CD, Lens Records, 2010
www.chrisconnelly.com
Two tracks with a total playing time of over 50 minutes. Two intriguing soundscapes simply titled “How This Ends”, part one and two. Two great artists to whom this album is dedicated: David Tibet and Gordon Sharp.
Who is this Chris Connelly and from where do I recognize his name? Firstly, I remember a friend mentioning this release on Facebook, and seeing the artwork reminded me of my own release, “Isolation”. But that was just the artwork, musically I never got a chance to hear it until it was sent to me as a promotional CD. And let me tell you that all similarity ends with that red shape on the cover.
The name might ring bells for people when we sum up a few of the projects of which he has been a part. These are (but not limited to) Acid Horse, Finitribe, Ministry, Murder Inc., Pailhead, Pigface, and the always awesome Revolting Cocks. And no, there is not one single part in this album – released by Lens Records – which would remind you of any of these projects.
The first of the tracks was made in collaboration with several other musicians. The above mentioned friend, Gordon Sharp, a.k.a Cindytalk, is one of them, but we also see Sanford Parker with whom Connelly plays in The High Confessions, as well as Bill Rieflin who also is/was a member of Ministry, Pailhead, Pigface and the Revolting Cocks.
Musically, the first track is a composition of minimal noise in a combination with organic ‘real’ instruments like piano and saxophone. The atmosphere is somewhere between the works of David Sylvian and noise acts like I like them: gritty, minimal and still ‘in yer face’. The second track is ‘only’ twenty minutes in duration and reminded me very strongly to the works of the Swans, for example the stuff you can hear on “Soundtracks for the Blind”. This is mainly because of the combination of guitar and vocals and the choir in the background. The noise in between these acoustic sounds remind of old C93 live performances, or maybe here and there a tiny bit like “Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil”.
I don’t know how else to describe this album. Are you intrigued? You should be.
[8/10]
– Bauke van der Wal