Though it was released in 1983, Severed Heads' Since the Accident (followed hotly by City Slab Horror) reached its peak saturation point in my social circles starting late in 1984 and remained omnipresent at least well into 1986. Somehow, Tom Ellard and Gary Bradbury crafted an electrifying electronic frenzy of mind shattering infectiousness so compelling it ended up soundtracking more long nights of debauched, psychedelic mayhem than I can possibly count or recall in their entirety. All I know is that there wasn't a gathering on any given weekend that didn't feature some Severed Heads in the mix somewhere and it usually coincided with that point in the evening when the stimulants were at their most intense and reality seemed to shatter into a million little pieces.
Severed Heads made it their intent to inject a bit of absurdist levity into the "Industrial" music scene. I can recall reading an interview with Ellard where he stated openly that the apparent moroseness of groups like TG and their "can the world be as sad as it seems" world view were very much at odds with his more lighthearted Aussie sensibilities. And, indeed, Severed Heads were nothing if not bursting with jabs of humor and ridiculousness, whether it was a tongue in cheek song title or some nutty tape looped bit of conversation. It was not uncommon to find oneself aching from grinning like Ren with his happy helmet cranked up to maximum.
The production techniques and sounds they achieved on these records were also a hugely influential element as they were distinct and surprisingly potent, especially when they were cranked over a decent sound system. The sweeping crunch of a Heads kick drum could make you feel like a giant was bouncing on your head. And somewhere in that mix was an almost Aboriginal influence on some of the rhythms as they conjured this kind of loping bounce you'd imagine some bushman hopping around to. It was all an intensely idiosyncratic concoction that managed to push the boundary of "noise" into the accessibility of "pop" music.
Severed Heads made it their intent to inject a bit of absurdist levity into the "Industrial" music scene. I can recall reading an interview with Ellard where he stated openly that the apparent moroseness of groups like TG and their "can the world be as sad as it seems" world view were very much at odds with his more lighthearted Aussie sensibilities. And, indeed, Severed Heads were nothing if not bursting with jabs of humor and ridiculousness, whether it was a tongue in cheek song title or some nutty tape looped bit of conversation. It was not uncommon to find oneself aching from grinning like Ren with his happy helmet cranked up to maximum.
The production techniques and sounds they achieved on these records were also a hugely influential element as they were distinct and surprisingly potent, especially when they were cranked over a decent sound system. The sweeping crunch of a Heads kick drum could make you feel like a giant was bouncing on your head. And somewhere in that mix was an almost Aboriginal influence on some of the rhythms as they conjured this kind of loping bounce you'd imagine some bushman hopping around to. It was all an intensely idiosyncratic concoction that managed to push the boundary of "noise" into the accessibility of "pop" music.
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