We have the Indonesian soul/funk of Liar, the Berlin-based black-metal/noise-rock of Cuntroaches, the concerns and frustrations of Guiltless and the ‘hazy, corroded time capsule’ of The Last Sound.
Lair – Ngélar
Guruguru Brain!
This has an exotic sun drenched feel, it’s the same blend of folk, world music and psychedelia that Goat do so well. But dare I say that Lair do it just as well, if not better, as they mix in their Indonesian heritage into the music. It’s got a huge amount of space, sun drenched earth and green leaves moving in the wind. It’s wide open and could fill as big a place as you can give it. The rhythms are incessant, spinning, moving and making you dance. There’s no standing still to this, it’s joyously alive and needs to be let out. When it falls away to tiny bells and ritualistic chanting it gives you a moment to pause and reflect until it too reaches out and grabs you by the hips again to dance. Fantastic.
Cuntroaches – Cuntroaches
SKiN GRAFT Records
This is a terrifying noise. Layers of synths and sounds that could be guitars feeding back or machinery screaming at being misused. There are gibbering vocals from at least three people and at best rudimental beats. It does slow down in places and that’s where you can really hear the monsters lurking behind the music, breathing and waiting to pounce.
There’s feedback, masses of sound, distortion, echoes and the sound of people just beating the shit out of their instruments and each other.
At one point it sounds like a twisted mutant army is coming towards you screaming. At another distorted rockabilly. Psychedelia and industrial mayhem. It is truly devastating and God alone knows what they’d be like playing live. A noise masterwork.
Guiltless – Thorns EP
NEUROT RECORDINGS
The trouble with music that describes the end of everything and the despair and loss associated with an extinction event is that it really only works when it’s just the sound of a cold wind blowing across a dust landscape with the vague shapes of rubble, twisted metal and bones underneath it. Silence. That’s the noise of the end of days, the wreckage left at the end. Silence. There won’t be any guitars, there will be no growling and no drums. Just silence and dust.
Having said that, this release does convey a feeling of emotionless emptiness. It’s technical and loud but there’s nothing behind it. Which I think is the point, they don’t care, they are beyond despair and loss. There’s just nothing left.
The Last Sound – Veered
Cruel Nature Recordings
A nine minute techno electronic work opens this release. Smooth and fast flowing it gets your attention with tiny noises and then slides effortlessly into a repetitive tune that has you moving without realising. It’s insidious in its catchiness, it just grabs you deep down and lets you join it. It ends gracefully. The shorter songs to come are, well, different. There are deep dark forays into a Joy Division tinged post punk tunnel. Wobbly wonky sounds that sound like a village coming to life in the morning in the high thin air of a mountain. A liquid flow that escapes from you head with a trickle and a glam stomp to strut around the dancefloor to. The download finishes with another version of the first track this time played live and far more abrasive than before. It’s a tape to take on a journey into space, whether it’s outer or inner is entirely up to you.
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Lair have a Bandcamp page and are on Instagram.
Cuntroaches’ website is cuntroaches.com, they are also on Bandcamp.
Guiltless’ website is guiltless.band, they are on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.
The Last Sound is on Bandcamp.
All words by Adrian Bloxham.
