the black dog - radio scarecrow
radio scarecrow is the second album by the current line up of the
legend that is the black dog.
while the bands (and with the addition of martin and rich dust to the lone
ranger, ken downie, this is very much a band in 2008), previous album,
silenced in 2005, was obviously a whole new adventure for all concerned,
this time around the lads are far more confident as to what music they want to
make.
the results having been road tested and tweaked during 2007s festival season,
are more assured, consistent and very special.
in other words they have created a wonderful ambient techno album that easily
sits alongside the bands well known catalogue.
the use of ear pleasing melodies and beats is gorgeous, innovative and totally
listenable.
17 seamless tracks in 70 minutes may sound heavy going, but i can assure you
that if you have any interest in the realm of modern techno that respects the
history of the genre via the respective nods to detroit styled bleeps, while
taking notes of the current love for minimal, then this album should be top of
your wish list.
admittedly i was a little concerned when recent remixes of album highlight,
flood v3.9, revealed a progression into the world of cold clinical dubstep,
but thankfully the final album seems to have avoided such restrictive genre
blackholes. though there is an obvious sonic osmosis taking place as the use of
dense claustrophobic thunderous bass is very much in evidence.
in fact, word has it that the detail in the bass end is so intense, that during
the creation process, the guys had to restrict their exposure to certain parts
to just 3 hours to prevent illness.
the music is deep, rich and incredibly beautiful making me wish i had a high
fidelity sound system that would respect the studio craftsmanship that has gone
into these productions, as crappy office friendly ear plugs simply don’t do the
layered music justice.
at times lush ambience with an edge of wired paranoia hidden in the perimeters
is the order of the day, and others, beats are intense and troublesome with a
more disturbing atmosphere being pushed to the fore.
of course with the black dog it’s never just about the music, as ongoing
interests involving numbers, magick, and something called electronic voice
phenomenon (evp), are supposedly embedded in the genetic code that has been used
to generate the sounds.
however, such sci-fi insight is unnecessary to get the maximum enjoyment, as
quite simply, radio scarecrow is one the years finest ambient techno
releases.
simple. as. that.
more detail : here - -
interview