Sometime member of Brian Eno’s approved Three Trapped Tigers, London based Adam Betts has heralded his debut album Colossal Squid, out 25th November on Blood and Biscuits by releasing its opening track – Drumbones.
The album was written, developed and originally recorded over a the course of a few months, taking bits from the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre and the likes, but an opportunity taken to record the songs live proved to be a turning point. “It clicked that this was the way to represent the material in the best way possible – performed entirely live, as it happened” explains Betts “Any ‘mistakes’, any looseness, felt like a step away from the feeling of material being written with the click of a mouse at a computer. It’s really a punk album with tape delays instead of guitar chords.”
That punk aesthetic prevails into Drumbones, which layers rhythms, bleeps and assorted electronic sizzles and shards – ever more intricately on top of eachother, creating this almost dizzying experience. As it continues to unfurl, so splatters of bass are added until suddenly, the synths are dropped in moving more serenely at first before becoming wilder and more uncontrollable before winding up to a conclusion that takes your breath away. I almost pogoed with excitement.
Listen here
Pre-orders:
CD/LP/T-Shirt Bundles: http://bloodandbiscuits.limitedrun.com/artists/adam-betts
Bandcamp: https://adambetts.bandcamp.com/album/colossal-squid
Catch Adam Betts on his upcoming live dates:
Aug 19th Arctangent Festival, Bristol
Sept 3rd In The Woods Festival, Kent
Sept 16th Green Door Store, Brighton
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