This lathe captures Neil Campbell (Astral Social Club and ex-Vibracathedral Orchestra) and Sticky Foster, both, A-Band alumni, somewhere in the world making sound together. Allegedly containing material that could be about ten years old, this release squeezes (what I think is possibly) four tracks onto a clear seven inch vinyl.
This duo, introduced on stage by Wolf Eyes’ John Olson, wastes no time building a swelling hurricane of roasted feedback and battered percussion. “Live at RRRecords” is a wrecking yard turned inside out, all shivering steel towers and strobing blasts of metal. The gnarled hand percussion and the speaker being force fed a guitar head liquefy into a mercury drenched tributary. About six minutes in, and without warning, it switches into a less live assault team sounding piece. An underwater toaster-in-bath murk clicks into play, a drowned mic battering on a sunken wreck’s railings.
The flipside opener has a simple drum machine beat that teeters precariously on the edge of possible funk, the looped notes perforating a swirl of dirty air. The audible hiss of an old school recording makes this feel like the oldest piece here, but it’s a blessing it’s been saved. A protuberance of organic sounds stuffed with snatches of radio and birdcall seems to grow heavier as the track progresses, becoming easier for the listener to sink under the spread. The second half of this track is the most sedentary of the four tracks, tiny electric loops and in-limbo chimes languishing in a bundle of cells. It’s obvious that Campbell’s work as part of Astral Social Club has moved on into other areas and features a good deal of focused energy, but this lathe is still an excellent example of his more sprawling side.
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