...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI.



..::OPIS::..

At some point you run out of things to say about music. If one is merely a listener, that time comes around quickly. I’ve been messing with this rewrite for a long time now, but it really is pointless to. I like Phlebotomized’s “Skycontact” because it is weird and think you should too. It’s “vaguely alternative/hard-rock”, but in the end labels aren’t important, especially when the resulting vertigo is so pungent. “Skycontact” is naturally unique in a world of manufactured weird. The “water-elemental-infant-emerging-from-the-sea-vagina-amongst-musical-fish” cover art neatly sums the sensibility up. There might be some deeper meaning under said non-sequiturs, but depth is moot to ocean dwellers. Us terrestrials got too much dust in our cracks. Things are much better, down where it’s wetter. I reckon one might not want to come up for air ever again.

The work is broken into two parts: the first half features stand-alone songs, while the back half is a four-song cycle called ‘I Hope You Know’. There is also an Easter egg for the curious. The rear cover lists a different running time (7:24 minutes longer) than the apparent track-math concludes. Are these musicians just bad at addition, or is there a puzzle to solve? If you still play CD’s - hold the rewind button when you start up the disk. Your stereo will make angry noises, but you’ve now discovered ‘Dizz-tance’, a 7:24 minute secret instrumental. A little goodie like this was only possible in the analogue age. Warm feelings ensue. The track itself serves as an excellent preview to what will come next: lots of dynamic tempos, numerous sonic textures via electronic supplementation and a unique sense of urgency. The band also manages all this whist playing as tight as an anus on a cold morning.

The album proper comes out swinging with ‘Showstolesoul’. Mosh chords and gang-shouts will queue up the push-pit. But what’s this? An extended “Videodrome” sample concerning the reality warping effects of television? You would be correct. One may feel the urge to stick a needle through Debbie Harry’s nipple or maybe even fuck a TV. The whole vibe is off-center, but more importantly, hand-on-heart and present tense. Phlebotomized doesn’t gloss over their weaknesses either. There are still occasional awkward transitions (much less so than before). The clean vocals are also frail and can clash with the robust harsh growled outbursts. But for whatever reason, I absolutely adore them for how shaky they are. ‘Achin’ demonstrates this vocal awkwardness in its first verse but also smartly partners them with an equally fragile and wavering synth line. The lyrics are ambivalent and contradictory, not unlike ‘Come as You Are’, despite not learning as heavily upon flannel existentialism. There isn’t any roaring, but it also happens to be my favorite selection. I bring up that sense of urgency again, which is builds up during the various bridges and relents during quieter sections. The dynamism keeps everything moving forward.
The second instrumental ‘Sometimes,’ makes full use of Martin Post’s violin to set up a lonely mood that is then stretched over a durable rock pattern. The picked melody that pops up once the beat doubles up is ridiculously captivating and primes us for a crunchy outro. And the enigmatic sample “You’ll not be able to come back, but that’s okay, I don’t think you’ll ever want to” reminds us that we are all moving in a singular direction. And even if we can press rewind on the tape deck, you can’t replay the tape again for the first time. It is all extremely evocative, and I am sure many have drawn a lot from the record’s details. ‘I Lost My Cookies in the Disco’ finishes side one dramatically. It is a more “complete” selection in that it maintains a metallic predisposition, keeping the earlier left turns of the album to a minimum. The looming synth blares make the atmosphere feel unstable and ready to spill over. Again, a musical urgency pushes us towards feelings we might not understand. I’d also like to express my admiration for how forceful the harsh(er) vocals are, they are extremely passionate and illuminate the mournful lyrics and jagged riffage.

And finally, ‘I Hope You Know’ presents Phlebotomized at its most ambitious. Despite being in four parts, it plays as one 22-minute suite packed full of reflections, recurrences, and reconfigurations. The suite repeats musical passages and folds inwards and backwards onto itself multiple times with incredible naturalism and passion. It is just terrific. ‘A Cry in July’ begins with a metallic oscillating guitar riff (which will return) accompanied by some double bass in your face. Then it blooms into a beautiful synthetic soundscape. It feels like flying into a long-lost dream. I am not a musician, but somehow the longer format feels both carefully composed but just as natural as the first half. I could never hope to capture what is going on in true detail. Most of us are limited to the role of listeners, but I am still grateful to have the opportunity to hear something like this at all. All the directionalities presented feel natural and complete. The longer length allows for the group to juxtapose the multiple elements several times over and keep a listener hanging on the edge of their fingernails. The metal genomes are quite sporadic, but the musicality makes it heavy.

The thoughtful lyrics detail the regret and shame of the vocal protagonist after an undisclosed unforgivable act. Clean vocals and subdued instruments follow which in turn are followed by harsh vocals which make up the chorus. It really is easy to get lost with all the drama detailed in the lyrics and musical waterfireworks. I wrote in my original 12.5-year-old review that “Skycontact” is “like a series of quick paintings and drawings that were done by people who were totally inspired by something both whimsical and melancholy within them and simply allowed it to flow outwards”. While I still haven’t bested my predisposition to run-on sentences, I can repeat the same evaluation despite being a bit longer in the tooth. I think this record sums up why people rely on music. I haven’t even listened to the album in years, but it exists within me in a deeper state. Somewhere in the ocean of me there is a place where “Skycontact” plays eternally. I hope you know.

Arjunthebeast



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. StoleShowSoul 8:22
2. Achin' 7:46
3. Sometimes 5:07
4. I Lost My Cookies In The Disco 7:33
5. Dizz-Tance 7:21
6. Hope You Know (In 4 Parts)
- A Cry In July 7:38
- Never Lose Hope 6:15
- Imagine This 4:25
- Out To You 3:55



..::OBSADA::..

Ben Quak - Keyboards, Piano
Dennis Geestman - Vocals
Jaro Stulrajter - Bass, Violin
Lawrence Payne - Drums, Vocals
Jordy Middelbosch - Guitars (rhythm)
Tom Palms - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8THIS9lp0g



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!