Since 2014, Andrei van Wyk, aka Healer Oran, has been creating a library of "afro-noise" releases. Oran hails from the Eastern Cape, but recently made Johannesburg his base. His aesthetic is about the power of disruption and dissonance. His ear is tuned to the abrasive potential of the many genres Africa has produced. Relentless percussion and repetition tell the story of social realities moulded by an apocalyptic past, runaway technologies and strange mutations.In interviews he's listed an enticing mix of influences. His love of music full of fury ranges from the stately jazz of Charles Mingus, to the provocation of Throbbing Gristle and The Fall to the epic post-hardcore band of Texan legends, At The Drive-In. Intriguingly, he's drawn from the demented world of Japanese Noise music, in particular the infamous Hannatrash. During the 1980s, the group terrified Tokyo audiences with their destructive tendencies, including bulldozers driven into the back of venues.But Healer Oran favours subtlety and nuance over raw assault. This has been a consistent theme in his prolific run of albums - The Recognitions, Jerk, Love is my Only Shield, Darling the Pickled Fish and Mirror for a Saint.His song Camomile Parrot Blues begins delicately with whispered vocals. As it progresses it steams and hisses, culminating in a menacing beat. On the more aggressive Jerk, the songs show a punk quality, which has given the album the genre categorisation of "'violent house" on his Band Camp page. It's a useful description for his work as a whole. By focusing on the aggressive aspects of African music, he entices the listener down into the dark alleyways of contemporary life.Find Healer Oran on Soundcloud.com or Bandcamp.com and see bubblegumclub.co.za..