Songs as simple as a knife and just as deadly.  Typically when you listen to electronic music, it’s generally very clean and clear and the production is straightforward.  Let the music do the work or at the very least, let the production not get in the way of the audience and the music.

For Black Bug, channeling early Shawn Foree, on their full length self-titled album just released on FDH records, there is a rejection of the clean and clear and an embrace of distortion, grit as saw toothed synths tear lines through the synapses of your brain across eighteen tracks.  Sharp and hard-edged, these are the songs that get stuck in the heads of schizophrenic murderers as they go about their days culling the life from their victims.

This is the sound of a youth spent listening to equal parts Waxtrax and Dischord Records reawakening the best elements of both.  Short snappy songs, brutal distorted bass; nearly nonsensical words shouted or spoken more than sung and beats that inspire your tired body to dance on broken glass with no regard for anything as naive as a “future.”

In these songs is a casual threat, a menacing smirk and a wild swagger that reprograms your thoughts rearranging them to jump cuts, distorting your expectations transforming you from simple cow to lean, hungry predator hunting down previous, hard to find 7” releases from this amazing and unique group.  FDH Records has the amazing and indispensable 12” release now for $11; limited to 500 pieces.  They also have an MP3 of “Beating your Heart out“, or you can check out Black Bug’s MySpace page for songs not on the album as they have JUST released a new 7” Television Screen.  My own copy hasn’t come in yet, but if it’s anywhere as good as Life is a Whore and this Self-Titled release, it will be something you cannot miss.

Category : album Review