irr. app. (ext.) KREISELWELLE (THE HELEN SCARSDALE AGENCY) Following on from Ozeanische Gefuhle and Cos- mic Superimposi- tion, this is the final instalment in Californian sound-artist Matt Waldron’s trilogy of inspired by the life and work of maverick psychologist and theoretician Wilhelm Reich – best known for postulating the existence of the universal, cosmic energy, or- gone. In many ways, this continuous, 45-minute piece feels like a journey deep inside Reich’s brain: a linear, forward-moving collage of highly tactile, almost bodily sounds that slide seamlessly in and out of focus, rarely repeating themselves or linger- ing for more than a few minutes at a time. Amazingly, it’s all constructed from field recordings accumulated over a couple of years, all generated PHOTO: HAYLEY MADDEN by spiral-shaped sources such as springs, a spinning lampshade and charisma and incredible set of pipes impossibly intricate structural mad- waves churning over pebbles on a always the main reason why KsE rose ness in an awkward but explosive LOVVERS beach. It would be nice to think that far above the immediate contem- fashion. Far from the self-indulgent OCD GO GO GO GIRLS listening to this might boost one’s poraries like Trivium et al. As far as sprawl you might expect from a man (WICHITA) orgone levels, but at the very least it’s modern ‘real’ metal is concerned, KsE whose other bands are so admirably The first LP a highly diverting piece of ambient are still a tough act to beat. irrepressible, this is a sharp, direct proper (or at tape-noise. and highly welcoming . With least one that’s BOBBY BONE lots of mental twiddly bits. longer than 13 DANIEL SPICER minutes) for the MATT EVANS UK punks, and it’s business as KNIFEWORLD usual. There was always something KILLSWITCH ENGAGE BURIED ALONE: TALES OF KONGH down and dirty about their severely (ROADRUNNER) CRUSHING DEFEAT SHADOWS OF THE SHAPELESS stripped-down sound, and while this (BELIEVERS ROAST) (TRUST NO ONE) The fifth (and is very much a case of more of the First Kong, now second self- Being the soli- same, very few people will complain. Kongh. In what titled) album tary-plus-friends Sharing the fuzzy dissonance with is most certainly from endeavour of the likes of Times New Viking and No not a coordinated heroes KsE hardly one Kavus Torabi, Age, this is skewed punk pop that will release with the departs from the idiosyncratic delight and annoy in equal measure similarly named tried and tested string-slinger of - but that’s probably exactly what but very differ- formula of its predecessors - the lofty repute for Lovvers want anyway. ent UK trio (see review elsewhere interplay between vicious outbursts /Guapo, perhaps unsurpris- in this issue), this Swedish, erm, trio and singalong melodies is still ingly these 11 nuggets of eccentric BOBBY BONE definitely live up to their name and present and very much correct - but power-pop, laced with exotic ele- deliver something very, very heavy where 2006’s was for ments, bear a certain resemblance to indeed. Like their last album, there the most part a note-for-note, riff-for- Torabi’s former band, greatly missed MÚM is nothing necessarily new here, but SING ALONG TO SONGS YOU DON’T riff facsimile of their breakthrough math-pronksters The Monsoon damn it if these guys don’t pull it off album , this Bassoon. Somewhere between hard- KNOW with some aplomb. The doom/sludge (MORR MUSIC) looks towards the classic metal of old edged absurdist prog and shimmer- genre, already buckling under its for inspiration. After all, the last time ing psychedelic indie, Buried Alone Often mislabelled own, severely overpopulated, weight around the band advertised their lis- is equal parts jumbo choruses, gos- as avant-garde could do with shedding some bands. tening habits via a cover of Dio’s ‘Holy samer harmonies, tungsten riffs and and ‘a bit like On the strength of Shadows Of The Diver’, and it’s right here that this lat- psychotic timings. Although some- Aphex Twin’, múm, Shapeless, however, Kongh are most est album’s heart and soul lie - classic, times played fairly straight, at their on their latest definitely welcome here. twin-guitar bravado metal. While this best (‘Pissed Up On Brake Fluid’, ‘The set at least, write has softened their blow somewhat, Money Shot’, ‘The Wretched Fath- brilliant broken BOBBY BONE it’s frontman Howard Jones who oms’) these songs rub unabashedly pop songs. True, they create ethereal, carries the record once again, his pretty, richly layered pop up against elegiac pop that is at once distant

Rock-A-Rolla 37

MASTODON

RECORDS The Dirty Dozen While Nick Mitchell reclines after a close encounter with My Bloody Valentine, Dave Kerr sits down with prog metal monoliths Mastodon to devour a box of Tunnock's Tea Cakes and sift through July’s singles swag. smart people...if they’re real nerds. I can see them this past year. going apeshit in their li le practice room. Brann: Ever since that Cher song, where it was like: Brann: is should’ve been the soundtrack to Star ‘Hey, it’s OK that we can’t sing, let’s do this!” Wars. Troy: I don’t really care for this tune, though. Troy: I like that party now, but it was weird at  rst. Brann: It’s reminding me of Britney Spears or Brann: I’d certainly stay now. But I’d ask them to something. End it. please turn it down a li le bit. Troy: Not as good as RoboCop. Brann: I’m going to give this an eight. Brann: Zero. Troy: I too was thinking eight, let’s do eight. Troy: Meh, I’m going to say . Collectively it’s a . 8/10 1/10 FLASHGUNS DAN BLACK MATCHING SYMPHONIES HEARTS / SIMILAR 6 JUL PARTS 13 JUL

Troy: This is picnic music. I want to hold hands with a girl. Dave: Some trivia for you: essentially this is a track Dave: Where would you say Flashguns are from, at a guess? salvaged from a session where Dan Black had spliced Brann: The woods. elements of the soundtrack to Starman with the Troy: Manchester. drums to Umbrella and layered lyrics by Notorious Troy: It sounds like a summer afternoon; you make a B.I.G. over the top. Black couldn’t get clearance on sandwich then you go outside and eat it. That’s what this the Biggie lyrics though, so he released this instead.... song reminds me of. In that circumstance it’s very good. Brann: Why doesn’t he make his own music? en Brann: Set the boombox up in the corner, then mow the he wouldn’t have to worry about it. lawn so you can’t hear it.  seconds later... Troy: In the context of making a sandwich, it’s a good Brann: I hate it, turn it o . seven. Dave: Pish? 7/10 Troy: Zero. Brann: I want to be funny about it... MR HUDSON Troy: But it just bums you out so bad you can’t FEAT. KANYE possibly be funny. WEST 0/10 SUPERNOVA 20 JUL YEAH YEAH YEAHS Troy Sanders (vocals/bass) Troy: It’s got a li le Bob Mould in there. A li le Dave: What’s your position on KanYe? HEADS WILL ROLL Brann Dailor (drums) Sugar.  out of  stars. Troy: I think he’s awesome (sings “I don’t want no 6 JUL Bill Kelliher (guitar) 10/10 RoboCop”) Brent Hinds (vocals/guitar) Brann: I really don’t like the ultra e ected vocals, Darren Sanders (Troy’s brother and guitar tech) THE VICTORIAN though. Dave: Fans of Karen-O? ENGLISH Troy: True, that vocal e ect has been heavily abused Brann: Yeah, yeah, yeah... I’ve always liked her voice. GIRLS GENTLEMENS HELLHOLE RATRACE CLUB 6 JUL PARROT 6 JUL Troy: If you have eleven syllables in your name, you already have a lot going against you. But I like this. It Troy : is could come in handy at am in the morn- sounds like something my li le gay brother would ing, if you’re standing by yourself in a bar feeling that play all the time. you just need a good cry to make yourself feel be er. Darren: Once again, correct, I can’t believe you got Brann: Right when you realise that the woman that. you’ve been courting and trying to sleep with is a Brann: Sounds like the s. We’ve got to rate that, man. how many stars? Troy: It’s the perfect soundtrack to that scenario. Troy: I’m going to say  ve and a half. Brann: Buy that man a revolver. Brann: Five. Dave: Marks out of ten? Troy: Can we just meet in the middle, say  ve and a Brann: If we’re talking about playing this in a situa- quarter? tion where you  nd out that your girlfriend’s penis is 5.25/10 bigger than yours... Troy: en it’s a ten. We just put a sweetly positive THREE TRAPPED twist on that one. TIGERS 10/10 7/1 6 JUL KNIFEWORLD PISSED UP ON BRAKE FLUID Troy: ey’re not as good as Journey; nobody’s as 13 JUL good as Journey. Sounds like you’re at a weird party with a bunch of freaks; everybody’s dressed nicer than you and they’re listening to this. Troy: is is the  rst song you play at your house Brann: And you’re way too fucked up. You’re like party, that’ll get it going. Right, Darren? ‘where’s the bathroom?’ Of course, there’s also some Darren: Yeah, this’d get me going. I’d take my pants dude with over-styled glasses dancing in your face. o to this. Troy: Clap your hands, everybody. Troy: Knifeworld, you say? I like it. Brann: It sounds like a strobelight. Brann: I like it too. ere’s a li le Foo Fighters in Troy: It sounds like a disco ball, French-kissing a there, but not on purpose...sounds like they’ve been snow globe.

doing this for a long time. Troy: ree Trapped Tigers. I wonder if they’re ROBERTS SARAH PHOTOS:

48 THE SKINNY JULY 2009