Review: BRB>Voicecoil + Omnibadger - 'DISCO' (Cruel Nature)

Kevin Wilkinson, in his various guises, is a bit of a legend in experimental/musique concrete circles and has been a major presence for the last quarter of a century. He has released material as Grozny Penthouse, BRB (Big Road Breaker) and in recent years as brb>voicecoil. He is a manipulator of sound, taking noises and playing with them as a Michelin chef will take flavours and textures and producing something tasty...in short he is a craftsman. For this release on Cruel Nature he is joined by Stoke based noise punks Omnibadger who bring a whole different vibe with them.

The Industrial/Noise scene has a reputation for having a few shady aspects; 'musicians' whose political ideologies are unpleasant and plain wrong. 'DISCO' confronts these issues and in a most uncompromising manner, when you see track titles such as 'Swastika Tattoo' one's first thought may possibly be 'fascist!' but see past this and you have the opposite; an unwillingness to take the far-right association and to challenge it head-on and taking no prisoners.

Musically the album is dark, dense and in your face. Wilkinson's electronic manipulations provide the perfect base for the sludgy, raw stylings of Omnibadger...as the Cruel Nature website states the "distinctive elements from both sides shine through and combine to make something greater than the sum of its parts". It opens with 'Window Wiper' and a gentle, metronomic rhythm before all hell breaks loose. A huge wall of distortion and tribal drums precede some gnarly vocals..it is an immense noise! 'Sister' takes a more abstract path, a melange of those same raw vocals, unregulated drums and queasy electronic squelches and ticks. But, here's the thing - it all makes perfect sense and, on a deeper listening, it is not abstract but carefully pieced together like some sort of cubist jigsaw. Next up is the aforementioned 'Swastika Tattoo' and its grumble of electronics and walls of feedback. The vocals are not as primal as earlier tracks but just as impassioned. There is a Throbbing Gristle feel about this track which I suppose is fitting bearing in mind Genesis P'Orridge's penchant for "playing with symbology". I will just add you NEED to listen to the lyrics. 'Summer' is a wonderful track, a melody bordering on pleasant is overlaid with more squelches and dismebodied voices that sound like EVP (electronic voice phenomena) beloved of those 'ghost hunters' on TV. 'Drink The Kool-Aid' is, as you would expect, an allusion to Jim Jones and Jonestown and does, in fact, use spoken snippets of Jones over a strict rhythm reminiscent of Cabaret Voltaire, circa 'Voice of America', and echoing stabs of guitar. 'Spacer' is a long track clocking in a 12 minutes; a liminal drone plays out punctuated by metallic ringing and various found sounds. At around the 5 minute mark some pained, unsettling vocals enter the fray and drop in and out of the drone. Over time the track grows and expands into something deep and multi-layered and worth the admission price on its own. The album is closed with 'Subhuman' and opens with a punk guitar riff which comes as a bit of a surprise to be honest, in a good way. When it gets going it is HUGE.. a high octane melting pot of anger and frustration that takes industrial, anarchopunk and noise elements to produce something that will scare children and annoy neighbours - a very, very good thing!

'DISCO' is not an easy listen, and the emphasis is very much on the listen. It is disturbing, uncompromising and as heavy as fuck but, and again I quote Christopher Nosnibor on the Cruel Nature page, "If it doesn’t provoke thought or debate, it’s not art, it’s entertainment, a night out at the disco." It sure as hell ain't a night out at the disco but it does provoke thought. Both brb>voicecoil and Omnibadger play their part in making this an intriguing, satisfying and essential album. It is on pre-order on the mo at Cruel Nature with a release date of 28th October as a download and a limited edition tape.



Links:

Cruel Nature Bandcamp

Cruel Nature Facebook

brb>voicecoil Website

Omnibadger Bandcamp

Omnibadger Facebook