Wednesday, June 02, 2021

S/T - Trinity Carbon (ESP Institute)

 


Title: S/T

Artist: Trinity Carbon

Label: ESP Institute

Cat Number: ESP105

Genre: Post Apocalyptic Dub


1: Mild Bunch

2: Ghost Army Redemption

3: Fade ll Black

4: Star & Garterlude 1

5: Safe Distance

6: Underwater Ghosts

7: Archaeoacoustics

8: High St

9: Ashley Road Steppa

10: Star & Garterlude 2

11: The Drake Equation

12: Celestial Bird

13: Lullaby For The Apocalypse


Trinity Carbon is the lovechild of Patrick Conway, aka Jamie Russell, and Appleblim. This is their first long player together, having previously released two singles on Art-E-Fax. And, compared to those releases, this collection feels like a deliberate attempt to produce a narrative which, if one has heard correctly has been directly influenced by the passing of Andrew Weatherall, specifically regarding the need to avoid predictability. I also suppose that in doing so comparisons with AW’s output will be made, particularly that of Two Lone Swordsmen. It’s the dub obsession. Something that glues itself to the fabric of society and is able to morph and meander so effectively along it. The album itself crackles and fizzes with a suppressed electric energy, not really letting loose as much as it could, but that’s all part of the plan. It isn’t a linear listening experience, taking flight on occasion, (‘Safe Distance’, ‘ High St’, and ‘Ashley Road Steppa’, The Drake Equation’), and bottoming out with the two ‘ Star & Garterlude’ bookends. The rest of what transpires manages to convincingly walk the tightrope between deconstructed dub techno, (‘Mild Bunch’, ‘Ghost Army Redemption’, ‘Archaeoacoustics’), amorphous breakbeats (‘Underwater Ghosts’, ‘Celestial Bird’), lush, beautific beats  (‘Lullaby For The Apocalypse’) and the beatless void (‘Fade ll Black’). I’m sure I’ve done this album a great disservice in reducing it down to its constituent elements, but it coalesces remarkably well and is a real trip.


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