THE BRUTAL ARC
Adeptsound
This latest dispatch from the wilds of Western Australia, pressed on clear vinyl in a ridiculously limited edition of just 30 (and I see today that there are only 15 left, which means by the time you read this they'll have probably all gone, so I guess I'm wasting my time once more, sigh) is sourced exclusively from "oxyacetylene samples", presumably recorded during some kind of welding operation. Fitting, I suppose, for a rescapé from 1980s Industrial cassette culture like Tim Bayes, aka Schuster. It's best appreciated at truly punishing volume – don't worry, it doesn't last too long, so by the time your neighbours have figured out where the racket's coming from and come up to complain, you can be sitting demurely in your armchair listening to something nice like the latest Emeralds album, feigning an air of blissful ignorance – the sludge and crunch of vinyl blending with the murky drones, distant eerie wails and warm high frequency fizz. Impressive stuff, but not nearly long enough. Anyway, bet you won't find a copy.
Englishman Tim Bayes has been involved in various projects in the industrial/noise underground for over 25 years now. This lathe-cut clear vinyl 7″ on new Perth label Adeptsound is his first release as Schuster. Apparently the prime source for the sounds on this release is a recording of an oxyacetylene torch in action.
‘The Brutal Arc’ is delicately sculpted and manipulated noise, although still maintaining a slightly aggressive edge to it. The use of loops creates odd rhythms, and almost subliminal melodies take shape as one listens. It even sounds as if there are ghost voices in there, but of course it’s an aural illusion. On the flip side ‘Cosmosis’ is reminiscent of Cluster ‘71 or side 2 of Klaus Schulze’s Irrlicht - it’s a kind of kosmische/industrial/dark ambient hybrid, which is very pleasing to the ears.
[NB This 7" release is limited to just 30 copies, but is also available to buy in MP3 format.]
Ewan Burke Cyclic Defrost Magazine
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