Record Review – Bong

BONG

Mana-Yood-Sushai

Ritual Productions CD

Shadowy Newcastle band, Bong, have been prolific across various lo-fi releases in the last couple of years but this is the first time the band have entered the recording studio with a producer for this, their latest release on Ritual Productions.

There are just two long tracks here, both slow-motion drones with deep guttural bass and shimmering reverb-drenched guitar across highly repetitious song structures. Admittedly this doesn’t perhaps sound like a winning formula but something in this band’s DNA turn this simple recipe into a brain-melting meditation from the outer reaches of the nebula. The second track is titled ‘Trees, Grass And Stones’ – presumably a reference to ’70s hippie jam band, Trad, Gras och Stenar – giving a strong hint of where the band draw their influences from.

This is frontal lobe music, not immediately arresting but the kind of sound you need to relax to and let flow over you. Take a seat, grab an intoxicant and let this thing tear a deep hole in your cerebral cortex.

Austin Matthews