Oh this is so good. This is so, so, so good. I had totally avoided Fuck Buttons up to this point. Partially due to the decidedly average name, and partially due to the fact that the entire idea of ‘noise’ as a genre makes me break out in hives. It’s kinda like math rock – I can appreciate the art behind it, but when listening to it I am always faced with the burning question: when would I ever play this album for pleasure? Noise-wise, everybody lost their shit for HEALTH recently, but I always found them a bit too fuzzed out, a bit too jagged to really enjoy. I could never properly settle in to what they were trying to do. Which is part of the point I guess, but doesn’t necessarily make for a pleasuable aural experience. And from what I can understand, Fuck Buttons’ debut album, the critically lauded ‘Street Horrrsing’, was a bit more in this vein, albeit with the beginnings of the melodic overlays that have since become their hallmark. Well, at least their hallmark within any discussion of their place within the noise scene.
But now we have their sophomore effort, the cryptically titled ‘Tarot Sport’, and shit me if they haven’t turned it on for this release. While a certain ‘noise’-iness still pervades the tracks, the melodic drive has now leapt to the fore, guiding the tracks through a stunning midpoint between the jagged, soaring electronica of ‘Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts’-era M83 and the relentless builds and sprawling climaxes of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky. The obvious key changes of so much dance music run through most of the tracks, but they’re buffeted on every side by arching waves of folded feedback and heavy, rolling drum lines. The album is essentially split into five tracks that fit that profile, mingled with a couple of shorter offerings that show off the band’s more abrasive side. Not that these tracks are in any way bad, but when thrown up against the monument of the other set pieces on the record, they seem to pale into insignificance. All in all, quite amazing.
But enough rapturous description, here be some music. I’ve attached penultimate track ‘Space Mountain’ for your perusal today. It pretty much does everything I’ve already alluded too but, potentially, better. The drums pound and echo across the track, while shimmering synths oscillate and pulse. Then, bar by bar, new drums, new synths and new progressions get added in, before a bending, distorted guitar enters the mix. Over the next three minutes this guitar steadily envelops every other part of the track, until somewhere around the five minute mark a dimly perceived high-end drops in and goddamn if I didn’t nearly start crying when I first heard it. Shit was visceral. May I recommend listening to this very, very loud on a good set of headphones. Such is the nature of the track that you just want to keep on turning the volume up and up to try and fully understand what’s going on underneath it all. Which, at its best, is probably the miracle of noise. And this, I think, is noise at its best. Anyway, I provide this track with my highest recommendation. Enjoy.
This song pretty much shot them to the upper echelons of my ‘must see live’ list. So great. ‘Tarot Sport’ is out now. Buy it. If you like this track, when stacked up alongside everything else on the album it becomes truly magnificent.
-luke
13 Comments
Luke, of all the people who write about music, I’d say you are one of the most talented ones!
my god, you are so totally right! like you i never found the opportunity to listen to these guys previous album which i have. but telling from this song, they achieved a way higher high. thanks for sharing it to us.
and Nueve is right, you’re love for music just comes out in your writing we are lucky to have found our blog.
ps* couldn’t stop myself and started literally crying violently 2 minutes into this song.
perhaps only in the way they build the tracks and melodize, FB often reminds me of dan deacon– DD with pitch slider set at -4 and sans chipmunks.
I’ve got two words for you:
Andrew Weatherall
Without his work on this record we’d all still think the band is just ‘okay’. The guy creates magic.
many thanks for the kind words y’all. the sentences come easy when something grabs you as strongly as this
@rc: so true. his last album was pretty great, but the general danciness of all the melody lines in this album have his touch written all over them.
my lord. on my google home page sat the ‘fuck buttons’ title of this post for what seems like weeks before i bothered..i must admit Luke you are quite right with your words, and clever with them too. This track is increadable. reminds me of an agressive Boards Of Canada. I’ve said it before, this is one of the only blogs i bother both listening to the music AND reading what the author has to say.
cheers.
Hi,
I’m currently working with several bands and DJs and I’d like to send you infos about them in case you would be interested.
Can you please send me your email?
Best,
S.
Hi Sandra, it’s music@electrorash.com. x
An excellent review.
I hope we’ll see a few votes for Fuck Buttons in the festive fifty this year. Vote for your three favourite tracks of the year at http://www.dandelionradio.com/festive50.htm.
Most important musical project in the universe. I’m playing ‘Space Mountain’ in my November Dandelion Radio show and Pete Jackson’s got ‘Surf Solar’ in his.
Seen them live a few weeks ago. I believe I’ve never been to such a loud show in my life. As soon as the show started everyone took a step back because of how loud it was. And it was a non-stop storm of noise until the end. Everyone was pretty much deaf at end. But happy too.
Very well written.
Awesome review on Deftune Independent Music Blog
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[...] at you with the triumphant cry of ‘LOVE THIS LIKE I LOVE YOU’ (see Mob, Glitch and Buttons, Fuck). Which is part of the point of blogs I guess, but I do worry that you may construe my reckless [...]
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