WORST ALBUM 2010

PSYCHIC BAGGAGE
Psychic Baggage
(Endless Melt) *1/2 

In the press release, Psychic Baggage are described as "water-damaged free jazz" and "a soundscape of fried theta waves". And that's exactly what it sounds like. Incomprehensible, ocassionaly inaccessible and totally far out, man. Not suprising, given Psychic Baggage is the work of Duncan Blachford, former Witch Hats drummer. The name was taken from an interview published on Mess+Noise last year, in which Witch Hats' Kris Buscome talks of producing an album's worth of "gacked-off-our-faces material". Psychic Baggage may have been recorded in a similar state but Blachford is a talented musician and, through delicate drumming, droning guitars and the odd patch of white noise, creates a Lynchian sense of foreboding. Opening track Free Sunshine is anything but light - and claims to feature vocals from Beaches' Alison Bolger. Didn't hear any, unless I mistook her voice for a reverberating piece of sheet metal. She also plays sax on the album closer, Drums Meet Sax. I can't say I enjoyed this record but if you're into water-damaged free jazz (as opposed to drought-stricken or fire-ravaged jazz), you just might.

Annabel Ross, The Age, 20 August 2010



Voted worst album in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, December 2010

Mail order via Endless Melt

MUSIQUE POVERA: SNWKLR / HI GOD PEOPLE

Dylan Martorell (Snawklor/Hi God People) is currently exhibiting Musique Povera at Heide Museum of Modern Art.

This Sunday, Snawklor combine 'forces' with The Hi God People and a huge cast (VDO, Oblivion Hex, Mudra Woo Hoo, Bruce Mawson, Charles Ives Singers, Lachlan Conn, Donkeys Tail) for a special collobarative performance. Here's what HGP's own J.W has to say about it ...

the hi god will rock the environs and modern art must die. they will do mantras of Kurt switters ur sonata (1923 come 2010),we will take you cosmic surfing on the public transport of the 12 th realm,the hgp performance unit will fight the hgp musical unit till death or conquest occurs. bulleen will fall then templestowe will follow

Sunday 22 August
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Heide Museum of Modern Art
7 Templestowe street
Bulleen, Australia
http://www.heide.com.au

Psychic Defrost

Mr Doug Wallen reviewed the new Psychic Baggage album for Cyclic Defrost. Here's what he had to say

Psychic Baggage – Psychic Baggage (Endless Melt)
By Doug Wallen July 28, 2010

Psychic Baggage is yet another fascinating outlet from Melbourne’s Duncan Blachford, the former Witch Hats drummer now splitting his time between Rubbish Throwers, Snawklor, Actual Holes, and Miniature Submarines. Released via his label Endless Melt, this project is fairly accurately dubbed “water-damaged free jazz.” Most of the six tracks on this self-titled debut average eight minutes, during which Blachford explores gaping space with minimal, improvised elements.

‘Free Sunshine’ sets the stage with intuitive drumming and skittering guitar that ranges from noise to melody to bristling afterburn. Blachford also slips in some jazz-ish cymbal play for a few teasing moments, confirming the project’s thirst for deconstruction. ‘Drums Meet Guitar’ starts with a nocturnal hum of keyboard and some haunted guitar before the drumming kicks in, and it’s ultimately much more about spine-tingling atmosphere than the instrumental cage match suggested by its title. ‘Sick In Memphis’ then sets a low and distant guitar loop set against much closer drumming. There’s some more burning guitar noise, but again it’s in the service of exploration as Blachford continues to feel out the changing textures at his disposal.

Like the soundtrack of a good horror film, ‘Autumn Monument’ sets foreboding bass tones and unearthly sounds against disturbing whimpers of trumpet. The percussion that birthed that track was a direct reaction to the motion of leaves in the wind outside a studio window, but there’s nothing calming about the finished piece. On the other hand, ‘Dreams, Sir’ is kind of sweet, thanks to a kinder and more hushed interplay of guitar and drums. Beaches’ Alison Bolger lends the titular saxophone to ‘Drums Meet Sax’, another spattered improv excursion. As with the rest of this album, it’s eerie and open, primordial and freeing.

Doug Wallen
Cyclic Defrost

ZOND LAUNCH

The amazing ZOND launch their self titled album, out now thru the mighty RIP Society Records

ZOND
Beaches
Snawklor

Saturday 31st July
John Curtin Bandoom

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Read an interview with Zond on Mess+Noise ...
“I like explosions. I wish fireworks were still legal.”