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Tuesday 4 September 2012

Record Review - Sylvester Anfang II

SYLVESTER ANFANG II
John Changs Kosmische Hand/Moordende Maan

Great Pop Supplement 7”

Belgian ‘funeral-folk’ lunatics Sylvester Anfang II are back with a new single every bit as singular and esoteric as the rest of their output. With a sound that harks back to German commune bands like Amon Düül I or the Cosmic Jokers collective, this is another strong addition to their weird mythos.

The ‘A’ side is a disquieting affair full of off-kilter jamming somewhere in the region of folk-psych and krautrock. The tribal percussion beats out a cursory pulse as a discordant flute (?) mutates some kind of melody. There’s some distant sense of co-ordination in the track but it’s hard to pin down. Towards the end the bass attempts some sort of interaction with the beat while the background noise grows more discordant and menacing. The pace quickens as the track seems to groan beneath its own weight, eventually burning out completely.

The ‘B’ side is an eastern modal scale noodle cut from the same occult cloth. Droning and groaning throughout, it’s a queasy raga that’s not so much meditative as medicative.

This is Godless music, somehow both beautiful and nauseating. It’s hard to think in what situation you’re ever going to want to play this single but I’m glad it exists.

Austin Matthews

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