After returning from a self-imposed hiatus, worriedaboutsatan now are on the brink of releasing their third album Blank Tape The fact it is their second full length since their return demonstrates how focused and hardworking the duo are. In addition, they have released a few singles/Ep’s, contributed various remixes, released solo albums and worked on Hypernormalisation, the latest film by Adam Curtis. Gavin was brought on board as Musical Director by Curtis whose previous film Bitter Lake featured plenty of moody electronica, Burial and Massive Attack.
Blank Tape follows on from last year’s Even Temper, full of brooding electronica although warmer sounding and more varied throughout. What worriedaboutsatan do well is create albums that work best as a whole while still featuring plenty of stand out moments. Personally I’m generally someone who listens to albums from start to finish, and Blank Tape has no dull moments.
It’s to their credit that worriedaboutsatan continue to evolve, their sound becoming more recognisable and at times totally alien to the post-rock tag they were given early on.
Truth is there are many different influences to their music and while subtle there are still hints of their guitar based music. Blank Tape however sees them further venture into the world of dark electronica and at times ambient. Things begin quite softly with “A Way Out” setting a serene and tranquil introduction to the album. It however doesn’t take long for the duo’s love of bass and throbbing rhythms to appear. “The Violent Sequence” has earth shaking low end and showcases how good worriedaboutsatan are at combining stuttering rhythm and atmospheric melodies.
As shown on Even Temper they aren’t afraid to reach out to friends/guest musicians and again Blank Tape features two guest vocal tracks. The first of which “This Restless Wing” features Vincent Cavanagh of prog legends Anathema. Here though his soulful vocal combines on one of the most infectious worriedaboutsatan tracks to create a massive uplifting anthem. It’s one of those obvious stand out moments mentioned previously but isn’t out of place with the flow of the album. The other Vocal track features Face & Heel and is more laidback but is full of twists with a gothic overtone featuring some glorious vintage synth sounds.
Elsewhere the slow burning “Forward Into Night” threatens at points to unleash a massive breakbeat and is a personal favourite, glorious. The pounding and retro vibe of “The Tower and The Steward” is another and the epic lush ambience of “Ravel” The dense title track reveals some guitar based melodies amongst massive amounts of reverb and layers of synths before collapsing into minimal melodies and field recordings. “From A Dead Man Pt2” closes the album out in storming fashion. This is probably the most full on dance floor friendly track and is reminiscent of Jon Hopkins or Vessels recent work.
worriedaboutsatan have created probably their best work yet on Blank Tape and I’ve a feeling it will continue to win them more fans and acclaim.
