On 21 February, the new album entitled Black Noise by BONG-RA, a musical entity that plays in the field of electro industrial avantgarde metal, was officially released and is available in its entirety on Debemur Morti Productions’ online platforms. On the album, the project’s founder Jason Köhnen (see also The Answer Lies In The Black Void, Mansur, The Lovecraft Sextet, ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, -Celestial Season, etc.) returns to the extreme sounds that characterise the formation: visceral, heavy guitar riffs and ambient soundscapes meet polyrhythmic, electronic beats with post-apocalyptic, industrial atmospheres. In our article this album will be presented to the readers, track by track, by the band leader on the occasion of the album release show, and the upcoming tour.
BLACK NOISE – IN GENERAL
„BONG-RA has always balanced between the metal and the electronica universes and blending elements of both music genres to complement the rawness, aggression, anarchy and energy contained in both. ‘Black Noise’ is a word play on the term ‘White Noise.’ Instead of being ‘a constant background noise’ or ‘meaningless or distracting commotion’, the script is flipped to the opposing meaning of White Noise’s definitions. The BONG-RA project has always been deeply rooted in Metal, and was basically an electronic interpretation of Grindcore if you look at the polyrhythmic electronic beats. It definitely has the same energy, rawness and rebellion as Metal. Notable influences are SCORN, GODFLESH, GGFH, PITCH SHIFTER, FALL OF BECAUSE, OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE, HEAD OF DAVID, DOOM.. BONG-RA had been placed on a hiatus since around 2021 when the last album ‘Meditations’ was released. This was a second album (after the 2018 ‘Antediluvian’ album) that ventured into the realms of Doom/Jazz and Metal. The connection with Debemur Morti Productions re-awakened the BONG-RA project to re-invent a new glitch metal electronica hybrid. For the album, the songs are mostly composed „beat driven,” as I still have the formula to start with the rhythms first when diving into the BONG-RA project. It’s still a natural reflex, I guess. The guitars are in most cases also rhythmical additions to the songs more than „old-school riffing”. I think this gives it that industrial feel. A lot of noise loops were composed to add to the atmosphere and the glitchiness of the overall sound. A lot of detail was put into the textures that lie in the compositions; I think it gives the album its specific chaotic sounding vibe.”
DYSTOPIC
„Dystopic is the album opener and it also sets the concept of the album (dystopia) and the standard of the albums pace as a launching point. ‘Black Noise’ concept was influenced by several pieces of literature, especially Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’, but also the classics from Aldous Huxley and George Orwell, movies like ‘Brazil’ by Terry Gilliam, George Lucas ‘THX1138’, the dystopian books and films which made a huge impact on me throughout my life, and in some way this dystopia which I always thought would remain fiction is slowly becoming reality. We shot the videoclip for this song with the No Total film team, a group of extremely talented guys able to produce amazing videoclips for which is affordable for DIY artists…not a common thing. The setting of the clip is a gritty, industrial, colorless environment which should mirror the sound and concept to of the album.”
DEATH#2
„The song Death#2 is a very minimal nihilistic grasp on death. We’re no further explanations, philosophical or spiritual need be applied but a simple rational view of life passed and death following.”
NOTHING VIRUS
„Nothing Virus explains the current state of mass psychosis, mass manipulation and deceit which the population has fallen under. A virus that makes people numb and ignorant to what is really happening arou”nd them. In a nutshell, media manipulation which is desensitizing the individual as a mind virus.”
USELESS EATERS
„Useless Eaters contains a sample from Charles Manson, as no dystopian album is complete with a quote from this master of distaster. Useless Eaters is a term used by several groups- we refer to as the ‘elites-who have a shared concept that the majority of human life is worthless, and we are seen as ‘useless eaters’. Again it is a way of desensitizing humanity and it has been an effective way of polarizing communities against each other. The overpopulation agenda embraces this term also.”
BLACK RAINBOW
„Not everything that is colorful brings joy.”
BLOODCLOT
„An intermezzo piece strongly inspired by John Carpenters’ music and films, especially ‘They Live’; when using the right lens you will see that not everything is what it seems.”
RUINS
„Ruins cover the collapse of society, our decaying traditions and cultures all thrown away to the highest bidder. The vultures of corporatism that slowly transform once beautiful cultures into an impersonal, corporate and soulless shopping mall.”
PARASITES
„Parasites somewhat follows the concept of Useless Eaters, but then from a different point of view, with a different nuance, this one being that human ignorance and this need for over-consumption is eating away the earth. Parasites that are relentlessly devouring the lifeblood of the planet.”
BLISSFUL IGNORANCE
„War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. – George Orwell – 1984”
PLANS & SHOWS
„Our Dystopic Tour kicks off on 7th of March in Dürer Kert, Budapest, Hungary. With Bong-Ra I have now expanded live into a 3 piece band accompanied by the amazing guitarists Attila Kovacs and Botond Fogl, who also happen to be my bandmates in The Answer Lies In The Black Void… so the choice was an easy one to invite them to be part of Bong-Ra. I am exceptionally excited to start these shows, its a new challenge playing bass and vocals for this project and I’m feeling some nerves I havent felt since I was a young metalhead teenager. The focus on the shows are the top priority and then possibly starting on some new material after the summer. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to listen the the album, and come to our show in Budapest or to another one during our tour.”
BONG-RA concerts in 2025:
07.03 BUDAPEST, HU [Durer Kert]*
13.03 TIMISOARA, RO [Nemesis]*
14.03 CLUJ, RO [Hardward]*
15.03 BUCHAREST, RO [SoundArt Festival]*
26.03 UTRECHT, NL [DBs]*
27.03 DRACHTEN, NL [Iduna]*
28.03 DEVENTER, NL [Walhalla]*
29.03 TERNEUZEN, NL {Terneuzen On Fire]*
30.03 TILBURG, NL [Little Devil]*
11.04 ZAGREB, HR [Music Biennale Festival]
12.04 VILNIUS, LT [Mello]
13.04 KAUNAS, LT [Olman]
10.09 ROTTERDAM, NL [V11]
11.09 NIJMEGEN, NL [Merleyn]
12.09 ARNHEM, NL [Willemeen]
13.09 HAARLEM, NL [Slachthuis]
*+ The Answer Lies In The Black Void
More information on BONG-RA’s Instagram and Bandcamp, Debemur Morti Productions’ website, and The Answer Lies In The Black Void’s social media platforms! You can find the Facebook event of the album launch concert here!
