Trapped in a skin
I hope you are well and enjoying the benefits of 5G. Feel free to indulge in these soothing sub-underground sounds for a world on fire.
C.I.A. Debutante, Pier 7" (Officine/SDZ)
Plodding and seasick rhythms with slurred robotic vocals and enough ebb and flow and pop to keep things inching forward: must be some new tracks from C.I.A. Debutante. Oversimplification aside, this is probably going to be the 7" of the year for me - that solo guitar at the end of “Pier” pretty much seals the deal right away. The rolling, bubbling “Kessler Syndrome” that takes up side B threatens to go nuclear about the midway point, but Nathan Roche’s vocals right the ship and lend a calm, albeit ominous, helping hand. Things are exactly as they seem here, everything slithering into its murky place, and the ease with which this duo presents itself belies their brilliance. One more for the erudite electronic crowd, but with a heaping portion of dystopian punk ideology thrown in for good measure. Seek ye a copy post haste.
Enhet För Fri Musik, Ömhet & Skilsmässa LP (Discreet Music)
Here’s the new album from this Gothenburg supergroup, composed of some of the better-known or just most visible/productive members of that region’s scene. The people behind Neutral, Arv & Miljö, Blod, Amateur Hour, etc. seem to bring snippets of music from their respective projects and work to tie it all together, and the results are surprisingly subtle and slow-moving; nothing jarring, always cohesive soothing late night sounds for fried minds. The label calls this latest record a “concept album on relationships, family values and broken promises,” and that’s generally the headspace you’ll find yourself in when any Enhet För Fri Musik album is playing. There is a surprising amount of space on their records, this new one included, and incidental noise, acoustic guitars, recorders and intonated vocals command attention from their stark realities. Two things that stand out to me about Ömhet & Skilsmässa are that (1) it seems to flow more easily than their previous records, perhaps as a result of playing together for so long now, and (2) the tunefulness of tracks like “Intervention” (reprised on “Kärlekens Nöjen”) creeping in. The latter is no doubt the influence of Gustaf Dicksson, as Blod’s Tusen Bitar had a lot of the same characteristics. That’s all fine, and it’s kept to a minimum here, serving as a palette cleanser rather than detracting from the thoughtful yet dour atmosphere. Tracks like “Full (Igen)” and “Skörhet Är Ett Tecken På Existens,” as well as the devastating tracks that bookend the album, are where I think the group really shines, though the whole album is engaging and deeply affecting. Brilliant record, and their best one yet.
Heimat, Zwei LP (Teenage Menopause)
High marks all around for this second Heimat LP, which is in the running for my favorite record of the year at the halfway point. There is a streamlining on Zwei that wasn’t apparent on the first album; instead of combining two different songs into one, it seems the duo plucked the best parts and sorted them into a whole. There thankfully remains a restlessness to Olivier Demeaux’s backing music, and even some songs that flat-out knock (“Tu Miedo” and “Quando”), both perhaps enhanced by lessons from Cheveu’s fiery collaboration with Group Doueh. Armelle Oberle’s performance is half children’s singsong, half theater, handling gravitas with a knowing wink. Despite the extroverted appearance, there is a sobering grey mist that haunts many of these tracks. The album is bookended by “Ita,” a militaristic march to doom, and the nauseating bells ‘n sax combo on “Die!” Combined with the somber instrumentals peppered throughout Zwei, the overall effect is that of flailing against dread. All taken together, I can’t say there’s a much more appropriate soundtrack to this hesitant post-pandemic summer.
Horrendous 3D, The Gov. and Corps. Are Using Psycho-Electronic Weaponry to Manipulate You and Me… 7" (Whisper In Darkness)
Absolute bulldozer of a 7" from Horrendous 3D, complete with a title I would’ve mocked 10 years ago but wouldn’t be surprised to read in the news now. Japan figures heavy into Horrendous 3D’s blistering sound, but there’s a pronounced low end that keeps everything upright in the maelstrom. Not sure if Pig DNA members are part of Horrendous 3D’s ranks but it sure sounds like it - “controlled chaos” would be a descriptor that fits both groups. You are moshing when “Conscience” starts, but mostly you’re trying to avoid the fireworks and beer cans flying around in the throbbing mass. Raw power’s what they wield, and I can’t remember a hardcore record that’s hit me this hard since Kriegshög’s self-titled LP. Earth = scorched. Buy into what they’re sellin’: I got my copy off Etsy, so maybe you can also find someone on there to cross stitch the title of the record for you onto a placemat?
Kathy Leisen, Proof LP (Syncro System)
Here’s some uplifting media for ya: Kathy Leisen’s Proof, an album that seems fully dedicated to transcending the technological horror of the modern age. It’d be easy to cynically dismiss the album as grounded in an alternate reality if she wasn’t so damn compelling. On Proof Leisen’s found easily jumping from Personal Space-style solo electronics and very light treading into techno on most of the A-side to the folk that seems to dominate the back half of the record. At first I found the record to be uneven, and much too front-loaded for my personal taste, but it seems like Leisen recognized the worth of the New Weird America of the '00s. A lot of the records that came from that period were way too long but usually had 1-2 strong tracks, and it sounds to me like she’s extracted the DNA of those specific tracks and brought 'em up to modern standards. Grouper is an easy reference point, and so is Devendra Banhart, but Leisen is on her own trip. The shuffling “Starry Night” falling into the gently arpeggiating “Love, Guide Me” is a particular standout section, as is the stuttering closer “Evening,” capping things off beautifully and succinctly, as is her wont. Proof is for lazy mornings and evenings, that remarkable sort of album that never puts demands on the listener and lets you reap the rewards.
Panoptique, How Did You Find Me? LP (Macadam Mambo)
Darkly entertaining and somewhat mischievous LP here from Panoptique, the project of one Theo Delaunay. Beats and vocals are on the menu, and while the whole LP feels sorta informed by punk, it’s clear Delaunay has a real handle on the dynamics of getting people in motion. On the surface level, this thing bumps, even if the vocals are a little unnerving; try to deny movement when “Menta Y Regaliz” is on, or the 1980s-informed dystopian future vision of “Sulppice” reaches peak velocity. But there are other moments, like the title track and “My Desire,” that feel like Alan Vega with a self-deprecating sense of humor. There is no crooning, just deadpan pronunciations, and any humor detected by me is just the result of the choice of vocal effects. There’s the Xasthur-lite effect on the title track, but it’s “Slippery,” with vocals that sound like Delaunay is shaking his head back and forth while sing-speaking, that really sticks with me when the record is done. The sauntering beat, the synthesized accordion motif, the vocals that seem desperate and creepy and bemused all at once - I haven’t figured any of it out yet, but being outside the joke won’t dampen my enjoyment of How Did You Find Me? anytime soon.
Waste Man, One Day It’ll All Be You LP (Feel It)
Really strong debut from New Orleans’ Waste Man, a band reviving the spirit of SST (so sez zee label) with a powerful performance and the magic of modern recording. The drums are punchy, the guitar rings clear and the vocalist is gruff and smothered and flailing. As much as I’ve been enjoying this record on my daily commute, I imagine the band would absolutely kill live, the sort of concert that leaves everyone sweaty with mouths agape. A song like “The Siren” or “Light the Signal” oughta hush the club in an instant, each moment building and staking more territory until the audience is theirs. But I digress: One Day It’ll All Be You is a potent brew, 45 rpms delivering rock 'n roll that comes with a side of road rash, the sort of shit that breathes life into something thought long incapable of a single unique thought. Take “Proofreaders, Singles, and Philosophers”: knotty guitar lines stop on a dime to catch the wave for a big chorus, only to drop right back to the grind, where the drums steer the band through the muggy moonless night. The unceremonious way the band ends the track, and many others on the album, could dull the effect for certain listeners - but the lack of an obvious payoff is the restraint needed to give the performance the space it needs. This makes “Pariah” more desperate and tense in their hands, and the boiling point of “Sinking” that much more thrilling. Fans of the aforementioned SST catalog, the rougher tracks from the first two Constantines LPs or even much-maligned rockers the Young should scope this out ASAP.
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