Sarin Smoke

Vent

Sarin Smoke's 'Vent' is a rather weird, delightful and difficult drone record. Personally, it took me some “surfing” to discover anything about the band or what they were making all these noises with. It sounds like modems fucking ('2.1') at times, at others ('1.1.2') like some guitars folding in on each other to create some really lovely, moody music.

For Sarin Smoke virgins (like me), it's the work of two of American noise/drone’s most gifted and prismatic players, ex-Yellow Swan Pete Swanson and Charalambides’ Tom Carter. On this album we have the two sonik sages conjuring layers of guitar noise. Not your typical “Let's make a drone record this summer so we can tick it off our bucket list”, this is the real deal, like when your sister sent me a picture of her clawing at herself. Seven tracks make up the record and never satisfy themselves with treading the same ground, the artists always trying to paint a new landscape of fuck with vile pink noise.

Lovers of their affiliated bands, or any kind of drone for that matter, should treasure this record. It is at times quite violent ('1.3.1') with warring noises masking prettier background sounds, developing into an overwhelming thrum that would fit on any Sunn O))) album. I should add that it sounds rather lo-fi compared to how other bands try to make an impact with big noise; these guys are achieving heavy with what sounds like a dictaphone recording, which is some going! '2.1.2' sounds like a fucked up nursery rhyme, like G!YBE speeded up. '2.2.2' leaves me with a more optimistic feeling, the graceful high notes of delayed guitars gliding along sunbeams.

So buy the record. I am. I'm going to buy fuck out it because the next time I score some jellies, this is going to sound amazing. Tom Carter also needs the financial support, not to fund his artistic ventures, but to cover substantial medical bills after contracting pneumonia in Europe. I find it staggering from this position across the pond that a significant portion of a nation can be so appalled by subsidised healthcare. Beard Rock loves the NHS in the UK, and we love Tom too, so if you can offer any support for him at this difficult time, it would sure be appreciated. Details here.

Pete Swanson released the following statement: "MIE Music and I have agreed to donate all profits from this new album to The Robert Thomas Carter Irrevocable Trust, as well as release a very limited version of the album with hand-done covers by Ilyas Ahmed that will also include an exclusive cassette of music from Sarin Smoke. This set will be priced at a premium with the intention of encouraging people with more resources to consider supporting Tom."   

#Albums #Drone #MIE #Sarin Smoke #Darkwülf