RE: SPK new stuff

[jsd%UMASS.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU (Jonathan S. Drukman)]

Rob Rosen writes:
> Any recommendations on _Gold and Poison_ (or whatever the hell it's
> called) or the live LP?

SPK's latest LP, the full name of which is _Digitalis Ambigua: Gold
and Poison_ is a mixed bag.  Depends really on your tastes.  Side one
starts with a good dance song called "Breathless" which is rather
typical lyrically and uses standard dance rhythm machines and
sounds-like- Fairlight-to-me synth sounds.  They may actually _be_
Fairlight sounds for all I know... what with the sampling craze in
full bloom it's hard to know.  But I digress.  Anyways, the first four
songs or so are just typical dance grooves.  Not bad, not exceptional.
I like 'em.  You may not.  The last song on side one, and most of side
two, is the kind of ambient drone/synth exploration pieces found on
"Songs Of Byzantine Flowers".  Again, some good stuff.  I like
"Invocation (to Secular Heresies)" a lot.  There is one more pop-ish
(in that it has drum machine and real lyrics instead of vocal
chanting) song on side two called "White Island" and it is a stunner.
A very beautiful and not very subtle piece about the destruction of
the Bikini Atoll in an atomic test.  Great stuff!  Haunting melody.
To put this LP in perspective, take a listen to the preceding album
_Machine Age Voodoo_.  MAV sounds a lot like Propaganda with more
industrial rhythms and a bit more of an evil side.  Unfortunately,
Sinan, who did vox on all of MAV doesn't show up very frequently on
_Gold and Poison_.  Her replacement, Carina Hayes, has a much weaker,
higher voice.  I don't like her a whole lot.  So, ask yourself, do you
like better than average dance grooves and atmospheric pieces?  If so,
then you might get some kicks out of _Gold and Poison_.

I can't comment on the live LP (titled _Oceania_), having not heard it.

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