Review: Boobs Of DOOM - eXXpre$$ion

I've been meaning to write a few words about Boobs Of DOOM for a while now but something always seems to get in the way....but I've put life on hold, turned of my phone and put a brick through the telly to ensure that I do, finally, spread the good word. Boobs Of DOOM are "Sadsack & Thumper; Two WoW obsessed Scottish morbid misanthropes soundtracking the end of the world with stoopid-computers, rusty guitars and an ageing wonky TB-303 called Muta, since 2013"...that, I realise, tells you nothing about them apart from a twisted sense of humour, but that dark humour is an integral part of their modus operandi along with mutated beats and doom inflected electronica. They recently shared a split release with Stupid Cosmonaut which is pretty essential, as is 'eXXpre$$ion'.

The album opens with 'You Fucking Sheeple Make Me Sick' which sounds like the bastard offspring of Cabaret Voltaire, Perc and Incapacitants (yeah, I realise that makes no sense biologically, but in the world of Boobs Of DOOM anything goes.) There is an aura of malevolence that permeates above and through the twisted beats and electronica - it is the perfect marriage of dark techno and noise. 'Nada' opens in a more sedate manner - a synth line pans across the speakers heralding something that sounds minimally exotic before a bass heavy melody crashes in and sits astride every thing like a rampant colossus. 'Aretkistapha' has a feel of Muslimgauze about, the same staccato beat but it all turns decidedly dubby, but this is dystopian dub..the type of dub they would play in some dank watering hole in Bladerunner...fantastic stuff that has been on constant rotation in the car of late. 'Friend Collectors' sees the Boobs go all ambient dub...it's mellow and non-threatening which comes as a surprise...like early Banco De Gaia with a beautiful guitar line running through it...but this being Boobs Of DOOM the beats get twisted and some buzzing noise is injected to turn proceedings into something completely different, something just that little more dark. 'McHanzo Dragon Lovegun' (apart from being an ace title) neatly encompasses everything that has gone before...there are flashes of dub, some heavy bass notes and washes of threatening synth but all underscored by an eastern sounding melody. There is so much going on in this track it leaves the listener dizzy, a bit discombobulated but happy. 'Sleepman' has more of the Bryn Jones industrial beats and more exotic undercurrents which lends it an air of mystery but what stands out is the guitar that lays over the top...wavering between eastern tones and repetitive psych, it pervades everything...a brilliant track and probably my fave on the album. 'tHE wOLF yOU fEED (diarchy)' again sees that mix of coruscating guitar and mutated electronica with some great interludes of everything from techno to pseudo-tropicalia via sci-fi soundtracks..it is 'upbeat' but carries a definite pessimistic atmosphere somehow. 'All You Zombies' starts a bit kosmische but turns into a gargantuan tract of heavy beats and gnarled electronics....they keep the kosmische element tucked in nicely behind the beats that are dark matter heavy. The album is wrapped up nicely by the delightfully named 'You May Kill Just Like a Woman But You Preach Like a Little Girl' which is an excellent piece full of abstract electronics and a background hum worthy of the aforementioned Cabaret Voltaire...it sounds altogether more analogue than some of the other tracks, with great swoops and swashes of synth, except for that rhythm which is bordering on trip hop.

AS I mentioned earlier, I've dug this duo for a while and 'eXXpre$$ion' must rank as one of my favourites...the mix of the contemporaneous beats with nods back to the pioneers of electronic music and all wrapped up in a fog of pessimism bordering on the sepulchral at times. It's not for everyone I know, but anyone with a liking for experimental music or those bored with the current state of electronic music (IDM be damned!) will get a great deal from this. The good/bad news is....if you are new to this group, there are nine previous albums you'll need to check out, but it is well worth it! 'eXXpre$$ion' is released on August 11th and can be got (with everything that has gone before) via their Bandcamp page here.