)

Last but not least here's another CD in the label's signature 7" + OBI strip packaging, by a band I would probably have an easier time talking about, had I seen them at Roadburn Festival this year, where they unfortunately clashed with several other artists including Acid Mothers Temple (what a small world!), who I ultimately ended up seeing.

The Taiwanese duo (extended to a full band by guest musicians on drums, saxophone and vocals) comfortably fits into the WV Sorcerer roster with a musical language beyond genre restrictions, which brings together many approaches familiar to connoisseurs of the label and beyond, bridging worlds between the cosmic flow of artists like Senyawa or those reviewed above to the Urban heartbeat in the music of Mong Tong or the collaboration of Jaydawn and Wukir Suryadi. Is it based on Trip Hop or Kraut Rock? Does it contain more Doom Metal or Asian Pop influences? Is this Industrial-infused Electronic Music or Psychedelic Rock ornated with Spiritual Jazz and Drone?

You presage the answer: Scattered Purgatory's "Post Purgatory" is everything, often at once, but none of those exactly. Speaking and singing in Taiwanese, Chinese and English, yet playing in musical languages from many more cultures and times, the artists take us onto an anachronistic journey through their strong, uncompromising vison. With a surpisingly clean, but not sterile production this album is easily accessible despite its Experimnetal nature. An exciting, seriously fascinating joy to listen to. 






2026-07-14

BIG|BRAVE - In Grief Or In Hope

It's a curious thing that it took me a very long time to get (to this day not fully) warmed up to the sound of Big|Brave's last regular work "A Chaos Of Flowers", even though the shows at A Colossal Weekend and on the MS Stubnitz in 2024, which featured the album's material, both were among my favorite concerts of that year.

Too much weird compression and vocal effects? Just something about the guitar sound? In hindsight it sounds like a turning point in the band's direction, because what challenged me back than is even more present on the latest release of the Canadian trio. This time however I was loving it immediately.  


BIG|BRAVE - In Grief Or In Hope (clear pink vinyl LP) (2026)

The opener "What May Be The Kindest Way To Leave" only needs seconds to establish that both the guitars and Robin Wattie's vocals on "In Grief And In Hope" are heavily processed and noisily distorted to a point beyond the just excessively ridiculous, where it somehow is a powerful artistic tool  again, expressing distanced alienation and close emotional confrontation at the same time.

Maybe the production achieves what was intended already two years ago, but in order to function as brilliantly as it does now, a change of Big|Brave's musical direction had to occur, that hadn't been carried out yet.

So wait? It isn't austerely arranged Drone and Noise any more? Oh yes it, but there has been a crucial change in the band's lineup!

My Disco bass player and long time fourth touring member of Big|Brave Liam Andrews is an official part of the group on the album now, but apart from guest distributions by engineer/producer Seth Manchester on synth and Luc van Weelden on spring reverb box, this is still a trio recording, because there are no drums anymore.

And while it's still hard to imagine Big|Brave performing without Tasy Hudson in the back of the stage, I must admit that the band reaches a new level of both expressive tension and meditative immersion here, which further emphasizes the uniquity of their emotionally driven minimalist Drone Rock. And tracks like "An Uttering Of Antipathy" or "The Ineptitude For Mutual Discernement" can easily rival the highlights of their quickly crawling and growing discography.

What makes these pieces work as songs is of course not only the sheer accumulation of Industrial-spirited harsh guitar and electronic Noise, but the juxtaposition to the greatest melodic Pop appeal in the vocal performance the band has ever had.

"In Grief Or In Hope" truly unites the ugliest and most beautiful sides of Big|Brave in a daring and surprisingly successful simultaneity. It's a remarkable experience even for these artists' standards.

Once again released by Thrill Jockey, the record comes as a nice clear pink vinyl pressing (CDs and another sold out variant also exist) with lyrics on the inner sleeve and the probably stupid question What's that cover photo about? Is it a black trash can? The actually Black Lodge? Seriously, I need help here. 






2026-07-12

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE / THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Live In Berlin

I guess it's a law of inevitability that whenever you're really adamant on saving money and not visiting this show or not needing that limited edition vinyl, some luxury good you just cannot say no to comes along. Like this big beautiful four-LP box documenting the whole comeback double performance of The Kilimajaro Darkjazz Ensemble aka The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation on August 29th 2025 in the Lido, Berlin

Since I had centered a whole musical weekend trip around this event and witnessed the quintet from the front row, this box set basically was pure catnip for me. 


THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE /
THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION - Live In Berlin
(4LP vinyl box) (2026)

In my live review I had seperated the two shows before and after a brief intermission, labeling one as a Kilimajaro and the other as a Mount Fuji performance, even though I wasn't sure about this attribution at all. And now with the whole tracklist at hand I can confirm that technically the whole night exlusively belonged to The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, since both sets were based on the main project's already existing material, especially from the albums "Here Be Dragons" (2009) and "From The Stairwell" (2011).

However there is an eery, nocturnal edge in the way the current line-up interprets the material, which feels more like the strictly improvisational music of The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. So besides the obvious messaging that both incarnations of the group are back and available for future endeavours, it is also artistically warranted that this release wears both names on its cover without distinction.

I will admit that I am surely biased when I crown these more than two hours of Dark/Doomjazz immersion as the new holy grail of the group's work, but this excellently recorded mammoth release just gives you almost everything you could wish for inside the sonic cosmos Gideon Kiers (electronics, effects) and Jason Köhnen (bass, theremin) have established. A smooth blend of Ambient, slow motion Jazz, Dub, Doom, Drone, Post Rock, Classical and Folk music that feels like a wonderful soundtrack to countless escapist cinematic experiences spawning in your head.

Especially the far away mystically processed vocalizations of Charlotte Cegarra underline the dreamlike quality, while the versatile trombone and trumpet of Hilary Jeffery does so much more than I expected before experiencing this show. And adding a secong brass player for the encore with "The MacGuffin" and the closing "Reprise" is of course a worthy elevation of the finale.

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble / The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

Speaking of worthy: Everything comes in a solid slipcase with each of four records in its own sleeve. It looks great and the vinyl quality matches the looks.

The only thing which easily could have been done better is the A3 poster of a polaroid picture of the band taken in the Lido lobby. Instead of having to fold it this would have been way cooler presented as a vinyl-format square matte print. Other than that this box is pretty much perfect.

As an additional perk when ordering online (the few remaining copies are only available at recent and coming live shows!) you got a private YouTube link to the professional video recording of the whole show. Nice!

No doubt: As of now "Live In Berlin" immediately jumps right to the top of my (obviously work in progress) album of the year list. This is special.    






FRA DET ONDE - Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand

I'll try to keep this brief, since I just don't want anyone to blame me on missing out on this record only because reading my review took so long. The thing is: There's no digital release. So if you don't get Fra Det Onde's new album on vinyl - you won't get it at all!


FRA DET ONDE - Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand (LP + Flexidisc) (2026)

This Norwegian Electric Free Jazz group has a special place in my heart for giving me my favorite live show of 2021, while I was on a four-day music vacation in Denmark, where events came back earlier than in Germany after the pandemic. Just like on their 2020 EP "feat. the legendary Emil Nikolaisen" the trio of Olaf Olsen (drums), Rune Nergaard (bass) and Erik Kimestad Pedersen were joined by said musician / producer at that remarkable performance.

Fra Det Onde
On "Smilet Er En Klyktig Tilstand" (="Smiling Is A Fleeting State") he is once again adding organ, electronics and maltreated production and is finally instated as an official fourth band member.
From the get-go the album feels like a Heavy Jazz Fusion fever dream which recreates the wildest phase of Miles Davis, but firmly places it into a world which already knows Noise Rock, Jazzcore or the Brass Metal of Ottone Pesante, without Fra Det Onde actually sounding like one of those.

At the heart of tracks with nonsense titles such as "Zed Leppestift" or "Dummyman137" still lie majestic trumpet melodies and Olsen's bonkers drumming being held together the electric bass. But the chaotic textures and noises added by Nikolaisen - plus samples and various spoken word narrations by Zabina Davari Elfang - just give the music a sensation of permanent ridiculous overflow. "Smilet Er En Flyktig Tilstand" is a masterfully performed dirty mess between exuberance and sheer insanity.

live at Musikhuset Dexter, Odense
Most titles flow directly into each other like one unbroken stream of swirled consciousness, so I didn't even try to divide side A into the three tracks it actually contains, when I made my own digital copy. Contrary to the label's usual practice El Paraiso Records didn't even include a download card this time.
But don't worry too much; with 500 vinyl copies the release actually isn't too limited for you not to still have the chance to grab it.

If you order it directly from the label shop - which thankfully can ship cheaper to destinations outside of Denmark now - you'll also get a little yellow goodie in the shape of a Flexidisc. Musically these four minutes on low-fi medium aren't very essential. Just a snippet of the album track "Rex-Ronya" as well as a live excerpt of the older song "From". You'll survive without it, but it's nice to have and adds to the obscure quirkiness of it all.