Nz singles

Rip It Up, Issue 242, 1 October 1997, Page 34

Nz singles

STICKY FILTH Witches CD EP (Independent) It’s been a long time between drinks for Sticky Filth, the Witches EP has been over two years in the making, and the four tunes contained within have been part of their live set for yonks. Aside from the shoddy production quality of the plodding metal opener, ‘Too Deep’, this is vintage Filth. The fuzzed out punk/metal of ‘Jahbullheboosay’ is impressively held together by the rollicking drum rhythms of Paul Tattersal, and next, the raw punk scorcher ‘Astronaut’, boasts some of Craig Radford’s best lyrics ever (‘Fuck your skin is smooth 1 1 really like the way you move I Fuck you’ve got good veins I Let me use your hair for reins’). Closing is the Motorhead speed metal of ‘Scrap Metal Man’, which proves Radford can still pen a sublime melody all these years after ‘Weep Woman. Weep’. Write to SF, c/- PC Box 5514, Auckland. EMMA PAKI Paradise CD Single (Virgin) Pricking up the ears on Emma Paki’s fourth single from Oxygen of Love, is an incessant, percussive scrapping that is identical to a sound used by the little known USA band, Tortoise. Trainspotting aside, the Hawaiian/ Polynesian flavoured ballad ‘Paradise’ drifts by on a sweet slide guitar

melody and Paki’s ethereal vocal — neither offensive nor memorable. Also here are three tracks recorded live at the Western Springs WOMAD Festival, last March; ‘Big Line’, a crisp, funky version of ‘Don’t Do It’, and the soul/pop number, ‘Flax Sandels’. PASH You And Me CD EP (Sony) On the six track EP, You And Me, Pash pick up where they left off earlier in the year with the Doowop release — mappable, larger than life, swinging pop songs, constructed from east-to-spot classic 60s/70s/80s rock riffs and pop melodies. In the soup there’s bubblegum pop in the

form of the title track and ‘Confusion’, swaggerish glam rock courtesy of ‘Sweet Nothing’, and . Magazine inspired tension on ‘Funny Little Alien’. The latter track, plus ‘Waiting’ and ‘Weep Away’ are demo recordings, so understandably the production leaves a little to be desired. However, you can always follow the advice of singer/guitarist Steve Simpson; “People can tune out when the quality.or lack of becomes unbearable.” BREAKS CO-OP Sound Advice CD Single (Deepgrooves) Breaks Co-op are a new group, spearheaded by former Urban Disturbance member Zane Lowe, and Christchurch rapper, Hami (both now based in London). In contrast to UD’s hip hop style, Breaks Co-op go for a more beat-heavy trip hop feel on their first single, and ‘Sound Advice’ requires several listenings to fully appreciate its complexities. Hitting immediately are soft, hypnotic guitar, noodlings, and a gorgeous, sultry female vocal from an uncredited source, but later, added delights arrive by way of an excruciatingly subtle (programmed) string and piano melody. The instrumental version ciuts out the rap from Hami, and that one does better business to my ears. ‘Perpetual Breath’ is a brief excursion into lightweight drum ‘n’ bass, with techno overtones, interesting only as a hint as to where Lowe’s music is heading.

JOHN RUSSELL