ARTIST STATEMENT:

Approaching the 1st anniversary of "Monolith," a decision was made to craft yet another STAGGH release. AUDIOVIOLENCE takes yet another turn for STAGGH, in terms of both sound and subject matter. The audio presented before you is more polished, and more thought through than Monolith, with AUDIOVIOLENCE taking less inspiration from black metal, and more inspiration from death industrial and power electronics. The concepts explored in AUDIOVIOLENCE are misanthropy, violence, and inner hatred. Four paintings were created that are intended to be viewed a corresponding track on AUDIOVIOLENCE. Each painting attempts to invoke the same feelings and emotions as the tracks they are named after. A link to view these paintings while listening to AUDIOVIOLENCE will be provided soon.

As stated previously, AUDIOVIOLENCE takes more inspiration from death industrial and power electronics than drone and black metal, as was the case for Monolith. Track 1 can be seen more as an intense wall of sound, starting off with a sample of a mental patient with an intense form of generalized anxiety disorder, followed by a blast of distortion and noise, interspliced with a repetition of a single quote from American serial killer Edmund Kemper: "I was raging inside, I just..." Track 2 comes in shortly afterwards, focusing more on a manipulation of a mixer that is running into itself. Track 3 comes more as a traditional death industrial piece harkening back to the pioneers of the genre: Atarax Morgue, Brighter Death Now, etc. Track 4 gave me the most trouble, because for the longest time, I couldn’t bring myself to make it. While the pandemic is raging across the country, I honestly feel very content and at peace with the world while social distancing. I had to bring up old memories of terrible events and encounters to summon the courage to make it. I also went to work and dealt with my coworkers which is enough to make anyone say, “I hate you all.”

Best enjoyed at high volumes.
Listener discretion is advised.