smog — sequel'70

A minute or two of peace ushers in smog's sequel'70. There's a menacing intake of breath, followed by a harmonic hum. But the quiet doesn't last long. Once this album kicks off, it doesn't let go. It's ludicrously hard, with bass powerful enough to smash every window on the street.

Gabber and noise cosy up to surprising success, as sine waves and blasts of static punctuate the beats enclosing them. These grace notes allow repetition without monotony — crucial, when most of your tracks approach six minutes.

'Dazzle' and 'Abschluss SCAN' both monsters, marrying classic fuck-off breaks and handclaps with futuristic groaning and squealing. But they're also two tracks which begin to drag before they're over. They find their rut and they stick in it, pounding away relentlessly until they're spent.

Even if these tracks could be said to outstay their welcome on a home listen, though, dropped into a set they would soar. And that's clearly what they've been made for. Smog wisely bookends them with 'Straightforward' and the album's outro, too. Both bring some variety. 'Straightforward' feels like a field recording; the slaps of a boat on a dock.

This tactility is something all sequel'70's tracks share; quasi-organic surfaces sliding and scraping on each other, interacting, forming and breaking apart. It's at once rooted in the physical world, and off somewhere else completely. Sequel'70 is a hammering and invigorating experience.

sequel’70 is available to purchase and stream here. smog’s label and associated artists, okqo, can be found here.

Words by Andrew O’Keefe

Deradoorian — Disembodied Improvisations Vol. 1

Since the departure of Angel Deradoorian in 2012, Dirty Projectors have been on a steady path into self-importance and simplicity. Deradoorian has conversely carved her way into quiet, playful and more experimental territory than ever before.

Disembodied Improvisations Vol. 1 seems to have been released as a sort of non-album; a nebulous collection of noodles. But it should not be dismissed as some kind of side-project. It's a narcotic, mysterious and foggy thing. There is far more to peel back here than on Projectors' recent Lamp Lit Prose.

The album is as broad and strange as it is understated. The best description of its sound would be an ecclesiastical reimagining of the Doors. It's loose, improvisatory and freewheeling, but has a breathy delicacy never really attempted by the Lizard King's band. Images are brought up of water gardens, temples; placid, pastoral scenes and sublime nature.

In some moments, Deradoorian approaches the gentility of Liz Harris. It's hard not to think of the Portlandia sketch 'Battle of the Gentle Bands', given how feather-light the artist's touch is here. But even then, simple bass riffs underline songs. These grooves ensure a trot, rather than a trudge. Avoiding the ambient pitfalls of 'wishy-washy'-ness, Deradoorian has knocked it out of the park. Here's hoping her former bandmate can turn things back around soon too.

Disembodied Improv… can be purchased or streamed here. Pre-and-post-Angel Dirty Projectors can be found here.

Words by Andrew O’Keefe

Will Guthrie — Some Nasty

Great improvisers always have one foot dangling over the cliff's edge. Their work seems ready to crumble under itself; to tangle, snag or melt like a cassette tape. Will Guthrie is no exception to this rule. The Australian percussionist works in many spaces, and with a wide roster of collaborators. But the work is invariably electrifying and dangerous.

Some Nasty sees Guthrie performing alongside Indonesian gamelan and gong players, and delving into a new world of electronic backing tracks and esoteric field recording. As ever, the atmosphere is heavy. Dark clouds are punctuated by clattering raindrops of noise. But some surprises, like a spirited homage to My Chemical Romance's 'Black Parade', liven proceedings. And the extreme energy of Some Nasty's noisier passages will bring out anyone's stank face.

One movement on Side B slips into an irresistible groove. It's a conventional sort of playing rarely heard from Guthrie, but all the more successful for it. Bordered on both sides by erratic and challenging traditional percussion, it's a stark and welcome contrast.

This release as a whole benefits from its diversity. Phrases and moods appear like cats eyes, rushing in in a bright and surprising surge. It's as difficult to pin down as one of Guthrie's cacophonous crescendos. Perhaps he's the only one who can truly keep track of it all.

Will Guthrie’s Some Nasty is available for stream and purchase here. Tetema, a fantastic collaborative project with Mike Patton and Anthony Pateras, can be found here.

Words by Andrew O’Keefe