Fancy something weird, fancy something really weird? Well first things first what the blazes is a Lunken? Apparently this is, as is an airport in Cincinnati, as is nothing really else. It strikes as being a bit of a random oddity as much as the music itself here. This is a pretty unique and compelling project and one where nothing is quite as it seems, or is it? Maybe on the right drugs, maybe on the wrong drugs, who knows and honestly who cares as for the next 68 minutes (yep in for the long haul) I am going to immerse myself into this strange place once again.
It would appear that It’s A Lunken is the work of Will (guitar, instruments and recording) and Barn (vocals, harmonica and atmospherics). I think Will was also responsible for wrapping this CDR up in its own biog, the other side of which looks like a child’s art class project and sending it from St Albans for me. It’s not too far to go and find and punch him either as this has not only taken up plenty of my time but its also pretty much tried its damndest to mess with my head in the process. Not that I would do such a thing anyway as my head was already messed and it would be far more civilised to track him down for a cup of tea and ask him just what damn planet he is from!
So what is the music like? Well firstly most of the tracks are called Mk followed by a number apart from the 17 minute ‘Bound In Black Bark’ which we shall come to later. Is this a biblical reference I ponder? Who knows! Starting with ‘Mk2’ we are thrust into a loud and sharp production filled with acerbic noise and screaming vocals. I am reminded here of Today is The Day at their most unkempt and deluded. It’s no nice listening trip that’s for sure. That harmonica quickly calms it down for a second and the elements seem to all combine as we go into ‘Mk3.’ Strange noises pulse out the ether, screams perpetuate it, drumming sounds organic and all the notes and tones crunch and crash splendidly. I guess this could be lumped in with weirdoes like Behold The Arctopus and other lunatic fringed noise projects of their ilk. It has the sort of free-range “what shall we do next to make it stranger, well let’s see where the acid takes us” vibe of Colin Marston and his assorted projects. It’s probably not the sort of thing I would expect coming from old Verulanium.
It’s easy to lose yourself in this. It does a lot and it does nothing all at the same time. It is probably good music to listen to whilst administering electric shock therapy. The static and pulsating drones coming out my speakers feel like that is what it is trying to do to me from the other side of the room. ‘Mk4’ goes into serious overdose territory with harmonic scales abandoned then further into lunacy with wild lurches and shuddering grooves.
Frazzled and frayed and drowned in noise we arrive at ‘Bound In Black Bark,’ things quietly clank and toll. It’s like someone is playing a radiator and morphing the sound, again all very odd but a bit calmer thankfully. This is possibly the chill out section at the lunatic asylum, that’s the place that this album seems to have escaped from. The droning chords have ambient nails down board sort of sounds accompanying them in parts and it all sounds very alien, like radio waves from a distant planet, set to destroy the earth.
I was particularly looking forward to ‘Mk 13’ as it is the alternative title of Richard Stanley’s excellent ‘Hardware.’ No flesh shall be spared? Well it’s a gentle number with a buzzing like a fly or mosquito and some plinkety plonk music and quiet singing, that really is the best description. So is it all a bit abstract, is it noise for noise sake, is it absurd, pretentious, is it certifiable. None of these questions are going to get answered by me and all I can suggest is that it is certainly different and interesting, apart from that the jury is out; you best go listen for yourself. Now where is that nice person with those tablets I’m kind of on edge from this and need some zzzzzzzzzzzz.
http://www.myspace.com/itisalunken
