In the haunting realm of "Reaching Intestinal Scenery," each track invites us into a surreal landscape where the stench of rotten meat intertwines with beauty, much like a romantic dinner gone wrong—candle wax pooling on a bloodstained table littered with forgotten dreams. The essence of primordial life bubbles forth, hinting at raw potential and neglected aspirations, as if your worst neighbor decided to throw a surprise party for regret.
As we journey through this mold-infested hallway, we enter a room through a metal door—a chaotic tapestry of debris. Shattered tiles, crumpled newspapers, and discarded clothing mingle with the remnants of long-forgotten recording equipment. A foul odor permeates the space, a nauseating blend of decay and neglect, signaling the presence of rot and filth accumulated over the years. Piles of refuse line the sides of the room, some spilling into the path, forcing you to navigate carefully to avoid stepping on broken glass or sharp metal shards. Ripped curtains dangle haphazardly from the windows, their once-vibrant colors now faded to a dull, sickly hue, allowing only slivers of light to pierce the gloom.
As the atmosphere darkens, mutated noises and occasional scuffles from unknown places linger like a bad perfume at an awkward family reunion, reminding us of past lovers who still haunt us. In this twilight embrace, where the eerie meets the ethereal, we come to understand that endings are not finality but whispers guiding us toward bizarre chapters yet to unfold.
"Reaching Intestinal Scenery," the newly released work from Estonian artist Mihkel Kleis, aka Ratkiller, paints evocative imagery where each track deforms and melds into a near-amorphous mass, mirroring the bizarre and unsettling undertones of our own lives. It leaves us pondering the strange connections that bind us in this surreal tapestry of existence.
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Reaching Intestinal Scenery, I (side A)
1) Substance Emerging
2) Creeping Upwards in the Gutter
3) Crawling Around in Charred Memories
4) Barking in Extinct Language
5) Sailing Cross the Swamp in Ornamental Vessel
6) Dribbling Wax on Foaming Innards
Reaching Intestinal Scenery, II (side B)
1) Whirling Automaton
2) The World We Would Live In If We Weren't Dead
3) Artificially Rearranged Auditorial Sentiments (feat. Eleonora Kampe)
4) Spiritual Carbonization
A1–A6, B1 and B2 composed and recorded in May 2023
B3 recorded in July 2019 and reworked in 2022
B4 recorded in November 2021
credits
released November 29, 2024
Pro dubbed C-40 black cassette with pro printed inlays.
All sounds by Ratkiller/Mihkel Kleis
Mastered by Antony Ryan at RedRedPaw
Illustration by Mihkel Kleis
Typography and layout by Henrik Stelzer
