FAOjesus |
MP3: There is Beauty
Scotland's FAOjesus are an unusual band to write about. Actually, they're an unusual band to listen to also, because although I find this album fascinating, the problem I've had is finding the right moments to listen to it. A dark piece of electronica, it makes for uneasy listening. Even when a song is rolling along smoothly and you think you understand where it's going, something is likely to crunch suddenly on an unexpected beat, shocking your ears and making you wary of complacency.
Their cast of weapons includes '80s synths and drum machines, a '90s sampler, a semi-acoustic guitar, an old laptop, and apparently a 1930s twin-lens reflex camera. Yet there's no retro feel to tsetse fly jihad. This is the sound of technology being warped beyond the imagination of its original creators to create challenging and sometimes even menacing soundscapes. Not in the sense of musicians like Venetian Snares who digitally distort and cut everything to the extent that you're pounded into submission. With FAOjesus, their real power comes from the atmospherics they create, allowing your mind to be your own worst enemy.
Like a good horror film, the album won't always fit into your daily listening schedule, but when the time is right it will get you. Have a go at the samples on their site, look out for them in the darkest corners of the Scottish scene, and if you're up to the challenge, take on the full album because it is genuinely intriguing.
Steven McCarron - 25-06-2005
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