DARK

I realize that saying this album is a top 10 for me for 1986 isn't saying much, I mean it's 1986 but man I love the style of music this band puts out. They only released two albums but the second one I awarded 5 stars to and this one is very solid indeed. A dark album with tons of percussion sounds, bass driven, lots of experimental synths and on top of it all those amazing female vocal melodies. Very much a World Music flavour as we get some exotic sounds including some from Ghana and southern India. Mark Nauseef is the leader and an expert with percussion while Mark London Smith really drives this album with his bass work. No guitar here but this is one of those experimental and adventerous albums that some on this site would enjoy.

"Du Reptile" is the highlight for me. It starts slow with percussion only as some ethnic sounds join in. We get a synth melody after 2 1/2 minutes and more but it's when that heavy beat joins in after 3 minutes that I'm so into this. It fades to silence 5 minutes in but after 10 seconds or so it kicks back in even louder than before. Incredible! "Even Darker" is dark of course with drums, percussion and bass as synths join in then vocal melodies. A real World Music feel here with her vocal expressions.

"Happy Day Slash Hate Slash Tatum" opens with bass, percussion and vocal melodies. Again it's quite dark and I love that bass as this one trips along. Some crazy synths here too especially over the last few minutes. "Him & Her" features bass, synths, drums and vocal expressions. I really like the synth melody here though. "Heavy Metal" is the one that sounds the most ethnic thanks mainly to her vocal melodies. Vibes, percussion, drums and bass help out here too. Percussion only after 2 minutes then other sounds join in until it sounds like earlier after 4 minutes.

"King Krad" features African drums, pipes and atmosphere. Lots of percussion-like sounds too. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes to end this short one. "Republic Of Darkness" continues the dark theme. And yes it's dark with random and sparse intricate sounds. Not a lot going on until 2 minutes in as synths and pulsing sounds arrive. Drums then what sounds like a ticking clock. The pulsing sounds are interesting before 4 minutes. Some brief vocal cries too. Outbursts of sound follow as it builds some. This continues until it settles after 6 minutes.

The last two songs are okay but I'm thinking 5 stars up to this point. "Brenner" has an island vibe with those percussion sounds and I just don't like that sound. We get bells, synths, gongs and drums here. "The Spectator" just doesn't seem like it belongs here at all. I mean it's a pretty good humerous track with spoken female words throughout telling this story but these last two tracks see the band going in a different direction.

A couple of pretty amazing albums towards the end of the eighties from this special and innovative band that bring some credibility to this bleak time. The band is DARK and they are a multi national outfit.