Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 09:36:26 +0100 From: "A.J. Norman" Subject: Breeders, Volume 10, Bark Psychosis, Laika Bark Psychosis - Independency ----------------------------- Nearly missed this, as the band name is in Cyrillic script on the front. It's a compilation of their first four singles, more than 60 minutes long (they could have called it "Hex Enduction Hour", but someone else got there first). Strangely, it opens with the second single's B-side ("I Know"), it and "Nothing Feels" are gentle acoustic songs. First single "All Different Things" is a classic - soft whispering and swishing cymbals, then LOUD guitars, then back to the whispering. B-side "By-Blow" is the sound of two killer whales fighting in a knitting factory. The remaining four songs were the ones I hadn't heard before - "Manman" has some tough, beating percussion, the two B-sides are softer, and the compilation closes with "Scum", a 20-minute single which takes 10 minutes to warm up, and which could have been taken from "Hex". Most of these songs were recorded by the basic g/b/d/k band, so the album doesn't sound as lush as "Hex", but those of you who like a bit of noise with their ambience should try to find this. Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 13:41:00 CST From: CZ Subject: Bark Psychosis/Channel Light Vessell I just picked up **Bark Psychosis's Hex** of which i had heard much raving on this list with nary a naysayer. I was sorely displeased: "Imagine jazz w/ a touch of 'ambient'" and with an intrudingly unpleasant voice!!! This guy can't sing worth beans and it just ruined the whole album. I just thought i'd go on the record as saying that this album wasn't worth my U$ Dollars. So as not to be labeled a sourpuss i will say that i also bought the recently released debut (?) by **Channel Light Vessell**. The album, **Automatic**, successfully implements all of the beauty and granduer found in the instrumentation of Hex--in fact it surpasses the quality. Does anyone agree with me on the Bark Psychosis thingy or am i just too used to extremely proficient female vocalists? - cz ---------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 15:12:59 -0400 From: Mike Borum Subject: Re: Bark Psychosis/Channel Light Vessell I actually like "Hex" quite a lot. I bought it last week. I understand what you mean when you say his voice is rather less-than-spectacular. Personally, I don't mind his voice so much. There have been worse. Try looking at the music (or, rather, listening to it) more for what it is than for what you wish it to be. This may or may not help, but I find it important to listen to something from the point of view of the musician who made it -- at least at first -- to gain a better idea of where it is they're coming from. IMO, Bark Psychosis are probably where Dif Juz would be if they had kept it going and if one of them had decided to sing. As for Channel Light Vessel, I've been eyeing that CD for a few days now, and your little review clinches it. Thanks! Mike. Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 22:20:38 -0700 From: Jens Alfke (jens@INOW.COM) AND JUST so there's some content in this, let me say that I've been listening to a steady diet of Bark Psychosis' "Independency" for the past week at work. In particulary, I'll listen to the track "Scum" over and over (it's 25 minutes long so this isn't as obsessive as it may seem.) What genius. Call me an old fart but this is what Pink Floyd might have become if they'd managed to keep some of the spark of weirdness from their early years. This is a band that can ooze from melancholy strumming to techno to wild feedback squalling to spectral late-night jazz and make it seem obvious -- I'm talking you drag Red House Painters, Eat Static, Sonic Youth, Talk Talk and Slowdive into the studio and miraculously get a masterpiece. Yeah, it's an import (to us US folks), buy it anyway. __________ Jens Alfke|__________________ "In this story we sit down on Luna Bridge jens@mooseyard.com| And catch snow in our cupped hands __________________________ And music is coming from the houses http://www.inow.com/~jens/ Or it sings inside me. I begin to mend." --Karen Peris Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 02:32:22 -0500 From: Gil Gershman (TooPurist@AOL.COM) Subject: lots of Bark Psychosis info (and 4AD linkages...) Jens, an all-around great guy with simply amazing taste, said: >The only other things I know of are: > >Big Shot / Reserve Shot Gunman > A-side is the album version. B-side is one of the best things they've >ever done, a piece of all-out techno with their regular instrumentation, >incl. guitars and real drums and only bits of keyboard. During the >breaks, instead of samples, you get piles of feedback. Awesome, but good >luck finding it. > it's "A Street Scene / Reserve Shot Gunman". Came out on cd, btw... with really beautiful sleeve art/deep red see-through case. A.S.C is exactly the same as on "Hex" (an album which I STILL insist is too perfect for words!). And Jens' comments about R.S.G are all right on... >Blue / Hex / Big Shot(?) remix > "Blue" is more or less in the same style as the album "Hex" but more >upbeat and with synthesized bass and drums. 'Blue" is the closest that BP will ever/should ever come to making pop. It sounds like a v-e-r-y moody Pet Shop Boys. Doesn't mean that I don't love it utterly - this band has yet to make a single misstep - but "Blue" isn't what "Hex" fans are expecting. Bark Psychosis seems to travel in footsteps parallel to A.R.Kane... mere 'pop' from either group dusts the ground with everything else in its wake. :) >"Hex" is incredibly noisy. "Hex", the 'title track'(?) IS incredibly noisy - but it's probably the most addictive bit of pure noise overdose you'll ever experience; think Princess Dragon-Mom, Merzbow, and (Dead) His Name Is Alive - run through with Main/Labradford flatline sensibilities. >The remix (is it "Big Shot" or some other album track? I forget) is >redone as all-synths. Worth picking up for the completist but there's >nothing really good on it. > "Big Shot" is remixed by Rudi (A.R.Kane) Tambala - which not only makes it essential, but also gives it tangible 4AD relevance! Yay! :-D >Supposedly the band are still together, but they haven't released >anything since '94. I dunno - just saw the dreaded words 'ex-Bark Psychosis' in a Boymerang preorder statement. :( Let's just all hold hands, cross fingers, and hope that it's not true - since Bark Psychosis without Graham Sutton would be like...uh... Disco Inferno without Ian Krause (WAAAAH! I'm still crying over that one...) quick backtrack: "All Different Things"(89) and "Nothing Feels"(90) were originally issued as 2-sided 12"s ONLY on Che(ree) Records. The two 12"s were combined to create a single EP, "Nothing Feels/I Know/All Different Things/By Blow"(90) - the first four tracks on the INDESPENSIBLE "Independency" compilation. The first - and only non-compiled B.P. track - was on a Che(ree) flexi with Spacemen 3 and the Fury Things. But Graham himself (who are we mortals to doubt him?!) says that it's absolute crap. :) ... actually, he says that about the spine-melting "By Blow", too. So go out, look for it, and let me know what YOU think! It might even be on the "Mon Cheree Amour" cd comp. . . I don't know. If you need to satiate your Graham Sutton cravings - can't blame you, of course - check out O'RANG - "Herd of Instinct". Not only is it Talk Talk's rhythm section; it's also fookin' brilliant - sensational, rich, vibrant, complex, dub/world/ambient/experimental music. AND Graham -Hallowed Be His Name- plays guitar on tracks 1,2, and 3!!!! Beth (Nobody Loves Her) Gibbons and Matt (more 4AD relevance!) Johnson are on the album, too. Graham used to reefer to the band as SCHWAA in interviews, but I'm pretty sure that they simply changed the name of the project. It's a phenomenal album - hard to find and expensive, but aren't ALL the best things in life?! :) There's an EP, too - "Spoor". Both are on Echo UK, though the ep has been reissued by the wonderful folks at HitIt! - who also resurrected [go-out-and-buy-it-this-minute] BUTTERFLY CHILD's "Onomatopoeia". Just a note, since my 'cred' seems to be at stake here. I am NOT connected with any sort of store, label, or commercial venture. The AE reviews were posted for purely informational purposes - I thought it a shame that few have been aware of those two amazing albums... I don't work for ae, Hitit!, Echo, or Third Stone - hell, I'm not even working. :( I'm trying to dig up some 'unheard' classics. Hope that's clear now. please join me in setting fire to all the busses in the world... Gil Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 08:09:25 +0100 From: Andrew Norman Subject: Re: On the 8th day God created Bark Psychosis Chris Abernathy writes >Yeah, Bark Psychosis are indeed *no more*. And thats a terribly sad thing >because 'Hex' is one of the most beautiful, exquisite, introspective albums >to ever grace my CD player, and I don't give that sort of praise very often. > The track listing for 'Game Over' does indeed seem to be all older stuff, >from 'Hex' or 'Independency' (which is their pre-'Hex' EPs collected onto one >CD). The only ones that don't sound familiar (from 'Game Over') are "Murder >City" (where is this from? Or is it "new" (previously unreleased)?) and the >live version of "Pendelum Man". I believe its Graham Sutton (though I could >be confusing names here) that has now formed Boymerang, a project of >dancier-type music (so I've heard, I've yet to actually hear anything BY >Boymerang) Album came out last week, and it's straight drum&bass (a.k.a. jungle). He's apparently one of the best, but it's a far cry from Bark Psychosis's delicate atmospheres. One of the tracks is co-written with Rudy Tambala from ARKane, but it's still the same thing. I may grow to appreciate it more, but I don't think so. The first Boymerang EP on Leaf is worth getting, but almost certainly impossible to find these days - it had a jungle flavour but was still recognisably the work of ex-members of BP (Sutton and Gish at that time, I think). I'm hoping that "Game Over" has alternate versions of stuff on it, it will be a shame if there's just one new track and a live version. -- Andrew Norman, Leicester, England andrew@riverrun.demon.co.uk http://www.riverrun.demon.co.uk/ Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 19:47:05 -0400 From: professor plum Subject: Re: Bark Psychosis speaking of, i just acquired _independency_ -- and it's probably one of the best purchases i've made all year. all those shoegazing-related recommendations that people have made for _hex_ -- they apply hardcore to a couple of tracks on independency. there are two tracks that will take some getting used to, but the whole cd is a winner. especially the 21 minute "scum" -- quiet-loud-quiet-loud awesomeness. (walking lexicon here) ; e.