I have to be honest and admit that I'd almost forgotten about Bark Psychosis. Their records had become buried in my collection. Not because they were no good (they were superb), but because sometimes music slips from the consciousness and you need a jolt to bring it back. Perusing through a music website, I discovered that the band was releasing this retrospective of rare tracks and live recordings (anticipating Codename:Dustsucker, a new full-length due in April 2004) and jumped at the chance to reacquaint myself. I'm damn glad I did, because this album reminds me of what amazing music they produced in the late '80s and early '90s.
Bark Psychosis were innovators in the field now known as post-rock, using samples and sequencers to bring a whole new angle to the genre. Replay's opening tracks show off their range and the exciting sounds they created with their willingness to experiment. "Clawhammer" gives you a slap round the face right from the off, coming at you more like a sledgehammer in the style of Isn't Anything-era My Bloody Valentine. It contains squalls of feedback and heavy percussion. Sinister atmospherics abound in "By Blow," quaking bass sounds offset by screeching, sliding guitar scrapings. This track is the nightmare before the relative calm of "Nothing Feels," a far gentler ride with the guitars echoing around a sighing vocal reminiscent of Verve output in their early days.
This then leads into the astonishing "Tooled Up," which has subversively funky bass notes that underpins what appears to be another gentle, atmospheric track before it mutates halfway through. It lives up to its title, as crashing samples kick in and the track veers into areas reminiscent of the noisier output of fellow post-rock pioneers Disco Inferno. The violent imagery (possibly reflecting their roots in London's East End) returns with other tracks such as "Reserve Shotgunman" and "Murder City," but the record is not painful to listen to by any means.
Bark Psychosis has a keen sense of melody and the percussion is frequently astonishing as it drives hard behind some tracks and washes gently behind others. The instrumentation is frequently innovative and exciting. The album ends with five superb tracks recorded at St John's Church, London in 199 1. Clawhammer
2. By Blow
3. Nothing Feels
4. Tooled Up
5. Reserve Shotgunman
6. Murder City
7. Big Shot (Alice's Cheshire Cat Mix)
8. Hex
9. The Loom
10. Manman
11. Pendulum Man
12. Bloodrush
13. All Different Things
More about: Bark Psychosis
