The first track of Bastard Radio is “Proper Bastards”, which starts with multilayered periodic noise overlayed with what sounds like some kind of sphincter letting out air with a bit of distortion with what sounds like the rattle of tin cans co-occurring. The sphincter noises permutate in various fashions as the other sounds drop out, becoming high pitched and even a bit percussive sounding. Then, glitched noise joins the fray, and a sound reminiscent of the periodic shaking of small objects in a can occurs. The sound is glitched and played backwards for short periods of time. There is what sounds like throat and mouth noises being made with saliva. The sphincter noises play quickly and in a high pitched manner, like a pig squealing, permutating in a way that is not melodic but has its own sense of artistry to it. Suddenly all background noise drops out leaving the squeals to exist in a vacuum, starting then halting for a while, then playing like a solo.
To this listener’s shock it is revealed that the sound of the squealing is a treated violin being played, as the distortion and effects are removed from it, leaving the sound of high-pitched atonal bowing. Something is shaken against a hard surface, and as the shaking occurs the violin plays furiously and chaotically, sounding like it’s spiraling into distortion as the effects are re-applied a bit. After this occurs for a while, the track ends.
The second track is “Dung Factory”, which begins with fairly percussive-sounding flanged metallic sounds occurring in a repeating rhythm. What sounds like the noises of an animal in discomfort occur, and then loops of violin playing come in. A high pitched, treated loop plays. The sounds of flatulence play in different manners. Then, a stuttering voice comes in, being corrupted in various ways. The voice becomes corrupt and stuttering to the point of total indiscernibility for a bit, then fragments of speech come out, as the voice plays at a very high pitch with a low voice singing two notes below the voice.
Everything drops out except for the voices and a bit of periodic noise for a bit, and then reverb laden noises start up. Then all cuts out. A voice speaks clearly, and some bowing is done on the violin as it plays noises, both tonal and not. All cuts out again, and a loop of a bit of resonant noise with a click plays repeatedly. This goes on quite a bit, then fades out, ending the EP.
(https://territorialgobbing.bandcamp.com/album/bastard-radio, £2 GBP for digital, £4 GBP for cassette)
