Very few resources devote any review space to Hor work. Considered across the spectrum of Ginn projects, Hor is one of the more consistent in terms of approach and feel, a stripped-down and instrumental rhythmic churn of guitar and percussion that was obviously influenced by burgeoning techno and industrial sounds but which doesn't identify as either. It also sure as hell isn't house music.
Maybe, though, House of Horror? House, the debut record from this project, starts off with "Germ Warfare," whose guitar sounds approximate a scream and which would not sound out of place on a slasher film score. Ginn guitar fans can find plenty to love as he layers 'em on across the record, each song more a segment of sound punctuated by programmed percussion from engineer Andy Batwinas. Ginn's bass bubbles into funky prominence only rarely and most notably on the second song, "Reptilian Bastards."
Each track is brief - usually around the three-minute mark - and, while House is by no means an offensive listen (if you liked Ginn's solo start on Cruz, you won't hate Hor), it isn't very memorable, either. Given Ginn's propensity toward 12" remixes around this era it is surprising none emerged from Hor - some of the grooves he lands upon could easily serve as a springboard to something a little more special. Instead, everything just kind of grates along and, unless you're really trying, easily fades into the background. That is until the 11th number, "Stiff Opposition." Every time I play House, this one causes me to sit up and pay attention. Ragged guitars piled on thick, this track reprises the fright film score sound, feeling like a knife scraping a wall in close pursuit.
Artwork is a 2 on the Ginn Scale. Released only on compact disc, House appears early enough to still have a booklet (as opposed to single-sided inserts that dominate later Ginn releases) with a collage up front full of sexual content (satisfying the "Hor" homophone) and, of course, a plain ol' house on the reverse and inlay card. Without lyrical content it's hard to quite comprehend the meaning behind Hor's theme. It's sexual, to be sure, across most of the releases' artwork and album titles but also generally not enticing. On House in particular song titles veer toward the violent - or at least the negative; "Crime Scene," "Blood Evidence," "News of a Killing," though on later releases they just seem nonsensical and unrelated by themes.
Hor has better work than House, some of it some of ranked among the more compelling Ginn has offered; though some of House - particularly "Germ Warfare" and "Stiff Opposition" rank among the best work Ginn has produced under the Hor brand.
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