Year: 2024
Label: Fluttering Dragon

Talk about a throwback. 63 Days was originally a series of six 7″ records released between 2004 and 2006 on the Fluttering Dragon label. Featured were significant martial industrial acts of the era, such as Krepulec, Stahlwerk 9, A Challenge Of Honour and others. Just like the label itself, many of these acts would cease activities ater the noughties, leading to the current drought within martial industrial.

Now, the reactivated label has released the entirety of the series on a single CD. The end result is more than a simple all-in-one package: at the same time, it is a competent slice through of what martial industrial was 20 years ago – in an age that could arguably be called the golden years of the genre and scene.

The thematical premise of the series, from which it derives its name, is the famous Warsaw uprising (educate yourself on Wikipedia). The 63 days refer to a period in 1944 during which the Polish Resistance Movement took up arms against the German occupiers, whilst the advancing Soviet troops stood by idly, allowing nazis crush the uprising with merciless violence. So apart from being a tribute to the brave Polish members of the resistance, the release could possibly be seen as an implicit barb towards political extremism and fanaticism from any part of the spectrum.

The theme makes itself known in various ways on the tracks. Less surprisingly, many of the tracks – four out of thirteen – are called 63 Days. Within the music, there are samples and lyrics referencing the events. And of course, the visuals of the package reference the uprising. However, considering the predominantly instrumental nature of the music, the listener can also quite easily choose to overlook the unifying theme of the release and just approach this as a compilation of mid-noughties martial music. Ultimately, I think this is a strength of the release.

The mid-noughties were the time when I first became aware of martial industrial music. One of the early names I liked was Polish Krepulec, featured with three tracks here. And indeed, their two tracks proper – Marsz Srodmiescia is a “borrowed” old recording – stand out. Combining melancholic, ominous orchestrations with more noisy industrial elements, Krepulec strike a fine balance between dark industrial ambience and neoclassical martial. Other particular highlights include Westwind with their sole track (one of the 63 Days); a fine piece of neoclassical orchestration. Stahlwerk 9 take a more dark ambient approach with stark atmosphere.

The CD resounds stongly with the audial aesthetics and ramifications of its era, both in good and… well, not exactly bad, but displaying the limitations of the age and technology. Compared to what is possible with today’s technology, a lot of the orchestrations sound a lot more artificial, synthesized and even plastic. But that’s not unanimously bad: just like the classic Cold Meat Industry acts, many of the artists featured here manage to work with the limitations of sound and technology to make the artificial nature work to their benefit.

As mentioned in the opening paragraphs, not long after this release series was concluded, a great many of the acts featured here would cease or drastically decrease activities. A Challenge Of Honour retreated into the shadows; Der Feuerkreiner’s last (physical) release was in 2008; Cold Fusion have released just one album since 2010 (Cross My Heart, 2017). And so on. Fluttering Dragon itself folded in 2006.

As such, 63 Days indeed embodies a body of artists and a period in martial industrial long since gone. The material on this compact disc aptly captures the spirit and sound of the era: the dark, industrial atmospheres; the electronized melancholic, militant orchestrations; the somewhat pessimist but still defiant mentality. This is a fine throwback to that bygone era, calling to mind some of the significant names of that time.

The undeniable fact is that the fortunes of the genre have waned greatly since, and there seems to be a drought of all three important elements: artists, labels, audience. Not a total absence, mind you, but a drought nonetheless. The re-emergence of Fluttering Dragon, one of the noteworthy labels of that time, sparks one with a glimmer of hope: could a renaissance be around the corner?

Visit Fluttering Dragon on their official website, Bandcamp, Facebook or Instagram