Wrecking Ball - Gruntwork [Deserted Village - 2004]Gruntwork is a collection of short ‘n’ strange & other worldly tracks that are sometimes quirky, somes noisy and sometimes atmospheric. With a great variation in sound and texture though-out it’s amazing to find out this is made purely from improvisations with voice, microphone, amplifier and a bell and all been produced by one person Steve Fanagan. We go from eerier taping and scratching/ dragging that sounds like some strange alien creature talking, to low down industrial like drone plans alive and moving with multiple strange voice tones from robotic broncal, to perching whistling, to creepy/comic chatter. To stuck awkward ‘n’ burly sound saws mumbled over by strange witch like siren tones. To weird banks of eager, almost sensual and little scary soundcapes of rising voice tones. And it's is all done with no overdubs, live straight on to mini disk. Fanagan really creates his own strange and compelling universe with-in the albums 40 minute running time. A world that’s bizarre, funny,threatening and strangely sensual. One of the most original, compelling, strange and yet extreme listenable and replayble collection of sound adventures I come across in a while. And Unlike some Improvised music it pulls you in from the off and entertains , simulates and puzzles- growing with strange wonder and otherness the more you play it. Roger Batty
|