Packaging Analysis And Review Vol. 2: Detroak – Death Article

Packaging analysis and review Vol. 2 by Rx Zenabi

Detroak
Death Article
Digital Conjuring Records

Indonesia’s death industrial sorcerer Detroak conjures grim, bleak industrial noise that destroys with slow burn intensity and earsplitting noise destruction. Using methodical layers of heavy mechanized soundscapes and dense hypnotic ambience, these two sick recordings imprison listeners in heavy solitary confinement through punishing soundscapes, building up suffocating grimness and emptiness.

This welcome audio terror punishment is also perfectly complemented by the packaging. Digital Conjuring Records has the honor of producing the physical manifestation and documentation of this double album (Heavylepsy CD & Monolithic Death Pile cassette).

The slightly opaque resealable polybag that houses the death documents of this 2-part death torture chamber is like receiving the end result of these two albums. The contents are the perfect complement to the extreme audio designed to corrode and disintegrate your humanity, then your soul. It is a document-recreation of the sonic victims’ harrowing moments using these audio torture weapons as the soundtrack and the devices.

The physical evidence in the form of organic remains tightly vacuum-sealed in a small package reminds you where your vessel is inevitably headed. The golden sigil talisman serves as the unseen energy that symbolizes the process (the two albums) and the end result (fragment specimen).

Disintegration never felt so great. THC Zine recommends playing them one after the other, only the choice of which album to play first is your decision. The two distinct formats of these albums offer destructive unenlightenment from digital to analog sound signals.

The Heavylepsy CD is a long, two part descent to personal hell, slowly disintegrating the listener with heavy death industrial subharmonic tones and layers. The mechanized rhythms repeatedly drop down your skull with blunt force trauma, while suffocating you with corroded boiler machines of death ambience. It never lets up, slowly eroding your humanity in the process.

The various textures and color schemes of death, decay, and corrosion in the packaging and art direction of this bundle is the perfect physical manifestation of these two albums. The black, white, red, brown, crimson, and gold colors are also visual cues and symbols that adorn the varied sigils, fonts, and designs. The mystical sigils and talisman symbols create the haunting aura of these two distinct albums and create some of the best physical formats in southeast Asian noise.

Monolithic Death Pile’s jagged, higher-frequency harsh noise assaults and layers punish and torture the listener anew. The contrast in methodology sets it apart, but is even more grating and piercing. It’s one of the longest “singles” ever, clocking in at 1:01:06. In its digital form, it’s one whole barrage of harsh noise static onslaught with scathing industrial rhythms beneath. On cassette, it plays in two movements from side A to B, complementing the 2 part punishment of the disc.

Also check out this cool interview here by our friend Irgi Fahrezi on Detroak’s creative process and multifaceted ideas hosted by the excellent Discipline Mag.