'The Best Post-Rock Album Of All Time' Fact Mag // 'Their influence is pervasive' The Quietus // 'Mysterious, haunting, and breathtakingly visionary' Allmusic // The recent release of Jeanette Leech's book 'Fearless: The Making Of Post-Rock' (Jawbone Press) celebrates post-rock and its origins. Finding new inspiration, bands were beginning to experiment with techniques as the digital age took over. A case study in her new book, Bark Psychosis were one of the most innovative bands of their time and as legend has it, saw the first use of the term 'post-rock' by music critic Simon Reynolds. Following several singles and EPs, the avant-garde soundscapes built around drones and samples of 21-minute stand-out track 'Scum' arrived just two years before their seminal debut 'Hex' (1994). Frustrated by the mainstream, 'Scum' was a huge statement that set them apart from the beginning. Bark Psychosis' sound was born out of their improvisations at makeshift studio within St John's Church in Stratford. Taking a year to complete 'Hex' left the band on the brink of collapse and by the time of its release they had dissolved. Hailed as a masterpiece, it's 'mysterious, haunting, and breathtakingly visionary' (Allmusic). Breaking down their songs and rebuilding them in the studio brought distinguishing ambient soundscapes and an atmospheric experimental sound. Last year Fact Magazine deservedly gave the album further recognition with it claiming top spot in their '30 Best Post-Rock Albums Of All Time'. Following 'Hex' and the disintegration of the band, Graham Sutton went on to create seminal Drum 'n' Bass as Boymerang and hugely acclaimed production work for the likes of These New Puritans, British Sea Power, Silver Apples, Jarvis Cocker and East India Youth. He revived Bark Psychosis at the turn of the millennium, eventually releasing another album, the equally extraordinary '///Codename: Dustsucker' Newly remastered in 2017 from the original analog tapes at Metropolis Studios by Graham Sutton and Stuart Hawkes, and reissued officially for the first time, Bark Psychosis' debut 'Hex' will be available on double vinyl / CD. Tracks: 1. The Loom 2. A Street 3. Abscent Friend 4. Big Shot 5. Fingerspit 6. Eyes & Smiles 7. Pendulum Man
M**T
Put your headphones on
My tape of this 20 year old album had long worn out, so a pleasant surprise to find thisvinyl re-issue available.'The Loom' opens with moody piano & strings; a percussion and bass groove creeps inbuilding to the opening 4-line flourish of the vocal; the swell soon subsides however &locks into a textured groove. An intrigueing if incomplete-feeling opener.More inventive bass & percussion weaves beneath tremolo guitar on track 2; the vocal is a little close &breathy perhaps, but this is offset with colourful brass phrases; after the second'chorus' the pace & voices wind down like clockwork to single note chimes.More tremelo guitar with jazzy kit on standout track 'Absent Friend', with touches ofmelodica I think; the "biggest joke of all" refrain is truly beautiful with the guitar &programming weaving to a satisfying end. Closing side one is 'Bigshot', a 3am dash forescape set to pulsing bass & jazzy vibes.Side 2 opener 'Fingerspit' is all shuffling jazz kit & draws too much on the groups' statedinfluences for my liking; non-album tracks from this period such as 'Blue', 'Murder City'or 'Reserve Shot Gunman' would have been better selections at this point. Things pick-uphowever with 'Eyes & Smiles' which builds with interlocking figures & trumpet to apowerful finale. This just leaves 'Pendulum Man', a gently pulsing chillout to close thealbum.On release, I remember thinking this record didn't quite live up to the promise of theirearlier efforts (gathered on the 'Independency' CD), but now looking back, it seems abold & forward-looking record which tried - maybe at the expense of a balanced groupdynamic - to incorporate the emerging computer technology to the style. It's not I thinkthe 'groundbreaking masterpiece' some reviewers have claimed, but then anythingmainman Sutton touches is worth your attention. Put your headphones on and stare at thecover . .
B**N
Vinyl reissue sounds decent to me
I have loved this album on CD for many years, so as a keen vinyl buyer again was interested in the reissue. The label has reissued a number of interesting recordings, but the sources for these is unknown to me (it's important, since a lot of vinyl is being re-pressed from CD masters - really, what is the point but to make a quick buck)?It came up at a good price on Amazon, so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm not an audiophile, but I am pretty sensitive to sound quality. I was impressed to be honest. The pressing is quiet and of good quality and I was hearing things that I'd not noticed before (maybe I was listening more closely). I would definitely recommend this release to vinyl lovers (and the album itself is a must have in my opinion), even though the source is dubious!
D**E
Post Rock greatness
Post Rock is one of my favourite genres and I only picked this up recently. If you like Hood, Mogwai, God Speed. Get this, highly recommended.
M**G
Why am I the first one to write a review...
...of this beautiful, beautiful album?From the that very first gentle, lush piano at the beginning of 'The Loom' all the way to the slo-mo fall away of 'Pendulum man' via quiet funk of 'Big Shot', the fractured pre post-rock of 'Fingersplit' and the out and out gorgeousness of 'Eyes and Smiles' this is LP with no filler, just brilliant, brilliant music.The sound of walking home across urban greenbelt land with the noise of busy traffic just within ear shot in the early hours of a hot summer's night!
A**R
Five Stars
Post rock masterpiece!
A**R
Five Stars
great thanks
A**N
Five Stars
fantasti album
F**O
just perfect
an example of a perfect work of art. At its time, this was an island so remote and self-contained that a new term was needed to describe it. Meet the record that was coined as post-rock.
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