STACK #144 Oct 2016

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Harts Smoke Fire Hope Desire I hope you wrote down where you were the first time you heard Harts; there hasn’t been an Australian artist like him for a very long time. Inspired by the quickly changing landscape of the world around him, Melbourne shred-lord Darren Hart wrote, performed, recorded, mixed and single- handedly produced his sophomore LP. Openers Smoke and Fear In Me flex the record’s funk credentials; radio favourite Power lays down some stanky bass before faux strings and a tripped- out chorus appear; and All Rise is a distinct, clap-a-long highlight – don’t be afraid if you find your face melted and your legs a mere pile of goo on the floor; all Dorothy really needed to take on the Wicked Witch was a copy of this record. (Dew Process/Universal) Tim Lambert Friendships Nullarbor 1988 – 1989 The culmination of years of work from Melbourne producer/artist duo Nic Brown and Misha Grace, Nullarbor 1988 – 1989 turns to familiar dance modes like drum and bass to examine the body. From the heady Big Farm InThe Sky to the grinding erotica of Spit//Flesh// Splinter , the menace of When I Feel Like Killing, I Murder to the gothic Australian poetry on Jerramungup 1988 and Footscray 1989 , Nullarbor explores the violence people inflict on themselves and the world around them. It’s a sublime horror with a spiritual undercurrent, invoking those same dance modes and their communal spirit which, in the war against one’s own body and others', could offer a kind of salvation. (Remote Control) Jake Cleland

Die Antwoord Mount Ninji And Da Nice Time Kid If Sparks were a band that was found to have secretly put all the slain bodies of their unknown midnight activities into the wall cavity, and once a year exhume them for a necrophilia-themed slumber party… they’d be Die Antwoord. Zef (which loosely translates to ‘common’ in Afrikaans slang) is a trashy schtick they cling to that will either make you laugh or vomit, or both. Their videos can never be unseen (brilliant, actually) but the music, much like their acting abilities ( Chappie - WTF?) leaves much to be desired after the initial giggle and ‘Hey, check this sh-t out!’ sharing ability on social media. You’ll be reaching for a Panadol in about five minutes, although Sh-t Just Got Real is pretty fun, in an early Beastie Boys stag party way. (Kobalt/Inertia) Chris Murray

D.D. Dumbo Utopia Defeated

Three years have passed since D.D. Dumbo released his Tropical Oceans EP. It was a striking debut that sounded like nothing before or since – experimental pop, regional blues, folk and electronic all combined in new and original ways. Anticipation for a follow-up

was high, a charged atmosphere something like the calm before a storm. And so first single Satan struck like a bolt from the blue when it arrived months ago; a flash of genius heralding the artist's full length album, accompanied by a compelling video shot in the strange, serene, surreal pink lake district near D.D. Dumbo's home. It felt like a force and its power only grew with each listen. It's the same sense you get listening to the entire album Utopia Defeated . Innovative rhythms, artful arrangements, immaculate sound design and a surprising instrumental palette provide a constellation of ideas that will undoubtedly be studied and admired for years to come. (4AD/Liberation) SimonWinkler

Pixies Head Carrier God, this album starts well. So well, you’d be excused for thinking the title-track opener was a forgotten cut that may have fallen off Doolittle or Surfer Rosa with that trademark fuzz, indie-beat and off-kilter vocal delivery with anger and aggression that infects the mind and causes a nostalgic smile. Baal’s Back certainly has a great bunch of shouting from Mr Francis and sharp guitar harmonics too, yet the rest of the album lacks that, well, dangerous spark. Having no Kim, perhaps, can account for that. More like a Frank Black solo with music that sounds like The Pixies, rather than that jolt of electric fear and wonder you know so well, and should demand. Still, it’s better than a swift kick to the nuts. (PIAS) Chris Murray

Allah-Las Calico Review A psyche-bent, laid-back-fuzz country excursion to the 13th Floor Elevators meets Wilco (no, really) – these cats have been making extraordinary music for over eight years. We’d bet Anton from Brian Jonestown Massacre has a few of their LPs stored in a safe place. There’s a Butthole Surfers-playing-a-retirement-home kink to this 12-track joy; a creepy and infectious undertone that Velvet Underground-s into the consciousness. They’re not to be fully trusted, able to punch you in the face or indeed subdue you into an uneasy comfort zone on Terror Ignot – a swirly ride through hippies and bubble-blowing in the afternoon sun, all without a hint of irony or hipster bullsh-t. These guys are great – you need this. (Mexican Summer) Chris Murray

Soft Hair Soft Hair Soft Hair is a beautiful meeting of the minds. Connan Mockasin and Sam Dust have spent years deconstructing and reconfiguring the art and science of song. In various guises, solo and collaborative, the pair have produced a vast wealth of psychedelic pop gems spanning warped folk, modern funk, synth wave and digi dub among other less classifiable sounds. They both trade in the unexpected, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that the two artists have combined forces for this latest record. It’s everything you’d hope for and nothing you could have imagined. In other words, one of the more enjoyable experimental

pop records of the year. ( WeirdWorld/Domino) SimonWinkler

OCTOBER 2016

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