A: 0898
B: Welcome To The Machine
This is another Record Store Day 2013 release, and comes relatively hot on the heels of BEAK>'s previous single release, "Mono"/"Kenn". BEAK> are an underground supergroup of sorts, comprising of Geoff Barrow (Portishead), Billy Fuller (Fuzz Against Junk), and Matt Williams (Team Brick). Their working method in the recording studio is unusual, recording everything as it happens live in one take without resorting to any overdubs or repair.
"0898"/"Welcome To The Machine" is a single record released on 10" white vinyl. (What is it about white vinyl these days? There seams to be an over-abundance of the stuff. I seem to have bought more records recently pressed onto white vinyl than I have on traditional black vinyl.) The timings of the two tracks would have allowed them to have fitted onto a 7" single, although I guess 10" appeals more to the collectors, and also considering that "Welcome To The Machine" clocks in at nearly 6 minutes sound quality may have been compromised on a 7" disc.
"0898" is driven by the bassline carrying the main melody over a simple 4/4 motorik drum beat, whilst an almost out-of-tune sounding synthesiser contributes a sense of unease to the proceedings. The vocals are low-key and have a mumbled quality to them, almost as if the singer would really rather be doing something else, anything else other than do the vocals. This might sound as if I'm criticising, but I'm not because strangely it all works. I guess it's all part of the BEAK> trademark sound.
The b-side, "Welcome To The Machine" is a cover version of a song from Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here album, and is arguably the better of the two songs on this release. It features an appropriately machine-like bass and drums, with more of the "unsettling" synths sprinkled over the top. Again the vocals are low in the mix and "mumbled" - I don't think BEAK> really want us to be able to hear each and every word, it's more like they are using the human voice as yet another instrument in their arsenal. It's all a part of their experimental/kraut-like approach to making music.
This release was limited to 1,000 copies. I believe that Invada Records still have some left over from Record Store Day for sale on their website if you'd like to snap up a copy.
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