Surprised that nobody's mentioned this yet.
Well, I'm up - and I have nothing better to do so...
New Locust is always a cause for celebration. Right, Helen? ;-)
LOCUST
No-One in the World
Apollo 26 EP 12"/CD5
composed by M. Van Hoen/P. Udell/G. Geld (Chrysalis/Polygram Music)
produced and mixed by M. Van Hoen
vocals by Wendy Roberts
side 1
1. third summer after mix 7.12
2. morning light mix 6.43
side 2
3. DSP mix 5.13
4. original WFO mix 12.00
The EP kicks off with the "Third Summer After Mix" - seven minutes of This
Mortal Coil (reminds me of "Come Here My Love" off of _Filigree & Shadow_)
thrown into the hardstep drum & bass centrifuge. There are breaks here more
intense than anything on your average Nico or Ed Rush 12"! The female vocals
swim in this mix, a haze which only serves to blur the rhythmic foundation's
incredibly tense assault. Bits of (too sweet) Depeche Mode-type synth melody
intrude between the gaps left by stuttering breaks. It's like the cut-up
mayhem of _Truth Is Born of Arguments_, but with a greater sense of purpose
and direction. Unmissable!
The "Morning Light Mix" is a completely different creature. The d&b bedrock
is played down here, a chugging which underscores the frothy sax runs and
(dream)poppy chord changes of the original song. The female vocals - REAL
vocals, not mindless diva wailing - are brought to the forefront, but they
never feel intrusive. Jazzy, a little lounge-y. In a perfect world this would
be playing when you're put on hold during a telephone call - or it would be
piped inobtrusively into your favorite supermarket. Inject some mild jungle
trappings into a Dif Juz/Cocteau Twins hybrid, maybe a touch of Slowdive, and
this is probably what you'll get. Could Locust be the lost link between IDM
and 4AD? :-o
The "DSP Mix" is the dark and menacing Locust we've all come to love. Here
the vocals are given that full magnetic-tape mangling treatment. The music is
slowed to a crawl, just shuddering bass and a stillborn pulse. With Wendy
Roberts crooning that "No One in the Wooooorld," it gives new meaning to the
phrase "little girl lost." Sounds like one hell of a place to get lost, too.
The beat quickens a little, synths moan, Van Hoen finds new ways to distort
the vocals. This is intense shit. Towards the end, the rhythm begins to sound
like a frigid take on Bjork's "Human Behaviour!" This is how I'd imagine a
Jim O'Rourke remix of Aquasky or Immortal Minds to sound.
Finally, the "Original WFO Mix." I believe the track appeared on one of
Astralwerks' _Excursions in Ambience_ volumes (#2?). A gentle breeze, and
this will blow away like a handful of ash. Fragile synths, a rather Aphex-y
(SAW1) beat murmurring just under the surface. . . and growing in loudness
and intensity until you're forced to move every part of you which can move.
The most generic of the four tracks, this falls somewhere between chillout
room and subtly insistent "hausmuzik." But the techno cliches are played
down, and the track ably avoids a sense of "been there-done that.". Bark
Psychosis' brilliant B-side, "Reserve Shot Gunman," comes to mind. The
difference is that Locust's excursion into dance-ready techno is devoid of
that track's restrained violence. Not a trace of menace- it's just a slightly
spacy, slowly percolating dance delight. At 12:00 it's far too long, but too
much of a good thing is always okay by me.
All said, I'd give it a 7 1/2 out of 10. If anyone's looking for the vinyl,
I'll sell mine. Think I'll try and pick this up on CD5. . .
GuerillaG
who should be sleeping.... it's 5am!