NZ

Rip It Up, Issue 176, 1 March 1992, Page 30

NZ

NEMESIS DUB SYSTEMS (Wildside) An important semantic point: “dub" in this context certainly doesn't mean semi-random sound grenades scattered through gaping bass space. The closest Nemesis get to that particular urban myth is the opening instrumental 'Roundhouse', but even there emotional focus is provided by a constant, quietly seething synth sound. Meanwhile 'Spirit Virus' and 'Buzz Buzz' mix a barrage of samples with predatory guitars, the tension between "organic" and electronic sounds perhaps mirroring a lyrical concern with the fate of the unstable individual in a hyper-mechanized society. The eponymous character in Young Boy's Tale' is so fucked-up for whatever reason that he ends up a murderer, but somehow "his" monologue doesn't quite convince as spontaneous speech. But that hardly matters. With its perfect structural control and bewildering sonic complexity this EP is proof that gripping pop songs can be

organised around basslines and noises and it lives up to the enormous promise of one of Auckland's best live bands. MATTHEWHYLAND DAVID KILGOUR You Forget / Splash Yr Jewels / Nothing (Volume 1) (Flying Nun) "I can't stop thinking about myself" is certainly a line I can relate to, but the 'ooh la la's that proliferate in this song are harder to get a grip on. Combined with a generic romp-a-long, but subtly minor key guitar pop jangle, this track is not destined to etch itself indelibly on the brain. The B-side is more interesting. This man is very good at creating an air of intimacy, like he's drawing close to tell you a secret, and • he's at his best when he's down. 'You Forget* tilts beguilingly towards the not-really-happy. The second B-side cut, 'Nothing (Volume 1)' is energised by a dark, repetitive riff and weird guitar noises going off in odd places. All in all, a subtly arresting three-track single. DONNA YUZWALK JAY CLARKSON You And Me And The Old Hill (Flying Nun) cassingle A spidery number greatly enhanced by spooky violin sounds scraping away in the background. I can see Jay Clarkson draped in black lace picking her way through a haunted forest while intoning these mysterious lines, although something persistently reasonable in her modulation suggests she's more likely to be found at home in Dunedin with a cup of tea and a sociology text. In other words, her air of stability detracts somewhat from the betwitching atmosphere. Still casts quite a spell, though. DONNA YUZWALK NICOLE MATSUDA Bluebeat (Festival) Can models interview? Can models sing? On the basis of this cassingle they can imitate breathy female singers intoning simple words over a 'Shaft' sample and a repetitive backbeat. Can't report on what they look like, but for once that information could be vital in your appreciation of this track. DONNA YUZWALK MAREE SHEEHAN MakeUMyOwn (Tangata Records) From new Maori label Tangata, a slightly slow, slickly produced dance

floor number sung by the unusually voiced Maree Sheehan, smooth and rich with a brief rap interlude in the middle, this song spells 'quality'. - - JAMES GAYLYN Bodyfine/ Your Soft Caress (Southside) Mr James Gaylan sings with the conviction of a true conoisseur so we forgive him his conceit when he sings 'that girl, she won't find a better lover 'cos I'm the last of the summer wine', although this slow, sensual groove is in fact an ode to us members of the fairer sex rather than himself. The sexy stuff is followed by a more soulful number on the A side and the B side features a club mix of'Bodyfine'. TRASCH The Reason Rhyme (Wildside) singing this sounds uncannily like the Human League's Phil Oakey crooning over a slowish, slightly funky, tune, a languid slip of a song which is more likely to be relegated to the background than the foreground of a social occasion. However, it seagues into a catchy electro stomp called 'Pluck Out The Eyes' which is a definite bonus. PUSH PUSH What My Baby Wants / I Love My Leather Jacket . (Tall Poppy) Boy does Mikey sound like lan , : Astbury with that opening yodel, but then the band kicks in, kicks ass, kicks butt, in fact does anything but kick back on this blaze-trailing number which, while lacking a really strong hook, bums with energy and commitment to the idea that rock music should kick out the jams. B-side is the old Martin . Phillipps classic played here at near break-neck speed, which definitely makes the song the band's own for a minute or two. DONNA YUZWALK AL HUNTER There's A Blue Sky Waitiin' For Me (Pagan) You might recognise this from the AMP ad on telly, it also sounds vaguely like Willie Nelson's version of 'Blue Skies' by Irving Berlin. Whatever, it's a very appealing number with a gentle tread. Look out for the debut album from this local country music master soon.

DONNA YUZWALK