'Spectemur Agendo' Review - Philophobia Music Compilation

Spectemur Agendo

Various Artists

Philophobia Music

Philophobia's latest E.P collaboration which features The Do's, Fur Blend and Clandestines is fucking awesome, pure and simple. I don't know the policy on swearing, sorry kids if you're reading, sorry if you're offended, sorry random-er who thought this might be pleasant, but bloody frigging hellers I have'nt stopped bashing my head around for a second.

The Do's open this E.P with“Without a Reason” and “Clickey Bits” amongst their artillery. How the hell do they make so much mouth watering noise between two of them? Imagine someone on a stage throwing hunks of steak at a crowd full of obese people. The Do's deliver in both richness of sound and texture, you can almost see the sweat and effort put into each serving. It's thrashy, gritty and a great start.

Fur Blend which I must admit are a new edition to my ear memoirs, really surprised me. It usually takes me at least a few listens to get into many new bands. They present us with “Deer Stalker” which is fresh in melody and a really accomplished song, a happy pop song and a great one at that.“Bones”, their second song is slower in pace and I genuinely think it could be listened to on repeat and I would not get bored. All in all, it won't be the last time I listen to them by no means.

Clandestines are given the job to round this E.P. up, they tell us why we are going to remember it, listen to it again and again. Their songs “You'd Have Never Even Asked My Name As Long As You Got The Satisfaction You Need” and “Heavy Now” are grunge thrash pop punk bliss. They do not disappoint, both songs are a joy to listen to and make it 6/6 tracks that have wowed me.

This E.P makes you realise how important Philophobia is, to not only the bands but to the audience. It is one big family and no-one can criticise this label without going through hoards of loyal, hard working, grateful band members; this label reinforces most people's faith in Wakefield music, so to you Philophobia, I salute and thank you for letting me listen to this.

It is the shit!

Jack Falcon

Imp - 'Sewerpop! How The Castle Was Stormed' Review

Imp

Sewerpop! (How The Castle Was Stormed)

Philophobia Music

Imp are one of the oddest bands in Wakefield. I don’t think they’ll mind me saying that. Despite having seen them numerous times over the past… God, maybe 5 years, I still don’t ‘get’ them. By which I don’t mean I don’t like them, I mean simply don’t understand how they ‘are’.

Live, they are the ultimate expression of the runaway freight train; it MUST fall off the rails right? Any minute now, I’m sure of it. I don’t know how they write songs, they just seem to filter them into existence, each member playing their version of some half remembered childhood nursey rhyme. Or a vicious argument conducted in 5 different languages. The brilliance - and the reason most people cant take their eyes off them - is that it simply works, the perfect wall of reason at the centre of the storm.

Following on from last year’s ‘Just Destroyer’, which was a bit of a direction change, yet a positive one, ‘Sewerpop!’ sees Imp get their pop back. I thought that’d just be the PHOP hype machine churning me a line, but it’s spot on. ‘Just Destroyer’s instrumentals are gone and we are left with a sharp, urgent kaleidoscope of fractious battle to ponder over. The wandering guitar lines find their separate shapes, head out on explorative drives in country but make it back in time for the chorus. Drums and Organ hold it all together really, smart rhythms and lines. The vocals sound better than ever, the sweetly shouted hooks the horse in the glue that ties this band together.

‘The Timings All Wrong’ opens with some odd seaside soundscaping. Suggests they’ve gone real prog on us. But it’s just a warm up. The free flowing tempo and odd beats here break you in to the wandering dynamics across the record. ‘Back From Battle’ and ‘Sharkbay Nevermore’ are the beating core of this quick trip into Imp’s world. Generally, it’s a less riff-tastic record than the last, but better for it; instead a warm glow, a concise widescreen account, a smiling room, a lost letter found.

As with the music, it’s hard to tell what is going on with the lyrics, the ideas, the themes (if there are any) seem to wash over, leaving more of an impression than a firm idea. I think that is what Imp excel at. They are a pop band; the dirtiest most disturbed pop band, that tie the oblique and the half-seen, the half caught conversation and the swamping drunken declaration in a direct and sumptuous package. They don’t do it by stepping into our world, taking a look around and spewing out a reply; it is purely on their terms. You must go to them and step inside their minds. I cant recommend that, admittedly terrifying prospect, highly enough. Sewerpop! Is the best thing they’ve done thus far, though I’ve still honestly no idea ‘what’ it is they’ve done, let alone ‘how’.

Dean Freeman

Philophobia Music - 'To Dare Is To Do' Review

Various Artists
To Dare Is To Do
Philophobia Music

This is a new compilation from Wakefield label Philophobia Music. It contains 2 tracks each by Above Us The Waves, Gary Gore & EE Viles and Daniel Lancaster. All those bands appeared in various forms on the excellent full length PHOP comp ‘Under The Bus Station Clock’ last year. With a lot of high profile releases from its more well known bands (Runaround Kids, The Spills, Piskie Sits etc) since then, Philophobia wanted to celebrate its lesser known stars too.

To Do Is To Dare has pleasingly old skool PHOP packaging, a handmade cardboard sleeve that folds out to reveal 3 separate mini CDs (you know those proper small ones, about 3” in diameter?). It’s a pointless but brilliant touch that makes things like this worth buying. But what of the music?

First up is Above Us The Waves who’s self released EP ‘A Gene’ was well received last year. They are the most ‘typical’ band here in relation to the label. Those with a vague interest in Wakefield sounds will know what to expect here, fuzzed up guitars, energetic, spritely stuff. Those with a greater interest will see the difference here, less slacker, less poppy, more rickety and runaway; wirey and fractured. There’s a strong sense of authenticity here; AUTW have a seriousness, a dark streak that a lot of their peers avoid. Not that this isn’t enjoyable; the lumbering crescendos of ‘X-Ray Eyes’ in particular are moving and certainly point to much future potential.

Gary Gore & EE Viles is a collaboration between Junior Swimsuit and Swords, as last heard on the aforementioned PHOP Comp. It continues the labels occasional foray into electronica. Both tracks have a really great, individual sound. It’s light and airey, bringing to mind some elements of The Postal Service or the playful side of Aphex Twin. That’s not a reference I like to use; it’s what people fall back on who don’t understand the subtleties of this kind of thing. But it’s accurate here as this is Electronica from the minds of Indie kids and it fits it is so full of melody as opposed to groove or momentum. It also reminds me a little of ‘Worrywort’ by Radiohead but again, that just shows my own limited field of knowledge.

The first track, ‘Decades Erased’ is vocal free, allowing the alternating melodies to take lead. It’s interesting that it’s a collaboration; it feels like a robot duet, with lines coming and going, moving in and out of focus. It works well. The second has a heavily altered vocal hook which adds some variation. Both tracks take a long time to sink in, full of invention and leaps through strange territories of inverted logic, but are equally accessible and dreamlike, so completely worth the effort.

The last double hit is from former Lapel (Philophobia’s first band) Daniel Lancaster who has been rather quiet since the bands split some years back. However, here we have a pair of astoundingly confident tracks of acoustic based pop, with a full band backing. There are great production touches all over the place but it never feels overly showy. The songs at the heart of all this are strong and it’ll be interesting to see what happens when they are played live. Like all the tasters here, it bodes well for the future.

This whole EP is a success as it gives enough to raise interest in these lesser known talents yet also leaves me wanting more, from all of them. I like the awkwardness of it too – that it’s on 3 different CDs. What, I got to get up AND CHANGE THE CD to hear the different bands? Yes you do. That’s the kind of hardcore fan that Philophobia is here for. Course you can always download it if that sounds like too much effort.

Dean Freeman

http://philophobiamusic.bandcamp.com/album/to-dare-is-to-do

Rhubarb Bomb Podcast

Our first ever Podcast is now complete and available to download from iTunes for FREE.

As Rhubarb Bomb is only currently released quarterly, we wanted to fill those gaps with something else. And a Podcast seemed the ideal way to let you know about the exciting records we’d come across and events that were going on in the interim. We intend to continue this process, with the distinct possibility of special ‘one off’ editions too.

Episode One is 60 minutes long and sees myself joined by part time Rhubarb Bomb contributor and ‘renowned’ folk musician ‘The Passing Fancy’, as well as Mr Rob Dee, head of much respected Philophobia Music for a pleasant chat about allsorts. We’ve squeezed in 10 amazing tracks, including exclusive first plays of tracks from Runaround Kids, Buen Chico, Mi Mye and a track from the upcoming Philophobia Compilation, ‘Under the Bus Station Clock’. We’ve got the brand new Pains of Being Pure At Heart single ‘Say No to Love’ (interview with them in the next issue too) and we also announce and play tracks from the bands that will feature on the opening night of the first ever Leeds Fringe Festival, which we are curating, on August 19th.

http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/rhubarb-bomb/id381555466

Tracklisting:

Say No To Love - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Cost Of Living - Salvage My Dream
Falling into Better Hands - Runaround Kids
The Rash That Grows - By By
Sense Of The Shaking - Mi Mye
Happiness Is Important - Buen Chico
There's A War - Victoria & Jacob
Two White Ghosts - Zoey Van Goey
Philadelphia - Standard Fare
Its Lethal - This Many Boyfriends