New BARK PSYCHOSIS album

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'Codename : Dustsucker; - out today it seems. Anyone heard it?

Boomkat says: 'Jeez, this is good. I remember picking up "Scum", perhaps the best known Bark Psychosis release, when I was still in my teens working the xmas holidays at Virgin Megastore on the Totenham Court Road in London. At the time I couldn't quite believe what I was listening to - a 21 minute epic that seemed to be recorded in a warehouse, abstract found sounds seeping into a mix of incredily rich instrumentation and a quiet/loud ambience that must have preceeded its time by a good 5 years. Only Talk Talk employed a similarly opulent, brave, dense layering of textures - creating a sound that seemed to tower above anything else available to my eager ears. Since then, and we're talking a good 10 years or so, Graham Sutton veered off into the heady underworld of Drum & Bass (as a DJ and under his Boymerang alias), looking at the darkside fron an entirely different perspective. Hard to fathom, then, quite how he's managed to resurrect Bark Psychosis without a hint of desperation or uncertainty. Codename : Dustsucker is an incredible listen - a blend of everything he sparked off and all the slight generic revolutions that have taken place since. It's post-rock re-invented, electronica re-written, soundtrack music writ large and new - and without question one of the most astonishing records of the year. If you're into Talk Talk, Hood, Tortoise, The Remote Viewer, My Bloody Valentine, To Rococo Rot, or if you just want to hear life-changing music from one of the scene's greatest unknown operators - we implore you to check this out without delay. Magnificent.' (not that i take their opinion v seriously....)

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=2186

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:42 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm listening to it now and it's sounding good although I guess it'll take a few listens to get into.

I'd say I'd write something about it when I've listened to it enough, but I'm crap at writing. Maybe I'll just give it a mark out of ten.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, 26 July 2004 17:52 (8 years ago) Permalink

Nice review Nick...

"it’s easy to feel that ///Codename: Dustsucker doesn’t really exist"

That's a good way of putting it. I've been having to check myself. It's kind of like a new MBV record that's actually happened.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, 26 July 2004 17:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

This leaked back in December or January, didn't it? And it's just now coming out?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 26 July 2004 19:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

Read the interview -- he leaked it himself.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

I gotta say, I never had any interest in this band simply based on its name.

― frankE (frankE), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

It is a bit of a put off isn't it. I would've done the same.

However, they don't sound anything like their name.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, 26 July 2004 21:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

The names tossed around in the review are intriguing...

― frankE (frankE), Monday, 26 July 2004 21:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've never heard them either, I guess I always pictured them sounding like early 90s Ministry or something like that, based on the name.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 26 July 2004 21:18 (8 years ago) Permalink

Good lord NO. Get thee to these discs, young Matt, and you will see the error of your thinking.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 July 2004 21:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

yeah, everything I've read on the new one sounds great! Kinda of a post-rocky-techno-infl MBV type thing, correct?

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 26 July 2004 21:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

More like the last two Talk Talk records, although I can't quite categorize the new one that way.

Having said that, I can't really even type either as I've knocked back a load of booze. I've decided I'm celebrating the release of the new LP by listening to it loads and drinking.

It's really great. That's probably the best rock journalism I can manage.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, 26 July 2004 22:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

lee harris of talk talk plays drums on it. I think it's better than hex, actually.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 26 July 2004 22:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

i'm sorta like m.helgeson on this one - they're the kind of thing i'd probably love, but for some reason i've never bothered trying to get any of their stuff. this album has been a (reasonably) big deal in the m.press, so there shd be no problem finding a copy somewhere in dublin, i shall pick it up at some point.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 26 July 2004 23:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

it only recently dawned on me that the name implies some kind of illness brought on by eating the bark from a tree.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 00:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

it is not in any way better than hex. the first song is great, sorta like slowdive covering bark psychosis and i don't mind the short instrumental but the rest is all so bloated and swooshy. hex was ornate and delicate and even sinister in spots but this one is just vanilla all around. i suppose i am just having the wrong reaction as everyone else seems to love it. i would have loved a more stripped down affair, something similar to the first few songs on 'independency' but he's loaded everything up with studio fluff. it's not quite a second coming-like disappointment but it infuriated me when i first listened, all these familiar lovely touches and then he steps on them, i don't know why he needed to be loud i remember him going on and on about the power of silence in an interview once, maybe i should send it to him, i think it was my audrey's diary record. and foir some reason i seem to need to repeat to everyone how much i dislike it. i'll stop now. did it come out in the USA first? cause i bought it two weeks ago here.

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 01:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

that said i jus tread the stylus interview and it's rather nice, the first thing i've ever enjoyed on that site.

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 02:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ned's piece here.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 06:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ah thanks. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 11:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

No, thank YOU.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 11:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

No thank YOU. < / Chip and Dale >

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 11:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

hahaha

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 12:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'll have to get this! I will say, though, that this name is really not doing this band any favors. Also, naming your record "Codename: Dustsucker" doesn't do much to disabuse me of my early 90s Ministry associations!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 13:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

I bought it yesterday, and I'm not quite feeling it so far. It's much denser than Hex, so much so that I'm finding it difficult to hook onto anything in particular.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 12:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

listen to shapeshifting thirty times in a row

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 14:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

some general first enthusiastic impressions of the album lifted from my blog:

God this is so gorgeous, I can't believe it. It's spinning in my shitty kitchen Philips CD player for the second time now and I am already overwhelmed. It's moody, atmospheric stuff with some jazzy elements like a trumpet and piano. Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden isn't too far. Some weird electronic and not so electronic sounds but not too many. Rather dark than bright. Rather monochromic than black and white. Rather a maelstrom than a cataract. Music that draws the listener in and embraces him without asking him. There are beats but they are hardly danceable. I could bathe in this relaxing ocean of blue forever. Maybe my new favourite album of this year. Though it is definitely too premature for such a bold statement. And Riot on an Empty Street is a masterpiece almost impossible to best.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

so where is this interview, ned? can you provide us with a link as i am too dumb to find it?

if i didn't know german i'd really be intrigued by the two word lyrics of the last song called "rose". "traum" is one of those words in the german language which sound so fucking great when you don't know what they mean and which sound even greater when you do. this track is like a justification of the german language.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

article based on interview

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 04:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

The last two words are "vertrau mir" aren't they? From the lyric booklet - and they mean "trust me", I gather.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 07:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

I can't believe the complete lack of mainstream press this album is getting. There isn't even a review of it on the All-Music Guide! It's gonna sell like 200 copies total!

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 25 August 2004 11:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

I have done my best, :o(

I even submitted a review of it to Grooves for the next issue, hopefully they'll run it and some Yank electronica fans will latch onto it.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 11:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

There isn't even a review of it on the All-Music Guide!

Give me time.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 11:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

There isn't even a review of it on the All-Music Guide!

for real? and i know Andy K has had a copy for almost a year. (-;

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 13:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

the last two words are "vertraue mir" according to the booklet, you are right, jimmy. i heard "der traum" (the dream). the "mir" is hardly audible, it is kind of swallowed. that is really funny, i don't understand my own language. i am a little disappointed about "vertaue mir" as those words seem too trivial and not mystic enough. whatever. lyrics are lyrics and music is music. and the music is huger than the lyrics.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 17:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

spelling: "vertraue mir", i can't write my language neither!

here is the bp c or d thread with some more impressions of the album at the end.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 17:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

ok, now I've found the proper thread, thanks to Herr Alex im Mainhattan ... :)

------------

Keith M -- I agree, it is not as good as "Hex". It is very different from "Hex", so maybe this is like comparing apples to oranges, but really, if I had to choose one over the other this very instant, I would unhesitatingly grab "Hex".

But that's a typical pattern for me -- preferring the fragile, under-produced first album of many bands in this genre to the "everything but the kitchen sink" production-crazy second album.

If you prefer Pale Saints' "Comforts of Madness" to their follow-up "In Ribbons", and if you prefer the Boo Radleys' "Everything's Alright Forever" to their folow-up "Giant Steps", then you've probably got the same tropism that I do!

I do really like the first part of "Dustsucker", and have been playing it over and over since I got the album, but I always seem to hit a musical roadbump after the song that makes me think of David Sylvian. Instead of letting the album finish, I back-space it and start the whole album over again. Something about those last few songs feels more like a fade then an ending. But maybe I'll warm up to them when I listen to them again -- if I can stop myself from starting over, that is!

― stripey, Friday, 27 August 2004 23:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've got a bit more free time tonight, and know that I won't be online for several days (and probably not on ILX for a few after that), so I'll toss this extra BP post in tonight too -- hope ya'll don't mind me cluttering up this thread!

This post is about my misinterpretation of the lyrics of "400 Winters", which I briefly mentioned on the C/D thread ...

Here's the lyrics as printed on the booklet, which I'm assuming is the "authoritative version" -- even though it doesn't quite synch up with the singing in some parts :

---------------

Loose rein. Let us rest Where words speak nor confess Always beside always besides For one another winding west we seek and grow apart Blood disappears where deeds begin you never stop nor start Turn out the silent glare turn out the silent stare 400 winters never count Sleep never rusts a final sign of things to come, you can not lay your hand upon it's only ever more it's only ever more ...

---------------

... And here what I _thought_ they were singing, which turns out to be very, very, very far off track, even though in an odd way, it makes as much sense as the words above do ...

------

It's rain, let us rest ;
We won't speak, nor confess.
Always beside, always besides --
Far from another blinding lust.
We'll seek then grow apart ...

Let's wait, let us rest,
Let's make no contact --
Always beside, always besides --
For one another, altough worldy-wise .
We'll seek then grow apart ...

Thought disappears where it's begun --
We'll never stop nor start.
Don't have to sit and glare ;
Don't have to sigh and stare.

400 winters never count
And sleep never ends.
If what inside are things to come.
You can not lay your hand upon ...

It's only ever more.
It's only ever more.

It's sunny ever more.
... sunny ever more.

400 winters never count,
If what inside are things to come.
You can not lay your hand upon,
If what inside are things to come.

It's only ever more ...
It's sunny ever more ...

― stripey, Saturday, 28 August 2004 00:03 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Awww.

Now I've gone and scared everyone away :)

― stripey, Friday, 17 September 2004 15:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

did you ever arrive to the second last song, stipey? shapeshifting is phenomenal. a song that whispers "repeat" in my ears when it's over in a way that i can't refuse it by no means.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 17 September 2004 17:09 (8 years ago) Permalink

I feel like I've been plugging my blog a lot lately, but here's a review.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 17 September 2004 17:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

I've heard one Bark Psychosis song, "A Street Scene" from Hex, and it's incredible.. but reading the descriptions of this make it seem much more up my alley.. which album should I get first?

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 04:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

All of them. (More seriously, if you already like "A Street Scene," get Hex, then get this. But definitely do not ignore Independency.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 04:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

to answer that in a political correct way: Hex

i was euphorialistic when Dustsucker came out but it doesn't have lurking classic written all over it like Hex does

x-post - must get Independency
+ i demand Hex to be reiussed! Jess H., what u say 'bout that?

― rizzx (Rizz), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 04:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Both the albums and Independency (EP comp) are absolutely great.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 13:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

dustsucker was last year's biggest disappointment for me, maybe because i haven't evolved like mr S has but i thought the auburn lull cd was the best bark psychosis cd released last year.

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 23:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

Is it going to be another 10 years till we hear a new BP album?

― van der who (van smack), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 00:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

the bp album was way more varied (and definitely went forward with the hex sound) than the auburn lull one (which doesnt hold up all the way thru anyway). to be honest, i dont see any similarities between both bands.

― Popli Kid, Wednesday, 31 August 2005 06:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

haven't seen this on a best of decade list yet, prob top 10 for me

― Crackle Box, Wednesday, 23 December 2009 11:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

Wait until all the best of decade lists are published.

― exploding angel vagina (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 23 December 2009 11:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

New album in four years!

― The Marty Funkhouser Dance Machine (van smack), Friday, 18 June 2010 17:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

Heh.

― jaymc, Friday, 18 June 2010 18:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

sb'd you for that

― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 00:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

New album in two years

― van smack, Thursday, 9 August 2012 04:45 (9 months ago) Permalink

Well you do play the long game.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 9 August 2012 04:52 (9 months ago) Permalink

Thought it was 'Game Over' though.
Or was that just the early years compiled?

Could they do with a better comprehensive Che era compi? One that was more chronological, maybe going onto the next label too? Trying to think how long a Che compi would be.
Just looked at discog on Rateyourmusic and should cover the 3rd Stone stuff too.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:00 (9 months ago) Permalink

Could they do with a better comprehensive Che era compi?

Wasn't that Independency?

― Tim F, Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:02 (9 months ago) Permalink

Had just been talking about them last weekend since somebody who was part of the Claremont ave protest they were in was on the Solidarity Camp.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:02 (9 months ago) Permalink

Looks like it was indeed Independency. Don't have that one, not sure you can still get it. I wound up with the 2 later compis cos I think it was difficult to get back at the beginning of the millennium.
So maybe needs a reissue?

― Stevolende, Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:04 (9 months ago) Permalink

Yes it does, it's excellent (as good as Hex).

― Tim F, Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:07 (9 months ago) Permalink

Graham is living in Buenos Aires at the moment, he appears to be pretty off the radar at the moment, but I think he is recording bands out there.

I wouldn't think there's any kind of reissues coming soon. He hasn't spoke kindly about Third Stone in the past and was pretty unhappy with Game Over.

― Ginger at the Gates of Dawn (MaresNest), Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:52 (9 months ago) Permalink

spoken, duh

― Ginger at the Gates of Dawn (MaresNest), Thursday, 9 August 2012 11:53 (9 months ago) Permalink

Think I was linking it with Disco Inferno who had a compi of somewhat similar stuff put out last year and A.R.Kane who have one coming in October. Assume it sold to the same people when first out. So might do well if released now.
but maybe just wishful thinking anyway. can't afford the £21+ that it's going for on Amazon. Do have the other compis but would love that 3 piece era's material together.

SO people know where Graham is. Does anybody have any idea about John Ling who apparently pretty much disappeared, but may have just moved so no longer on radar of people I knew who used to see him in gig audiences.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 9 August 2012 12:35 (9 months ago) Permalink

Graham's a really nice chap, he packed up and moved to Argentina maybe a year ago or more to be with his g/f (it appears)

― Ginger at the Gates of Dawn (MaresNest), Thursday, 9 August 2012 12:40 (9 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Hex to be reissued!

http://www.normanrecords.com/records/117958-bark-psychosis-hex

― Barnaby, Hardly, Thursday, 25 October 2012 11:07 (6 months ago) Permalink

Is this going to be an official release or is this another bootleg reissue? Anyone know anything about Vinilissimo records?

― van smack, Thursday, 25 October 2012 12:29 (6 months ago) Permalink

Hmm . . . I'd like to replace my battered up record of this so I hope it's genuine.

Vinilisimo have released much though, recent titles include Television's 'Adventure' and Barrett's 'Madcap Laughs' so I think this is probably dubious. Will probably be CD sourced, which is fucking stupid and pointless.

― Internet Alan, Friday, 26 October 2012 08:55 (6 months ago) Permalink

Hmm. The jury is out.

http://www.discogs.com/label/Vinilisssimo

Tried to visit their website but got a malware warning.

― Barnaby, Hardly, Friday, 26 October 2012 09:36 (6 months ago) Permalink

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