Entry 505 - Nurse With Wound - Homotopy to Marie

 

There are some strange recordings in my collection. Some border on unalienable, while others play around with the idea of "what really is music?" At the forefront of all the odd, peculiar, and bizarre records in my collection is Homotopy to Marie; Nurse With Wound's seminal album.

Nurse With Wound has always been a challenging listen (putting it lightly).  This album in particular is so bizarre and strange that even someone who is quite used to noise, abrasive music, ambience, and field recordings may have a tough time fully embracing the music found on Homotopy to Marie. I know I did.

The first time I ever listened to this album my initial reaction was "what the fuck is this shit?" The first track - I Cannot Feel You as the Dogs Are Laughing and I Am Blind - is filled with such alien sounds, static, field recordings, and seemingly random events that it's almost overwhelming...
 
The thing is that none of the individual elements are that jarring and of themselves. It's the fact that Nurse With Wound is so good at putting them together that it becomes genuine unsettling. In the title track for instance, there are samples of a child speaking to a woman followed by long stretches of silence. In the silence there is truly nothing... I keep listening for something, anything - but it's not there. Then, out of no where there is a huge symbol crash accompanied by feedback and what sounds like someone playing a violin on the wrong side of the bridge. It's incredibly startling, even if you know its coming.

The whole album is built to mess with you, every second of every song is nothing but a mindfuck for the listener. The atmosphere and ambiance of the album is pure terror mixed with an eerie unease. It's incredibly difficult to listen to, and it's even harder to wrap my head around it.

This album was released in 1982. 41 years later the album is still one of the finest examples of truly extreme music. This album is not for the feint of heart. Those who decide to brave the journey that Nurse With Wound has offered here though will be met with a memorable experience. This is not an album you easily forget.