Staff Reviews

Spectres - Dead

Review by Christian Northwood

Imaginative versions of songs that were never meant to be remixed»

Buy now from:

Spectres release new album, 'Dead', on Sonic Cathedral, and it sees the songs from the Bristol band's hugely acclaimed debut 'Dying' nailed to the cross by Mogwai, Factory Floor, Hookworms, Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas), Andy Bell (Ride), Robert Hampson (Loop) and many more. The only instruction was "kill our songs", and so here are the remains, served up on two mortuary slabs of vinyl (and CD and download) as a stunning, 13-track album that builds on the original's feeling of claustrophobia and dread, but recasts it across everything from brutal techno (Blood Music's 'This Purgatory') to New Order-meets-Animal Collective euphoria (Andy Bell's 'Sea Of Trees'). It's an occasionally punishing, but always rewarding listen that begins somewhere in the depths of a K-hole, courtesy of Vision Fortune's 'Drag', and ends somewhere rather beautiful, with the celestial synths of Mogwai's 'This Purgatory'. (It's worth noting that Mogwai's classic 'Kicking A Dead Pig' was a big inspiration here.) "We see Spectres as something that can work in a variety of contexts," says frontman Joe Hatt, as he explains the motivation behind 'Dead'. "Our musical interests spread out in different angles and we are always thinking of ways for what we do to evolve and mutate. We put together a list of artists who we admired, and thought would deliver a varied and eclectic mix. Some were close friends who are conveniently making some of the best music around, and others were pipe dreams that we thought would never happen. It was both nerve-wracking and fun waiting for each of the artists' versions to arrive in our inbox, and some definitely surprised us; but none disappointed." 'Dead' serves as an important reminder of what a special band Spectres are, something that can be easy to forget with their anti-industry stance and extra-curricular activities often grabbing the headlines more than their music ("We've always been like this, and we won't cease," threatens Hatt).
description from www.roughtrade.com