With the recent passing of keyboardist Gareth Williams and the newly ignited interest in the post-punk era, This Heat's seminal 1981 masterpiece 'Deceit' has been re-released in a limited edition digipack. Williams was largely responsible for the band's loose, improvisational nature and the intellectual force behind much of their experimentation.
Often unfairly lumped in with early 80's industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle and 23 Skidoo, This Heat always forged a path of their own. They probably had more in common with British "new music" pioneers such as AMM and Spontaneous Music Ensemble, but this too seems to sell them short. Their revolutionary sound has most certainly influenced and made possible territories later explored by No Neck Blues Band, Avey Tare Panda Bear, Sonic Youth and Boredoms. This Heat augmented their scratchy, dark punk improvisations with tape loops, ethnic percussion and unique vocal harmonies. Their politics were always at the foreground of their lyrical content, but they avoided sounding preachy or propagandistic. This Heat were pretty obscure even in their own time, and still remain mostly unknown.
'Deceit' is probably their best document, and it contains some of their most masterful work. The album opens with the improbable pop of "Sleep," a song that forms out of nowhere and becomes a beautiful, hypnotic lullaby. All of This Heat's tracks do not operate like most traditionally composed songs; they seem at first to be incoherent and disorganized. This looseness forces the listener to "un-focus" their ears and begin to catch the haphazard logic of the arrangements. "Sleep" sneaks up with its sophisticated counter-melodies and looping percussion. It's hard to believe that these songs have the power or focus to take hold of the listener's mind, but upon careful listening, their ingenuity becomes clear. There are a myriad other great songs on this album, and I have found the best way to absorb 'Deceit' is to listen repeatedly on headphones. What else can one say? I think it's one of the best albums ever recorded.
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