Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Suncoil Sect

One note obscures another

Label: Rocket Recordings Release Date: 25/02/2001

matt by Matthew Willson March 7th, 2001

Suncoil Sect are one of those bands that seem determined to cross every musical boundary you set in their path. Right from the first track on this, their first album after a number of successful vinyl releases, they combine something undeniably funky with relaxing, ambient post-rock, pulsating drones, samples and energetic creative drumming. The track is called "We want to change society", and by rights it should have it's intended affect, on the music world at least.

To describe the album as instrumental post-rock would be missing the point. Wonderful as it can be, "post-rock" conjures up images of serious-looking men with art degrees labouring over strangely tuned guitars. Suncoil sect are something different. This is experimental in the true sense of the word, but it's also incredibly fun and relaxing to listen to. Hey, you could even dance to it, but don't let that put you off. A funky dub bass sound combines with knowingly psychedlic, unconventional yet catchy guitar riffs and drones, occasional keyboard grooves, layers of feedback and echoes, and drumming that could've been lifted from the world of hip-hop. It's a unique sound that matches their eclectic influences - DJ shadow, My bloody valentine, Sun ra and Miles davis are all quoted.

Tracks like "Suncoil" manage to weave the droney dynamics and expressive bowed sounds of world music into a tapestry drum'n'bass, post-rock and intense guitar drones. A haunting sax melody blows all over the track mixing with the cut up drones to great effect. "Red on black" could almost be intrumental hip-hop, while the final track, "Freeform energy freakout" lives up to its name, building up more layers than ever before of guitar patterns, bass, feedback, samples, waves of piano and sitar strings. It's the most lively original sound I've heard this year and deserves much attention.

  • 10
    Matthew Willson's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees


  • A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash


  • Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019



Left-arrow

Union Kid

Last of the Lo-Fi

Mobback

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135

    Festival Review


    25 years of SPOT Festival: DiS Picks Its Best 11

  • 106134
  • Festival Review


    Twelve Hours Of Drone Is Just The Beginning: Di...

  • 106133
MORE


    review


    Reverend And The Makers - @Reverend_Makers

  • 93547
  • feature


    The National: "We nearly lost our minds making ...

  • 30199

    news


    RIP: the Neu-Kraut scene

  • 28881
  • news


    Brian May in DiS-hating shocker!

  • 20986

    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Staff-generated


    Reviewed: Shut Up And Play the Hits a documenta...

  • 83336

    DiScussion


    Guyliners: Why Do UK Festivals Have So Few Fema...

  • 97325
  • news


    My Chemical Supergrass: Gerard Way and Gaz Coom...

  • 98527
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2021 DROWNED IN SOUND