The pioneering New Zealand
noise group hints at mysticism on this outing, and such sentiments channeled through guitars, bass, and drums makes for a compelling listen through two side-long suites of corrosive feedback and swaying slow-motion rhythm.
The Operation of the Sonne is like a hybrid of
Sonic Youth's
Bad Moon Rising -- for all its paranoia -- fused with the metric propulsion of
Faust's
"Krautrock." The Dead C begin this scorching set with a collage of overdriven synth
improvisation and pulsating sine waves accompanying a deadpan vocal courtesy of guitarist
Bruce Russell. By the closing suite on side two, the twin guitars of
Russell and
Michael Morley are interlocked into wavering feedback tendrils that float over an almost funky rhythmic network provided by drummer
Robbie Yeates. The trio levitates into one of the most hypnotic jams of its '90s recordings, and this passage is elating for the fact that it appears to grow out of nowhere. How infrequently such inspired
improvisation is caught on record. From a group that specializes in such freeform strategies, this is a highly recommended chapter in
the Dead C's vast discography. ~ Skip Jansen
