Richard H. Kirk "LoopStatic [amine ß ring modulations]" Touch Records Touch Tone 12 2000 (60:51)
Devil in Your Name (8:22)
All in Vain (7:55)
With False Identity (9:44)
Chemicals and Easter Bunnies (6:40)
Do You Transmit? (6:20)
One Zero (8:18)
Get Our Heads Straight (6:36)
Monday Morning (6:56)
Written, arranged and produced by Richard H. Kirk.
Richard H. Kirk seems to be saving his grittiest work for release under his own name these past few years. "LoopStatic", like it's predecessors "Darkness at Noon" and "Knowledge Through Science", is quite raw. But unlike those 2, this is a beat based album ... down and dirty 'techno' composed of, you guessed it, static-y loops. Nothing here is going to shock Kirk fans: mangled transmissions (usually the source for the track title and recurring themes), analog bleeps and sweeps forming buried melodies and mutating dance friendly rhythms all sliced, diced and thickly montaged ala Burroughs cut-ups. Kirk's sample choices are, as always, of an economic and sociopolitical nature and humorous in the case of "Chemicals and Easter Bunnies" where he captures the ranting of a televangelist. The aggressive beats of "All in Vain" and "With False Identity" will force you to get up and dance or do violent things. "One Zero" features the most tribal rhythm of the lot as well as a mellow breakdown and slo-mo beat centerpiece. "Monday Morning" almost seems as if it's from a different session altogether as it's more restrained and forsakes the beat in favor of an alternating ticking and mellow synth melodies. Good stuff ... I want more. And I'll get a little more as soon as I order the 4 track 12" that features the first 3 tracks from this cd and the exclusive track (don't you just *hate* that?) "Crimes Against Humanity". Kirk might be touring the States in Autumn as part of the Inertia Tour and there is no doubt several more discs (one of which may be the soundtrack to the film "Souvenir") are either finished or currently in the works ...
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Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Riouxs Records.