More delicious music by Neil Campbell & his Astral Social Club project. After Brett's hungry devouring of his new CD on vhf, here's a full bloody 12" wax platter to feast on! With Stewart Keith & ex-Hood collaborator John Clyde-Evans on board, 'Plug Music Ramoon' opens with a spaced out wibbly number with a backwards masked element going on for full confusion of the senses. I can hear lots of cool little sonic twinges in there I wanna indulge myself on the headphones with! The other track on this side is proper full-on Kraut/Space-boogie minimalism that kind of recalls both The Fall & Hawkwind in equal measures (minus the chord changes!) plus that legendary 'Simple Headphone Mind' collaboration between Stereolab & Nurse With Wound. See also later Boredoms stuff. The beat is a relentless glam stomp that I could imagine Julian Cope hollering over. Love the wall of ....well...."Astral" sound they create. Flip over for some organic industrial music which reminds me of those mad cartoons where a bizarre character wheels a frankenstein monster vehicle out of the garage, all whirring & chuffing and creaking. Add to that honking, spluttering, polyrhythmic grind a sub-bass pulse, some distant klaxons & a possessed chant or two and you've a sonic zoo on your hands. Utterly fantastic stuff, junkshop tribalism of the very finest sort! The last tune i'm not reviewing as I want to surprise myself with it when I take it home!
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What their label says...
Featuring two tracks of fearless sonic bliss and two long journeys to a state of sustained ecstasy ASTRAL SOCIAL CLUB's “Plug Music Ramoon” was recorded in one day on analogue 2” tape. The LP combines percussive sticks and bells, resonant electronics, keyboard odysseys and some experimental vocal work from helmsman Campbell. Whilst Club member John Clyde-Evans’s laptop contributions provide much of the backbone groove of the album, Stewart Keith adds light and shade on a variety of keyboards and toys. Together they weave a rich tapestry of sound and noise. But it’s Campbell’s dense guitars that thicken the very stem of these four tracks and leads his Astral Social Club to conjure up his visions. This limited edition 12” comes housed in a gorgeous hand-printed silkscreen sleeve.
Other items by Astral Social Club
#s 8-16 Astral Social Club CD, £5.79 Sorry - sold out.
