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Review: |
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The Big Black Cock of Death! A great title if I ever heard
one. And a suitable one for this EP, too, because this is no,
er, little white dick of life, or…a tight pink pussy of eternity
for that matter. Or any other variation on this theme you could
care to think of, because this, ladies and gentlemen, truly
is The Big Black Cock of Death!
A quick perusal of the
Dressed In Wires website reveals they have been releasing
albums with titles such as You're Going Home In A Yorkshire
Ambulance and Dressed In Wires Ruined My Birthday for
some time now, although I first heard them back when they provided
several tracks on the Estrunax
label's Sampler Et Sans Reproches CD. At the
time, I variously described their music as being like someone
shaking some tin sheeting, and a piano being thrown down the
stairs. And it’s fair to say that The Big Black Cock of
Death is hardly less uncompromising.
The Big Black Cock of Death opens with The
Breeders, which is perhaps the most commercial track
here. All things are relative though, as this is harsh electronica
albeit with hints of I Wanna Be Your Dog and Smack
My Bitch Up. The term "harsh electronica" also springs
to mind with the splendidly named Proposed Theme Tune
#4 For "Let's Hunt And Kill Billy Ray Cyrus", although
this time there’s a pretty melody on top that almost disguises
the fact that what we’re actually listening to is something
about the devil's penis. There’s almost something Beck-like
about this track, albeit a Beck after he’s made a pact with
Satan.
The lengthily titled That Rarest Of Beasts; Hey Parabola, Crack Chikin/Nex Nine Times For Sunshine!, meanwhile, is definitely parental warning stuff with samples of speeches from some young kid about, well let’s say, what’s happened to someone’s mother. Definitely not one to be played when the kids are up...
Hiroshima Was A Shithole Anyway is thirteen minutes of a relentless
stop/start bass over a clattery beat, whilst Blood Touching Glass seems
to be on some endless loop that keeps going till you switch it off (unless
it’s just my copy!). This forced conclusion could, of course, be after a spot
of prompting. In my case, Mrs. Indoorminer - after what had no doubt seemed
like an eternity - eventually popped her head round the door and asked if I
could now switch off "the building site record" and play something a little
more...soothing. So not one to listen to when you’re doing a crossword puzzle
admittedly, but if you want music to mess with your head, this could well tickle
your fancy.
It’s an interesting release, though it does get hard going and, personally,
I’d prefer more numbers like The Breeders with its lack of sampled vocals
and attempted shock tactics. But if you want a challenging release, go ahead – although
I’m guessing that something called The Big Black Cock of Death is
probably one to leave off the birthday list you pass to your grandmother. Unless
your gran is an Autechre loving porn fiend, that is.
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