In a relatively short period of time the New Weird Australia compilations have already reached the fifth piece in a row, which probably does testify the fact that the Australian underground scene has enough power and vitality to subsequently set up the steps to permeate over the world.
Indeed, all around of it is ebulliently colourful. Speaking about any kind of so-called New Weird- movements, for instance about New Weird America or Finnish forest folk, you can find out the connection with folk music. In fact, to find out the link with folk music in Australian counterpart it is actually a bit harder task, though. For example, there is represented the music of Alex Yarbley aka Dot.AY, who have acquired enough notoriety in chiptune/tracker music circles in the last years. Another example and pleasant surprise is meet to Gail Priest, who is known by her confident sound art characteristics and methodology (in the recent case, the minimalist vocal drones are flavoured with spare electronics). However, the other projects are also far from (alt-) folk tunes - a primitive noise (Justice Yeldham, who is described by the Wire journalist Bruce Russell as one of the interesting artists after Iggy Pop to date), Ship Caught has a gothic blend of psych-punk and shoegaze to boom out, as if Joy Division had a very special wish to make acquiatence with the specifics of the Wall Of Sound; indie psychedelia (Crab Smasher), a sort of electronic primitivism (Ripple), a kind of Glass Bead Game with cut and paste formality (Kate Carr), a vanguardistic bunch of glitch-electronics, space rock, digital noise/ambient (Blake Freele, / / / ▲ ▲ ▲ \ \ \). Further, even in the recent context Mookoid`s structure seems to be innovative (Hex River Valley). My personal fancies are the Peace Out!`s psych-electro space noir mania (Running the Sand), so you can label it as `modern` without you could sound ridicolous somehow; and Burning Palms` noisy psych-rock with loudly ringing echo drums (Mockery). Third favorite of mine is The Atlas Room`s Iris , which is used to be similar to Burning Palms, though, having more emphasis on motorik sequences and rooting out the borders between different styles.
In short, Volume Five is a fabulous collection of ideas and sounds. If you want to get some excellent examples of contemporary avant-garde rock music, you should certainly listen to this compilation. Aboriginal spirits have got up to the machines to groove themselves out.
Download it from here
