Category: Tracks

The Body You Deserve

I came to HTRK through the back door, after reading a glowing review of Rhinestones in the Wire. Knowing no better, I missed completely the shock and surprise of hearing a band characterised by the blunt thump of a Roland drum machine and cavernous bass throb sidestep into fingers brushing nylon guitar strings and hushed 5am vocals. Only after seeing their low-key but dazzling set at the Workman’s Club did I start working through their back catalogue: the minimalist noise rock of their Rowland S. Howard–produced debut, Marry Me Tonight, the dubbed electronics of Psychic 9-5 Club.

There aren’t many revelations in this Quietus interview with Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang, but the tracks selected are a great introduction to their music. Luke Turner nails most of my favourites (“Gilbert and George”, “Fascinator”) but from Psychic 9-5 Club, I’d give the nod to the album closer:

(Something about that “Strange World of…” series title feels lumpen and hapless to me…could there be anything less strange than the doggedly unglamorous work ethic of Fugazi, for instance?)

Fruit Market

Drastic Season by African Head Charge

Of course, if we’re talking about post-punk dub, it’s impossible to look past Adrian Sherwood and On-U Sound. African Head Charge are also on the bill for Le Guess Who—no indication whether Sherwood will be manning the sound desk but you never know.

It’s probably too much to hope that they’ll play anything from their third album, Drastic Season, released a full forty years ago now. I’m no On-U Sound expert, but this goes as far out as anything I’ve heard, the entire sound-field yawing and warping as Sherwood works the faders. “Fruit Market” is perhaps the easiest track on the album to parse, the horn refrain acting as a guiding light through the chaos, but it’s still head-melting stuff.

Bonus track: Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and Adrian Sherwood pick ten Head Charge classics for the Quietus.

Susuro

Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare by Holy Tongue

The curators and initial line-up for Le Guess Who were announced a few weeks ago…time to do some homework. Valentina Magaletti looks to be the Zelig of the 2023 edition — I count at least three of her projects on the bill (Holy Tongue, Moin, and a duo with Marta Salogni).

I already had my eye on the Holy Tongue album after a glowing write-up from Phil Freeman (Burning Ambulance, the Wire). As he says, you could slip most of the album into a post-punk dub DJ set without anyone blinking an eye, but more than Public Image Ltd. or African Head Charge, “Susuro” reminds me of Can circa Ege Bamyasi, or prime Mouse on Mars. A shoe-in if Kevin Martin ever resurrects the Macro Dub Infection compilation series!