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Daniel Menche, "Scattered Remains: Collected Rarities"
Daniel Menche gets a lot of respect from almost everyone who likes or makes noise. Perhaps it's because Menche has a sandwich named after him in the northwest; a sandwich so full of spice and flavor that it has caused sensory overload in some and sent others into a blissful and traumatic episode.It is a fact that Daniel Menche's music has more flavor than the leading noise brand, his work more satisfying, spicy, and filling than name brand competitors. His determination to stick out, to provide dynamic energy and musical play are all present, even on these early recordings.
Soleilmoon
As far as I can tell from available discographies, Daniel Menche's career stretches back at least 13 years. What appears to be his official website features a Bon Scott quote and his music is often a strange amalgam of distended samples, fractured machinery, and frightening ghost-talk. Over a decade of making music and Menche is still altering and perfecting his craft. More so than some, his work seems especially the work of a true craftsman. According to the liner notes on this collection from Soleilmoon, Menche likes to approach his work in the same way an artist or an author would approach an ambitious project of some significant size or grandeur. His meticulous attention to detail, his refusal to allow any part of his music become redundant or unnecessarily bland makes him so good at what he does. These are not walls of static, these are not tracks full of hacked up and unintelligible samples; these are, instead, compositions with a wide range of flavors, rhythmic devices, and surprises. Daniel Menche apparently had a sandwich named after him because he just wasn't satisfied with the ingredients he was being served. This sort of attitude's built one hell of a tasty record.
Scattered Remains: Early Rarities collects a series of rare or out of print 12" records, 7" releases, and compilation tracks from 11 different labels. Unlike Menche's full-length work, these individual tracks are geared to be complete unto themselves, not part of some larger picture. This makes listening to portions of this rather large double CD set far easier; there is no need to listen to the entire disc to fully appreciate the power of Menche's compositions. On each track that power is evident as it pours from the speakers, sometimes aggressively and sometime slowly. A track like "Here Is Proof That You Are Not a Ghost" represents Menche's ability to burn slowly, to accumulate tension to the point of an orgasm, and then let it recede slowly, exquisitely, like the most comprehensive and breath taking comedown ever. He mingles disparate ideas, harsh and soft noises, to stunning ends. As soon as a track feels like it might end in the hands of another composer, Menche suddenly begins reconstructing what he had just destroyed. New peculiarities begin to sizzle and rise to the surface and before anything can be easily digested, Menche has, seemingly through magic, constructed a new edifice of sound. Hearing this process is a pleasure in and of itself, but being in its storm is the biggest draw. Menche has a way of making his work labyrthine; it is quite easy to get lost in his sounds. They always bubble or shiver with life, exploding with the kind of energy I'd expect from a catastrophic solar event. When sounds moan, they feel genuine, like a breath escaping the artist.
But, before moving on, Menche always has a way of snapping the whole work together, of bringing everything together for one final blast or uneasy movement. This music demands attention and is not just for those satisfied with wandering. This requires close listening to be enjoyed completely.
No two tracks repeat anything on either of these discs, unless, of course, Menche decided to tie some thematic between the two. His process, his manner of executing sound keeps each piece fresh and surprising. There are peaks and valleys in his work, a clear sense of pacing, tension, and dynamic play. What separates Menche from the boys is his dedication to heterogeneous listening experiences; there is absolutely no reason to think that pure sound is pure noise and, as such, Menche likes to layer and shift new sounds throughout every track. No two seconds are ever the same and, it would seem, that Menche refuses to rely on anything like loops or prerecorded samples. The liner notes speak of Menche's refusal to use a computer during these early stages and the joy he felt learning how to work with sound. I've seen pictures of his live performances and I can only describe them as shamanistic.
It makes sense that Bon Scott's quote graces his website. Menche's music comes from the body, from the heart, from the blood that runs through him. It shows in the power his music exudes and in the care taken with every track. His work is austere, in some respects, relying on itself and not some flashy or shocking ornamentation to help it along. There are no violent sex references on this that I can find, no need for grotesque imagery, and no sign of gonzo theatrics in what Menche does. There's just the purity of his work and the fact that he has more going for him as a noise artist than just about anyone else that might be hip enough to get mentioned for their brutality or their sheer dedication to complete chaos. I find those groups entertaining, too, but Menche's work is absolutely mesmerizing. When he calls a song "Unholy Cricket Fuck," there's a good goddamned reason for it. Menche is exacting, pure, and absolutely dedicated to what he does. He's a master chef amongst a gaggle of brown-bagging school boys, a chef with a bag full of all sorts of ingredients most people don't even know exist.
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