HR152 - Dennis - C90 — 1989
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
Dennis consists of Dion Trevarthen and Mark Deas from the Scottish space rock band Sponge, with help from Alec King from Sponge, D. Holyoak, and unspecified ‘others’. Dion informed me that Dennis is named after Alec King’s deaf cat, shown on the cover.
Side A of this 90-minute set starts off with a collage of shortwave radio, scrapes, static, whistling, deep space wind tunnel, cosmic oscillations, chaotic voices, and lots of tape manipulation effects. It’s an ongoing parade, veering seamlessly from circus like noise chaos, to rhythmic clatter and oddly musical sequences. I like the strange combinations of edgily atmospheric noise plus space-ambience, twiddly sci-fi effects, electro-tribalism and organ pulses.
There are no track titles in the credits but the music wanders through a succession of varying themes, which Dion clarified are separate tracks. We have electro weirded out rhythmic excursions in space, spooky Halloween in space soundtracks, lightly musical background ambience, cavernous soundscapes and percussion, and space-industrial dirges. And it’s all occurring in a playfully experimental, fun-with-tape, collage context.
Side B consists of one lengthy space and effects excursion. This would make a great soundtrack. It’s moody, striking a balance between eerie and meditative. It’s rhythmic, in a bubbly yet drifting way, atmospheric, and even somewhat melodic. I love how it just trips along in space, blending synth lines, drones, electro percussion, and oodles of effects.
Dennis consists of Dion Trevarthen and Mark Deas from the Scottish space rock band Sponge, with help from Alec King from Sponge, D. Holyoak, and unspecified ‘others’. Dion informed me that Dennis is named after Alec King’s deaf cat, shown on the cover.
Side A of this 90-minute set starts off with a collage of shortwave radio, scrapes, static, whistling, deep space wind tunnel, cosmic oscillations, chaotic voices, and lots of tape manipulation effects. It’s an ongoing parade, veering seamlessly from circus like noise chaos, to rhythmic clatter and oddly musical sequences. I like the strange combinations of edgily atmospheric noise plus space-ambience, twiddly sci-fi effects, electro-tribalism and organ pulses.
There are no track titles in the credits but the music wanders through a succession of varying themes, which Dion clarified are separate tracks. We have electro weirded out rhythmic excursions in space, spooky Halloween in space soundtracks, lightly musical background ambience, cavernous soundscapes and percussion, and space-industrial dirges. And it’s all occurring in a playfully experimental, fun-with-tape, collage context.
Side B consists of one lengthy space and effects excursion. This would make a great soundtrack. It’s moody, striking a balance between eerie and meditative. It’s rhythmic, in a bubbly yet drifting way, atmospheric, and even somewhat melodic. I love how it just trips along in space, blending synth lines, drones, electro percussion, and oodles of effects.