NORTH SEA, THE - BLOODLINES (LP)

"Brad Rose is an artist who is notoriously hard to pigeonhole. He might spend his days running the esteemed Digitalis imprint (sidelining the wonderful Foxy Digitalis webzine) but his nights are wiled away chiselling at the petrified corpse of experimental music. Donating sounds to Ajilvsga, Altar Eagle, Sea Zombies and Ossining (among many others) he has somehow found time to fashion a new solo work for Type and it could hardly be further removed from his last outing. 'Bloodlines' is an album rooted in synthesis ­ the kind of busted power electronics that emerged in the early 80s with Ramleh, Throbbing Gristle and Whitehouse. This is not however simply a noise album ­ Brad has anchored his sound in this explorative mode, but uses his expertise to take it far beyond murk, grit and fractured teeth. With the help of Zelienople drummer Mike Weis the record is a gloriously spacious excursion, with the fizzing Radiophonic blips, drones and tones set against gongs, scrapes and clanks. The sounds are dark and often punishing ­ torturous and occasionally frightening, but Brad somehow manages to offset it with an occasional flourish of beauty or calm." (label info)