|
|
 |
Dusted Reviews
Artist: Thighpaulsandra Album: The Lepore Extrusion Label: Brainwashed Review date: Oct. 17, 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Claiming that this release is Thighpaulsandra’s darkest yet is a hefty statement with a discography as blood-red as his, but it’s true nonetheless. Left to his devilish devices outside of his Spiritualized/Coil work, the Welsh experimentalist has moved between live group improv and tightly rehearsed pop efforts, but nothing quite this disturbing. The Lepore Extrusion, a single 45-minute soundtrack, sets its sights on further mining his retro-futuristic synth world. Chopped and squeezed, this might have once even made a heartless backing for one of Coil’s lengthier Sleazyless drone pieces.
Thighpaulsandra actually crafted this suite from three separate pieces from a Daniel McKernan exhibition, but the split isn’t visible at all. Concentrating on a dark ambient drone, terrible noises tower over recurring patterns, an air of restrained human violence generated in the steely cold. This heavily shadowed and brooding HAL-9000 theme finds its strength in the polypharmacy effect of multiple elements swimming into the mix. Sometimes a few untreated sounds slither out from the rubber-lined dungeon mix, ending up as another ingredient in the escalating drones. Through the dusk, you can sometimes make out a melodic refrain circling its black heart.
Visual outtakes from McKernan’s exhibition are also included on the disc. It’s probably not necessary to check out this material in any particular order, but just for a bit of background to the theory of the event, I would recommend reading the "Is Evolution Evil?" essay before checking the video. Unlike many of Thighpaulsandra’s other efforts there’s no overt controversy this time in the artwork; the image of Amanda Lepore’s surgically enhanced face seems unlikely to offend. Of course, if transsexual silicone breasts (that jiggle) aren’t your thing, then it might be advisable to just stick with the music.
By Scott McKeating
|
View all articles by Scott McKeating