albums

Rip It Up, Issue 179, 1 June 1992, Page 24

albums

SPIRITUALIZED Lazer Guided Melodies (Dedicated A highly dubious name for a band, I'm sure you'll agree, and the album title's not much better, but this really is worth muzzling your irony for . : (although not before observing that for Jason Pierce, with his background in Spacemen 3, "Chemicalized" might have been a better choice). Neither drugs nor bogus mysticism (is there any other sort?) are necessary to enjoy these exquisitely detailed sonic surfaces, however. Subsonic bass, celestial electronics and ghostly reinventions of the sounds of European and American church music, jazz, blues and drone rock swell and subside, subtly but constantly changing shape. It all holds together because, albeit in a way Mark E Smith never imagined, Spiritualized dig repetition in the music. What saves all this from being commodifiable as dinner party music is the same exaggerated, uncomfortable stillness that characterises late Spacemen 3 material and Sonic Boom's solo album. In rejecting the guitar, even the disembodied dream-noise guitar, as the inviolate centre of the song Pierce has produced one of the most marvellous.' things in the whole (sub-sub-)genre. MATTHEW ■ THE SOUP DRAGONS Hotwired (Polygram) Well the cover says it all really — a sculptured hand raised in peace, painted the colours of the American flag. Why didn't they just call the album "We want to make loads of cash in the

US" and be done with it. In their quest for mass appeal, the Soup Dragons transmogrified into some sort of indie dance love children on their last album. Dance was obviously the way to the bigger dollaroes, and their version of the Stones 'l'm Free' certainly picked up the pop junkie audience. 'Hotwired' is more of the same, sort of a totally unconvincing version of Primal Scream. Whereas it's still fashionable (just) to have a drop of 60s or 70s in the mix, Hotwired sounds like they've dived in the deep end and started to drown. We're bombarded with Beatles-ish rhythm guitar, drawm out sub-Hendrix riffs — there's more fun to be had sourcing the rip offs than listening to the album really. There are some redeeming features like, urn, well 'Mindless' sort of sounds like the Mondays a bit, and I suppose 'Pleasure' is sort of a dance 'Bom To Be

Wild' and, well, ok so there aren't any really redeeming features. A sell-out is

a sell-out and though the music industry thrives on it and I know I'm being too idealistic, the Soup Dragons have sounded so much better. And what they're attempting has been done so much better as well. Hotwired is a great pop album. JOHN TAITE TRASCH Chemikaze (Wildside) Somewhat controversial avant-electro trio Trasch generate a sense of enormity. With Chemikaze they've surpassed the throes of Flourish and re-constructed something proportionately bigger and considerably darker. A provocative, post-modern soundscape of lavish and serene textures that circulate amid their somewhat destructive, anarchic brand of synthesised contemporary industrial-dance. From the chemically-induced demonic whispers of the superb 'Dead

In A Month' or the pure-ambient wash of 'Detroif through to the mind numbing jackhammer rhythms of the cyber-trash 'Messiah', 'Pluck Out The Eyes' or chronic 'Reason Rhythm' (whose stern Phil Oakey-ish croon begins to pall after a while), Chemikaze is a veritable pool of focused, innovative sounds interwoven with a lyrical thread that chronicles "urban alienation in addictive times." Unfortunately, while they do straddle a gamut of musical streams and the production is by no means feeble, Trasch do seem a little dis-inclined to venture anywhere beyond the thump and crush mentality of songs like 'White Christmas', 'Bass Crush' and the aforementioned, which is a little disheartening when you consider just what these guys are capable of. The album is not without its little quirks and shafts of black humour and redundant features ('Sample Dump'), but still remains a phenomenal sophomore release in an

ever-continuing Trasch saga (the latest chapter of which is the departure of drummer Mike Young) and significant enough to bury their title as the proverbial quiet achievers of the Wellington scene. Huge. MORPHEUS IRE LIGHTENINGSEEDS Sense (Virgin) File under "People can only like what they get to hear" number 7084. I'm not too sure about the rest of the country, but the latest single from lan Broadie's Lightening Seeds is getting plenty of airtime I hype on Auckland's commercial radio. "What a great little pop tune", cry the listeners as it zooms up the charts. Yet what ever happened to Broadie's finest moment, the single. 'Pure' from Cloudcuckooland, one of 1990's cruelly ignored Brit pop masterpieces? Two years on and 'Pure' is still the best thing Broadie has ever done. He's still milking his brand of perfect pop — but this time round it's starting to wear incredibly thin. To be honest, Sense is an album that's pleasing for euthanasia, an album full of light fluffliness, an album that's like eating a whole box of chocolates at once. And by the end you want to grab those - . responsible and shake them around a bit. There's no problem with the production. The instruments are played competently, and the lyrics capture the essence of what pop is all about (ie .

nothing in particular). But the fact is the . essential substance that this genre of music requires for any credibility is definitely missing. And the breathtaking excitement that great melodies and exuberant hooklines can provide is also missing. And inevitably the reason for me to listen to this ever again is missing. It's sweet soft pop and it's mindblowingly hollow— but then again, it will sell, given the hype. JOHNIAITE VARIOUS ARTISTS The Rhythm, Volume 4 (Warners) Some reviewers dismiss compilation albums as fodder for people who don't love music enough to buy individual albums. But of course they don't have to buy the albums they get to review and keep, do they? If you're on a budget then this release is just for you. The cover promises "20 Killer Dance Tracks" and after listening I don't think we'll see anyone complaining to Fair Go. ■ A wide range of mixes from the Top 40 of the Dance/Rap charts, including Prince, Oaktown 357, BAD 2, Naughty By Nature and others. This compilation differs from most similar school holiday releases in that every track is right up to the minute, or last week at least. And that is very important in the fashion that is Dance Music. Myles is to be . j congratulated for putting together a ;-7 killer compilation (now if only he could include a local act!). < .1 ’

NICK D'ANGELO