gareth hardwick / taiga remains

High Tension / Pantomime Bodies

Nottingham label Low Point returns with another terribly limited slab of wax, with tracks this time appearing from Label boss Gareth Hardwick and Students of Decay head honcho Alex Cobb. Regular followers of Hardwick's work should know of his deft hand at drone production and 'High Tension' (possibly based on the French horror movie of the same name? Maybe not...) is a veritable master class in the genre. The guitar might be his primary instrument but this drifts and folds into itself so fluidly it could just as easily be a synthesizer. Apollo-era Brian Eno or early Stars of the Lid might be the best references here, but Hardwick's long-form composition stands just as well on its own as any that have come before. However saying this, my favourite side comes courtesy of Alex Cobb under his Taiga Remains moniker who throws up a dense wall of drone, replete with what sounds like temple bells and heaven knows what else underneath. There is an almost creeping mystery to the track which while relatively static seems to slither and slip in between your strands of consciousness, mercilessly suggesting sickly nothings as you attempt to listen to its intricacies. Wonderful stuff anyway and lovely to see this type of material on vinyl, 10" no less! Very limited and very good indeed - buy it.