Special Interest
– Yes Basement, Manchester –
Humint:
The opening act helps to congregate the room without windows with the post-punk-post-hardcore approach of being a mechanism that doesn’t quite work yet still works, the reverse stutter that is the drumming being the pedestal that makes this band the more rhythmically interesting of the 2 performers. Chordal descents and intentional off pitch delivery are other factors that render this particular entity something of interest, alongside the vague resemblance to the third Killing Joke LP (a good thing).
Special Interest:
Claiming origin from a swamp, the band of which their name could be mistaken for the better known generic term play in an environment that suits their style, owning thanks to the lighting and architectural facets. They use an automated voice pitched shifted to the point that you can tell that bass isn’t its natural timbre; never really understood why performers use the troupe as an introduction as it comes across a little clichéd but whatever. Their methodology of a guitar/bass/vocals combined with the synthesiser/drum machine set up is a presumed attempt to blend punk with the fruits of modern electrical engineering, it progressively makes their set more interesting. The guitar typically repeats progressions (presumably there’s a technical term) which emphasise a negative tone (moderate abrasion?), appropriate for lyrics such as ‘what did your father tell you’ and ‘impudent love’; an attempt to decipher the words would be moot since only the person who wrote them would likely understand.
(Obscure fusion genre name) could pin it perhaps, although the instruments allow for more flexibility beyond the usual limitations of the (typical) 2-piece (vocals/electrician with musical aspirations). The bass guitar helps the drum machine come across less mindless in its approach by adding a kind of rhythmic dexterity to the equation, if that articulates. The vocal delivery’s accented (Louisiana I presume) method adds distinction, often you find singers that can hold a note yet prevalent styles of the day usually render the expression homogenous to the point that the listening experience is about as interesting as painting a fence while a particularly unremarkable ambient live album plays in the background; that analogy was avoided in this instance. By no means is their sound anything groundbreaking but then again perhaps reading too much into it defeats the purpose of any kind of expression. The drum machine is a little overbearing at times as the vocals and bass are overshadowed in regard to the volume however it’s a superficial issue. Their set seems to be over rather quickly, but then again perhaps it was better to do that then run the risk of delving into the dusty catalogue of B-Sides, of which could very well have brought about the qualitative degradation of this performance. Paraphrase: I like the industrial-lite style but the chassis of the beat could have done with some variation, although since drum machines lack the independence of their more able bodied peers (human+2 sticks) leniency is warranted.
Special Interest Bandcamp
Recent career decisions have compelled me into the journalistic... thing; I could list my literary influences or even debate which 3rd rate beverage has the best economic value per litre (But I won’t). Oh, in addition, I write reviews for the Independents Network.
