Demo Parade

Very rarely do I get to hear a band whose music stays so true to their name as Surround Sound System. They create an expansive sound with heavily layered guitars, samples and other odd-beat instrumentation, at times recalling the more experimental works of Durutti Column, that also leans towards the ambience of The Orb.

‘Dreamguitarstation’ opens the tape and creates a dream-like trance pulse of a sound, which is only interrupted intermittently by what sounds like a station announcer. ‘Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted’, whose title alone would give a serious nod to their surrealist imagery, is punctuated by the sampled voice of a man repeating the title between the lush landscape of guitars which surround. ‘Lapis Lazuli’ rounds off this 4 track tape with much the same texture, although this track features an acoustic guitar which fits in well with the general atmosphere.

Jumble of Freaks, a two piece band from Dublin present us with a two track demo. The band comprise of vocalist and programmer Alan Redmond and classically trained guitarist Gordon Leary. ‘Heart of The God’ opens the tape with a big beat and tasteful guitar licks, and Alan Redmond’s passionate vocals contribute to a sound reminiscent of mid eighties groups such as Goodbye Mr McKenzie, Blancmange and mid-period Simple Minds. ‘Siberia’ is a slower and darker with a driving repetitive drum beat and again, some notable guitar from Gordon Leary. These song are well arranged and performed but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that this may be a band out of time. A live performance may prove me wrong.

Contrary to popular belief Trane House Red, I do not possess psychic powers! I can only assume this band are from Glasgow as the tape is a Serendipity recording. I don’t think Trane House Red would mind being labelled Indie. They embellish their songs with interesting trappings such as on the rather good ‘Bellysweet’ where we have acoustic guitars, bongos and some very nice piano. ‘Cease to Exist’, which I don’t believe owes its parentage to Charles Manson, is a bass driven thing with, for the most part, buried vocals but nonetheless a good chorus. This song uses the more familiar format of distorted guitars, underlayed with an acoustic drive, to good effect. The circular sound of the guitars is helped along with an interesting saxophone break. ‘Go Away You Small Boys’, the last and the best of the lot, is a quirky instrumental based around a haunting little piano piece, with strummed guitars and a percussive rimshot.

From Roscommon we have Mike T.V. whose 4 track demo kicks off with ‘Popchick’ which is a short, oddly melodic piece. ‘Tell Your Story Walking’ is where the tape began for me. Mike T.V.’s melodies make for compelling listening. They seem to use mainly minor chords and somehow manage to make this sound attractive. ‘Drill 13’ plays on the old repetition trick very effectively; the melody seems to weasel its way into your brain. This is almost Megadeth with quieter guitars and a strong pop slant. ‘Sandpie’ rounds off this tape and doesn’t stray much from the formula. This is undoubtedly quirky stuff and if they add a little more colour to their canvas, Mike T.V. could be serious contenders. They’ve also garnered some very enthusiastic live reviews so check them out!

Finally, the mighty Onion Breath who offer their L.P. length ‘Cyberman Vibrations’ for our consideration. This is resolutely hardcore with ’nary a nod to any aspect of commerciality. The lyrics range from serious world overviews to more humorous concerns. ‘Sprinkling’ exposes us to a heavy rumbling bass, seriously underproduced drums and lashings of buzz-saw guitar. The lyrics are more spat out than sung but this suits the general melee. ‘Banana Bread’ tears past at breakneck speed and leads us into ‘Cyberman Vibrations I’. This is the start of a musical trilogy. It’s an instrumental harnessing an industrial beat punctuated by keyboard bleeps. Space and mental peace forbid a track by track review but curious items such as the none too serious cover version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance’ and ‘Down In The Park ’93’ along with the remaining ‘Cyberman Vibrations’ stand out. Overall Onion Breath are intense and dedicated to their form. Singer Boz is also involved in the ‘Nosebleed’ fanzine which is a very worthy and seriously political publication.

Tune into The City Limits Youth Affairs show on Anna Livia Radio 103.8FM, Dublin, Saturdays from 10am to 12 noon in association with Hot Press and keep on truckin‘!