performer. Speed Jack
title. Surge
composer. Mark Bell
label. R & S Records (BEL)
catalog. RS96067/CD
format. 2xLP/CD
There is a faint possibility that Mark Bell used Speed Jack as a
testbed pseudonym for new material during the five-year break between
LFO's "Frequencies" and "Advance" albums. "Advance" and Speed Jack's
"Surge" sound remarkably alike, though Speed Jack material can be set
apart from LFO for being in general more aggressive. Smooth and subtle
string layers, odd digital gurgles and analogue bubbling, hideously
well-controlled distortion and fantastic whole-track build-ups -
Luke Slater's 7th Plain on amphetamine. Mark Bell traverses through
a wide variety of styles ranging from delightful trance ("Construction")
to wicked distorted stomping ("Storm") and beyond ("Fading"). Though
the album is mostly new material, the title tracks from all previous
Speed Jack EPs are present.
While "Advance" is admittedly rather schizophrenic, "Surge" has a
clean, crystalline structure throughout. This album is worth a listen
or a hundred, growing and expanding with every repeated listen-to.
A quick Speed Jack discography:
C.T.C. [1994] RS94049 12"
Storm [1994] RS94040 12"
Blue Bossa [1996] RS96087 12"
Surge [1996] RS96067 2xLP
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