Bark Psychosis: C or D

Don't you see it as a bit of both though? A bit of expectation as well as love for the medium that's driving this? I say that because Graham is a notorious prefectionist, and perfectionism is essentially self-imposed pressure and self-imposed expecatation. And while perfectionism can be destructive for those who can't control it in themselves, it can also be useful and creative for those who can control it. On one side there's the inability to function due to the fear of messing up, but on the other side, there's an extra effort put into everything, so that everything done -- even trivial things --seems a little bit better than most, a little more refined than what would normally be expected in the situation. It's a difficult line to walk, (I know from experience -- both from having pulled it off and also from having overdone it).

So I think it's wise of him to have both a "day job" (producing) as well as a "night job" (making music), so that he doesn't have to feel compromised -- so that he can make his art slowly, for himself, instead of on a set schedule to meet the demands of a major record company, but he can still function day-to-day : still have a steady income and so on.

Thanks for all the links Sick/Nick! I'd actually read those all before, but it was good to read them again after having heard the album. I agree with you on many of your points, but want to quibble a little about the "Spirit of Eden" comparison ... I don't hear it.

Yes, I agree, it's almost irresistable to link "Dust" with "Spirit" simply because the same drummer's on board, but I think the sound and mood of "Dust" is much closer to Orang than to Talk Talk. There's a slightly sinister feel (like Massive Attack, but not as overt) and denseness that are more akin to, say the first two songs on Orang's "Herd" or to "Seizure" than to anything on "Spirit" (except maybe "Desire").

"Hex", in my opinion is a much better comparison to "Spirit" since both have fragility and sparkle and sparseness and reverence.

Oh, the song I was comparing to David Sylvian is the one that begins : "Did you ever hear the one ..." so what is that -- "Burning the City?" I still can't figure out the song titles! Great song. Love all the little tinny drum sounds in it. Lee is without a doubt my favorite drummer, and I like how he's always finding new ways to tickle our ears on both ends of the sound spectrum -- in the bass and the treble.

ha! you flatter me. I didn't even have time to run them through a spellchecker!

yes, I agree about it being a return to old forms, but a revision, not a copying. Kind of like how "From what ..." is an improved version of the b-side called "Hex". And the mood is similar to the "Independency" stuff -- tense and spiney.

*adjusts bookmarks*

Getting into A Mountain of One has made me pull out Hex quite a bit - I guess the former are like Bark Psychosis with an added dose of 80s. Anyway, I'm struck, as always, by how magical Hex is. Such a good album. The only less-than-perfect track is "Fingerspit", which sounds a bit sickly at times. But that shimmering sound they perfect on "Absent Friend" and "Eyes & Smiles" (where the keyboards sound like guitars and the guitars sound like keyboards) is breathtaking.

I absolutely love Codename: Dustsucker, but I have yet to pick up Hex because I've never found it used. And I'm getting impatient.

i wonder if they'll ever do another record?

also, I ultimately decided that yes, dustsucker is better than hex.

fans might also like the songs of green pheasant album that just came out; it's slightly more lo-fi than BP but has much of that same windswept feel that the opening tracks of dustsucker have.

Graham's apparently working on new BP stuff. Expect it in 2014. Seriously.

I'm willing to play the long game on that one. Meantime, I must check out A Mountain of One at last here.

That Songs of the Green Pheasant album sounds lovely based on the clips at the Fat Cat site. I'm going to shell out for that today.

Codename is really good, but I don't know if I would say it's better than Hex. Hex has more interesting instrumentation in my opinion and the arrangements are more complex. This could be the fact that I've been listening to it for many years longer and it thus has more emotional resonances.

It's quite easy to "acquire" Hex through the usual outlets. Regardless, someone needs to reissue it.

'Hex' also has more memorable songs...(you could hum "Absent Friend" for Jesus)...

Beautiful beautiful Hex.

i still think codename:dustsucker is better. but i'm not going to quibble since they're all good

i left my copy of hex back in the UK (i'm living in japan right now). let the withdrawal symptoms begin :((

Am I the only one that likes Independency the most?

God, what an unbearably incredible CD that is.

I think it would be vainglorious at best to choose between the three. Let us not forget the utter beauty that is Blue, either, which sadly seems to get lost a lot.

The tracks on Blue are available on the compilations. Regardless, I have the 12" on white vinyl which methinks is pretty kick-ass.

Love Dustsucker.

yup. particularly this track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znr1JivdoXY

I just got it back after a long loan to a neighbour, and I got new speakers since then. WOW.

terrific record and band. are "they" still doing stuff?

nicely timed bump btw, considering first post...

probably do a new album in 15 years.

In the final analysis I prefer Dustsucker to Hex.

I will have to agree with akm. Dustsucker ultimately wins it over Hex, but both are astonishing.

Hex over dustsucker or Dustsucker over Hex? too hard to imagine at this time

terrific record and band. are "they" still doing stuff?

Think he's just producing these days: http://roughtradeproducers.com/sutton.php

Friendly dude, he's on Facebook.

i didn't like dustsucker at all. i miss the spaces in between. he's too skilled as a producer now, better when he didn't know anything at all.

wow, i didn't realise he did all those rough trade records, i should pay more attention

[snowpony made a second album????]

Haha yes they did. I think I have it around somewhere...

Hex feels so right, I almost wish it was their only release.

Yeah, but then you'd have no Tooled Up, no Blue, no Dustsucker. All awesome. I think I prefer Dustsucker to Hex these days; bits of Hex are stratospherically beautiful, but it feels a little gauche, a little too inthrall to influences, whereas I really don't know of anything else that does the same job as Dustsucker.

And also no Scum, which always blows me away.

I had to revive this thread to brag a little: I found the "Nothing Feels"/"I Know" 12" in a rekkid shop in Brooklyn this past weekend, basically untouched. I have never ever seen anything from Bark Psychosis on vinyl over here, so that was exciting. I love the little chuckle Graham Sutton lets out at the end of "I Know"... Beautiful, timeless stuff.

That's a good find, Clarke! Never seen that 12" in real life.

Miss these guys/this guy, in the Bark Psychosis imprint... Something sure is missing after 'Dustsucker', in today's music. Feels like there just is this gap that only BP could fill.

totally know what you mean. they need to put out a new record.

totally know what you mean. they need to put out a new record.

He's too busy producing British Sea Power and the Delays.

if you are hankering after some more BP you should try & track down the 'Yahweh' LP and 'Road Movie' 10" by Shiva Affect, a short-lived early 90s band produced by Sutton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7rqO8uGtrU

I've got an affection for BSP, and only just now, through Elvis Telecom, found out he produces them!

Will search out Shiva Affect, thanks zappi!

Yeah, thanks zappi... I feel like I've been seeing a lot more early '90s vinyl popping up used in my weekly-ish expeditions, which is fantastic.

Blood Rush is fantastic! Somehow it manages to perfectly conjure the headtrip of being on mushrooms.

Blood Rush? What is that? Is there a new BP album?