Junk ‘n Stuff

Junk’ n stuff has been moved to http://alkresna.multiply.com/

This is just a first impression as I only got this CD a few days ago (thx rusty), and I ‘ve been a fan from way back so this maybe will be as subjective as it can be, but all awhile its what I personally felt while listening to the newest output from the mind of Mr. TR.

At first, Year Zero uncovered perfectly. The opening track “HYPERPOWER!” is an excellent welcome mat as it instantly blows up in your ear, setting up the mood to the journey ahead and stopping at the just right moment for you to want more (didn’t fancy much of the title though.., its like something that comes out of a retro-Japanese Manga movie :P). Brilliant drumming by Josh Freeze. He also performed in “Capital G”, but the intro sounded more like a Michael Jackson than NIN song (“The Way You Make Me Feel” anybody?).  The album then flows smoothly as it goes from the ear-friendly “Survivalism”, to the moody tracks such as “My Violent heart”, all the way to the closure “Zero Sum”. I have to say that the arrangements of the songs in album is better than “With Teeth”, kinda like “The Downward Spiral” (THE album btw) as you can’t help but feel that TR has carefully put out each songs in order to get the perfect experience to Year Zero (try putting it in Shuffle Mode than you know what I mean :D). Going through the first few songs is quite digestible, but on the latter part of the album, can’t help but feel a bit perplexed. On the bright side TR has really cranked his electronic industrial buzz n clank feel way, way up back!!.  He put a great deal of 80’s sound into this album while turning and mesh it with fresh, out of this world sounds from today.  TR has never been afraid to express himself honestly; from being totally awesome to downright corny (which is also totally awesome: D) and it shows clearly in his latest work.  But much as I do admire the crazy loops and samplings (at first you think “damn!! any kid learning Fruity Loops for 2 hours can do this” and the next you were left brainless at the convoluted pitch and squeak blasting through), but there’s this lacking feeling of incompleteness without the songs with tight violent guitar riffs, throbbing, thundering, bursting unbelievable beats, and, the most importantly, TR’s agonizing scream walloping and blanketing it all…., somehow it’s just not a NIN album with the kinda songs that made that emotion of, as my friend would say…” would make you suddenly wanna jump out of your room and beat the crap out of the first someone you see“. I’m not trying to say all of NIN’s song should always be devastatingly loud (TR’s scream is as frightfully surreal as his whisper, or maybe whimper: P), its just TR always managed to find the perfect balance of mixing songs of both “I’m F&$Ked” and “I’m gonna F&$K someone soo bad” kinda feel in one album (sometimes in one song) ,

Didn’t got into the lyrics part yet.., I heard that this is a concept album about a future “military and religion driven” apocalyptic world. I always thought that TR, even in producing a complex conceptual record, is always just pouring his heart out on how one view oneself and things around him, not a conjectural near future thingamajig (gone shamanistic  are we ?? :P) dunno, gonna have to hear and understand it first and maybe I could say more about this.

SUMMARY: a different, but yet another great turnout from the man himself. A true tribute to the sound of the 80’s while injecting it with fresh blood of sound of today.  It’s like reminiscing Pretty Hate Machine concocted with Things Falling Apart. It’s not what everybody expect as its missing some of the old NIN angst-fierceness feeling, and it’s not an “intense climax with fury” record as his previous works, but it’s a deeply cryptic album and with a given time, quite a mind blowing experience.  This is not the kind of record that you listen while pounding your dashboard in the middle of traffic jam or while kicking and screaming in private when there’s no one around to fume out your implosion; It’s the kind of record that you put on your headphone in the dead of the night and absorb every resonance and every distorted yet beautiful crafted tones ejected from it; and like any atmospheric piece, you gotta give it time to truly appreciate it. 4 out of 5.

Fave Tracks (currently, always something new each time I listen to it): HYPERPOWER!!, My Violent Heart, God Given, The Greater Good

Belching organs
Inside this room
with a dangling rune
goes in n out

Insignificant
Minority conformity
with layered melody
Goes in n out

My Mates
Don’t face west
My Mates
Don’t even care less
My Mates
Don’t face west
My Mates
Slumping on their mess

called back in to finish this boredom
or go join the choir in that round dome
the window booms the screaming invitation
boobs in front with interesting motion

A damn fine piece of television

My Mates
don’t face west
My Mates
don’t even care less
My Mates
don’t face west
My Mates
Peeking inside her dress

Blurry visions
It getting hot
Another opportunity’s lost
Compadres won’t buy my shout
Goes in n out

It’s not important anyway
It’s better to drowse anyway

My Mates don’t face west

Commemorate
All thing’s sate
Compliment
Wise up
Cracking inside
All awake

I’m not as ignorant as they claim to be
My fanciful degradation excites me
The ignorance,
Succumb the tear-jerking emotions
The payday,
In every desperate motions
I found you buddy

Random ropes dangles from tomorrow
Idealism that slips away cant borrow
In clasping hand I gave out sorrow
In every road that tends to follow
I found you buddy

Inside an intersection called morality
Inside a complication called ordinary
Inside a degradation called decency
Inside a revocation called simplicity
I found you buddy

Don’t be afraid
Endeavor in such a funny way
Don’t be afraid
Drive a wedge to tilt and sway
Cracking inside
All awake

Fuck you chubby

I met this guy with a shoulder length dread
Says he’s so hardcore he embraces death
Got this earring from head to toe
Swear at everything’s he’s atomic to blow

I met this guy with soggy wet cheek
Said between tears his life’s so last week
No new clothes to show, no wax for his hair
Not nearing payday to make his looks more fair

The world’s so full of it
My mind’s too full of it

I met this man who’s fat and smelly
beard that goes down to his bulging belly
Says he met God thus self-proclaimed holy
Condemn everyone words being put so kindly

The world’s so full of it
My mind’s too full of it

I met this guy while on the mirror
Says he’s so confused his life’s pure horror
Too many layers, too many injected lies
Too many attacks got through his eyes

Wake up
Our past stops right now
I see light
Must be you
Watch and learn
Burning it blue
Blood boiling
In slow motion
Only shines
Distortion
Don’t be afraid
What?
Are you surprised?
I’m stayin’ alive, I spit in your eye, Drive a stake in you
Take me away, take me away
I gave you the world, it was all for you
But I’m sick and tired of wasting time, I want mine
Take me away, take me away
I gave you the world, it was all for you
Stinkin’ lies, stinkin’ lies, stinkin’ lies
We’ll die, tryin’ to live so long
I can’t wait
And I should
Leave the phone of the hook
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid

(Captain Midnight-Tomahawk)

Big man too high to reach now
See your shadow on its knees and bow
For it has gone mad and full of treachery
Could never fulfill your perfect scenery

Little angel throw down your hate
See your dreamer’s dead yet still awake
Each smile forsaken, each wound multiply
Every spew of blood he’ll testify

Dear old shadow with a cheap wine snore
Feel rotten no more no less to ignore
The game has started don’t bolt away
I will not comment but I cannot stay

Grand Puppeteer with divine strings
Your mannequin imitate each form you brings
So many roles, keep changing clothes
It only craves for the curtains to close

Little Clown with a toothless grin
See yourself being pulled to a blissful sin
Wipe your make up look up in the mirror
Can you divide the victim from the Juror

All this things one’s dare to say
For the confession one’s dare to play
No misconstruction or misconstrue to tag along
Release oneself, compose a new song

Off to see the world

Wake up with a nauseating glitch
A dog called Popo sit with a problem of itch
If I cant lift my head off the ground
He’ll be the one that’ll bark until I’m found
I sell my coin to the God of Leisure
Made a living out of constant pleasure

If a deadly mosquito deliver its final sting
If the cupboard falls and smashed me down
If Draconians storms in and slashed me open
If a wave of soy sauce pours in and drown me
My final image is you

An usurping shadow stained my flow
A dangling gigolo with a cute pink bow
If this feels like another final episode
There’ll be another fright I’ll abode
Take another bang at the wall
Take this moment for 1 last call

Rise up and dance to this tantrum thing
Or wait for another jolt and fling
Life’s been good, life’s been swell
All alone but Popo’s treating me well

If a gorge opens up and swallow me whole
If Galactus decides to suck this planet dry
If the witch shoved her apple to my mouth
If there’s no station to this la-la land ride
My final image is you

Who are you?

Terhanyut remang sepi
Suci dalam dimensi
Terputar- putar khayal
Menahan dingin sepi
Tertuju satu sisi
Lintasan crita lalu
Hanya layak terpapar
‘Tuk cari Imajinasi

Sampai Nanti
Mulai Lagi
Sampai Nanti
Kosong Lagi

Menari dengan Putih
Cekal dingin Perih
Suasana hilang tinggi
Pecah tiga dimensi
Tertuju satu sisi
Ringkasan masa kecil
Hanya layak terpapar
‘Tuk cari imajinasi

Sampai Nanti
Mulai Lagi
Sampai Nanti
Kosong Lagi

Kosong
Kosong lagi

(Kosong-Carnaval)

Damn best poet I know..

I fall for a girl
The girl fall for her art
Her art fall inside an electric box
Box falls out of my eclectic motion

I fall from my bed
My comatose cold shed
Gods restores each time an eye blink
Demons invades each time the mind thinks

Maybe too fast
Maybe too slow
Maybe a shadow overcloud each grow
Maybe too clear
Maybe too shallow
Maybe she’s the bulb that’ll steal my show

I fall for a boy
A boy falls 4 his toys
Toys that escapes his perverted life
Toys that denies his mumbling jive

I fall for a phase
Phase that fall out of place
Kinda bit too stubborn to commit
Kinda bit too euphoric to admit it

Maybe too fast
Maybe too slow
Maybe an aphasia clog my grow
Maybe too clear
Maybe too shallow
Maybe he’ll the curtain that’ll seal my show

I’d do it anyway
I’d do it any day
She’ll feel it anyway
He’ll taste it someday