Last we heard from Bonemachine (who, before you ask, don’t really sound much like Pixies at all), they were stalking the south coast, dishing out to all who were willing to listen their own brand of dark-dance - one hack went and dubbed it ‘emotronica’. But somewhere between then (a couple of years ago, around the release of their debut album Vent) and now, they caught the attention of Sigue Sigue Sputnik (!), and it wouldn’t be surprising if such an experience inspired their rather astonishing growth of musical muscle.
Back then you could expect the group to sound bleakly beautiful and drenched in cold atmospherics, yes, but also (despite a spine of rigid processed beats) a little fragile. Yet now, on arching back from the play button, sitting agape at the speakers as the sound crawls from within, it’s rather astonishing (and admirable) to hear the sort of power their music now beholds.
Which, it seems, just gives them more potential to make genuinely chilling songs about genuinely chilling subjects and, although they’ve now shed a lot of the subtlety that gave their earlier material a disturbing sort of grace, they now have a lot of scope for sonic oomph. This is proven by the turbo-charged likes of ‘God Save You (Amerika)’, with its anti-funk fuck-rock bassline and vocal samples that detail the legal description of obsessive stalking, and ‘Red Light Receiving’, which not only manages to be about filthiness but also sounds like it too, making the sort of dirty synth noise that Gary Numan probably would make if he didn't fear that his kids might discover the master tapes and end up mentally scarred for life.
The band recall their slight trip-hop edge when they want to, as the dub-driven ‘As Tall As The Highest Statue’ attests, but even in their gentler moments (like the title track) they willingly make it heavier by layering a detailed talk on how to slaughter a pig over the top. Meanwhile, ‘Blown Trenches’ sounds quite scarily like the Radiohead most associated with being brilliantly depressing, all wailing vocals and ghostly chamber-like rumbles and, as it reaches a climax, a wall of imposing guitars. The track immediately following it, ‘Stained But Pretty’, shreds the tone its predecessor creates to pieces with razor-edged digital hardcore and the piercing whisper of “fucking whores, fucking whores”. Journey South this ain’t.
So, let’s recap: perverse sex acts, global politics, animal massacre, violent crime, euthanasia, war, more perverse sex acts. You couldn’t ask for much more from an album – just don’t put it on during Christmas dinner or anything.
nice review
i might check this our...
however, 'beholds' is not a fancy way of saying 'holds' or 'contains'. It means 'looks at' or 'sees' - i quite like a bit of fancy language in a review, but it does grate when it's wrong.
oops
type, obviously i'll be checking it out - not "check this our" that would be daft...
another brilliant review thommo...
this album is awesome, as is their first.
Haven't seen them live in soooo long though, do they ever venture outside of Portsmouth?
Apparently
there are still very few venues willing to risk a night's takings on electronica-based bands, as local emo bands will bring in loads of their mates and big names will drag in all the punters who've read about them. Or something. But yes i think they might have a few dates soon. Squirrel?
Gigs aaahhhh
As soon as our lead singer stops popping off to various other countries we are gonna start doing some gigs... I think we will be out and about when the Red Light Receiving single comes out in a few months :-)
As it happens
i think their music does see power, or in other words behold it, and reflect on it with their music. But anyway. Do check it out regardless.
Haha
Sorry, but that last post is the most retarded thing I have ever read! Fantastic!
So you didn't spot me
trying to cover my mistake then?
Cunt off would you.
`
A bit behind each song, I havnt told many people about the feelings behind them.
I should say that I am a big an of the Swans attitude towards writing an album, I love the flow and build of it all and I have a constant battle between what is acceptable to reviewers and casual listeners and my desire to have a long rambling collection of 'sounds'
The album features a recurring theme of domestic violence and sexual crime. My time as a copper in portsmouth meant that I went to a fair few violent domestics and in my muddled way I was trying to portray the angst and confusion that I felt in these situations. It also features samples from my daughter chatting at the very end of the last track. its heartbreaking to see kids faces peaking over a bannister when dealing with these situations.
Baise Moi, features samples from the cult film of the same name by Virginie Despentes. a tale of two young women, marginalised by society who go on a destructive tour of sex and violence.
God Save You (Amerika), watching Lilya 4-Ever inspired me to write this song, a heartbreaking movie from the point of view of a sixteen-year old Russian girl who ends up being sold in to the sex slave industry. The film captures the feeling of life happening to someone, and misfortune spitting down until it seems like an enslaving force.
Red Light Receiving is the new single and has been reworked along with God Save You (amerika) and Blown Trenches. We loved the idea of having the train sample taking us into the song and out again.
As Tall As the Highest Statue features Johnny Lippiett who is a fantastic jaz sax player and was practising by playing a morrocan flute piece. This track started off as a 25min marathon which we cut down and turned dub. we will probably release the full version some day.
Why cant we catch the liars, features a friend talking about the yearly pig slaughter that he had to participate in when visiting his family back in spain, gruesome and chilling, I don't know why they have volunteers. I edited it so that you cant tell what it was about....
Blown Trenches is the only track that was recorded tradionally in another studio and was written in a posh flat over looking Porthmeor beach in St Ives..... with rather a lot of the herb. Adrian managed one take on the bass line.... unheard of. The image I have with this song is cars at night on a rainy street, its also about falling in love with a prostitute.
This Oceans Angry, this is the original extended remix which was left off of Vent. This track was influenced by a house fire I witnessed where someone was pulled out stripped to administer medical assistance, I dont know if they survived.
Stained But Pretty was probably the first tune we ever wrote back in 1999, A harder edgier sound, heavily influenced by JAPAN's 'Adolescent Sex' we remixed it for this album, again another song about sex, drink and high rise housing.
Through my skin is basically a recording from a videotaped holiday I spent with a female friend on the same St Ives beach, it was at night the sea was lapping around our toes and had just washed the red wine bottle and glasses away..... perfect memory It is also the intro to Love is the Lie, we were trying to relax people before the gradual wall of sound ending.
Love is the Lie we build our lives on, took about a year to complete and drove me slightly mad, I was listening to a lot of Levitation and God Speed, Black Emporer. Again it features Johnny Lippiet on sax and more sampled stats for domestic violence, which is a recurring theme through the cd.
The album ends with a track tucked away after lots of waves etc and is called As Tall As the Highest Statue (reprise) and is another part of the opus of the same name.