Noise for Music's Sake
It’s easy to overlook the little things in music sometimes. In a world of immaculate production and accessible sonic clarity there are a set of rules for writing and recording music. These rules get the music with the most mass appeal in front of the most people without upsetting the delicate ears of your average listener.
With that distilling out of risk and discomfort, comes a by-product. By sheer law of averages, if you give a large population the same music that’s been produced to the lowest common denominator, there is going to be a percentage of that population who will reject that music on those very grounds. This population of people will find the people actively breaking those rules.
These people enjoy noise. They recognize that art should push boundaries and more often than not, it should be loud. It’s why festivals who caters to this crowd such as Denver’s Ghost Canyon Fest, see continued growth. Some people want their art messy and they want it to spit in the face. It’s in this place that we put the new split EP, THERE HE IS GET HIM, from the Ft. Collins noise rock bands Fear of Withdrawal and Sludgebroker.
While there is some uniformity between the two bands, primarily driven by the production work of Sludgebroker drummer/vocalist Aaron Nye, Fear of Withdrawal and Sludgebroker have a clear dynamic. On the Fear of Withdrawal side of things, bassist Andrew Di Tirro and drummer Jesse Aguilar conjure a blistering run through their three tracks with some surprising nuance. While it does feel slightly empty without vocals or a lead element, there are enough dynamics to keep it interesting. Of the three songs, “WORLD WITHOUT BIRDS” stands out with Di Tirro’s spoken word lament about the a world without birds.
The Sludgebroker side of things are a whirlwind of three songs. Fronted by Dawson Petrocco, and along side bassist Evan Arnold and producer/vocalist/drummer Nye, this noise trio tears through these tracks. While Petrocco delivers a powerful vocal performance, it is the interplay between his and Nye’s vocals on the song “FIRST LIGHT” that stands out. While both are screaming, it is the back and forth dynamics of the intonation that creates a hypnotizing effect.
What’s particularly worth noting with this split EP is the production work from Nye. While it is noisy (as intended), there is a clear through line in style and tone. Particularly in the the bass and drums seem to vibrate back and forth through the heavier moments.
This type of record is important to any scene. When people are willing to push boundaries and experiment, they sharpen any artist around them willing to listen. Any musician worth their salt will push themselves and be pushed by others willing to go there.
