You could almost call Drainolith, Alexander Moskos’ post-AIDS Wolf project, straightforward. Sure, on his debut LP Fighting! Moskos uses a sputtering, foot-triggered drum synth and a fuzzed-out guitar, and okay, the synth sounds are totally fucked on some gurgling leads and choppy stabs, with the guitar riffs moving over them in jagged polyrhythms. But Moskos isn’t trying to flip your brain inside out or overwhelm you with noisy aggression; Fighting! was recorded live, and the result is downright minimal. It’s as emotionally unsettling as coming down from weird drugs at a scuzzy party you wanted to avoid in the first place, but it’s neither terrifying nor ecstatic. And while the lyrics are bizarre and opaque, they feel especially personal.
So, maybe Fighting! isn’t very straightforward after all, but it’s clear that Moskos is orienting himself towards something different here. But be warned: this process of paring down hasn’t repaired any of the damage. In fact, it has opened up the wound even further, removing all the excess fluid so the sickness can seethe through.
Fighting! is out now on LP and digital download via Spectrum Spools.
• Spectrum Spools: http://editionsmego.com/releases/spectrum-spools
