SOFT OPTION KILLING "Rogue State" (Unrest Productions)

"Rogue State" is a more recent offering from the reclusive SOK which shows improved production values and a lean, focused methodology keeping in line with a history of lo-fi feedback prone power electronics. This time the politically-oriented project focuses on Iraq. The expected hiss of machine overload is still present, but there's a great variety of texture and attention to space in the opener "Roadside Devices" which never lags or gets boring. The B-side, "The Hearts of My Brothers Still Resist," produces a foreboding tension with murky samples of a somber middle-eastern song and an Iraqi discussing American occupation both buried in hissing distortion. The evocative design of the artwork - a silhouette of a lone soldier standing in the middle of a dust storm - suits the music perfectly. This one is limited to 60 copies and available from Martin Willford's Unrest Productions site (www.unrestprod.com), a great source for current UK power electronics and noise releases.