HR172 - Vermilion Vignette - Titanic Days - C60 — 1990
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Side A:
Stresshead Titanic Days Part 1 Titanic Days Part 2 No Point The Vellum Afterburner That Final Itch |
Side B:
The Sensory Deprivation Chamber Kalibaar Mochamba Kobar Tranquilizer Induced Delirium Random Aural Torture Mind’s Eye |
Review by Jerry Kranitz
I know next to nothing about Vermilion Vignette other than they’re from Sussex in the UK. The credits are cryptic: All written and performed by V.V. except snare drum by The Stalker and cello by MelloTone. I hear keyboards/synths, guitar, bass and vocals, and a couple songs sound like they have dual male/female vocals.
There’s a fair bit of variety across twelve songs. ‘Stresshead’ opens the set, being a blend of synth-pop, goth vocals and 80s video game soundtrack. I like the playfully eerie atmosphere and hyper-kinetic rat-a-tat percussion. ‘No Point’ and ‘Mind’s Eye’ also have a strong gothic flavor, with beautiful atmosphere, melodies, and intricate guitar patterns on ‘No Point’. ‘The Sensory Deprivation Chamber’ is the best of the goth inspired songs. It’s a spooky instrumental that incorporates narrative samples and commercials, from something about children’s self-image to an Electronic Flea Zapper that’s a steal at $199.
Exploring different territory is ‘Titanic Days Part 1’ which starts off with an Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark vibe, but about halfway through a groove develops and it’s like OMD meets Cabaret Voltaire. It’s primarily electronic but includes tasty guitar, and at eight minutes Vermilion Vignette do a nice job of steering the music through varied passages. ‘The Vellum Afterburner’ is guitar dominated, with growly vocals, a synth backing, freaky space effects and a grooving rhythmic pulse. ‘That Final Itch’ is a strange one. It’s a kind of but not quite synth-poppy tune with skittish electronic percussion and pleasant acoustic guitar melodies.
‘Kalibaar’ seems to melt into ‘Mochamba Kobar’, making them feel like one track. It starts off sounding like an outtake from Throbbing Gristle’s Second Annual Report, which then transforms into an industrial psychedelic raga that wraps up as a cello, bass and chanting vocals ensemble. Together these are creatively freaky and my favorite tracks of the set. Similarly, the aptly titled ‘Tranquilizer Induced Delirium’ is like a Goblin horror film soundtrack gone totally freakout industrial that seamlessly flows into the acid-dosed circus collage ‘Random Aural Torture’.
I know next to nothing about Vermilion Vignette other than they’re from Sussex in the UK. The credits are cryptic: All written and performed by V.V. except snare drum by The Stalker and cello by MelloTone. I hear keyboards/synths, guitar, bass and vocals, and a couple songs sound like they have dual male/female vocals.
There’s a fair bit of variety across twelve songs. ‘Stresshead’ opens the set, being a blend of synth-pop, goth vocals and 80s video game soundtrack. I like the playfully eerie atmosphere and hyper-kinetic rat-a-tat percussion. ‘No Point’ and ‘Mind’s Eye’ also have a strong gothic flavor, with beautiful atmosphere, melodies, and intricate guitar patterns on ‘No Point’. ‘The Sensory Deprivation Chamber’ is the best of the goth inspired songs. It’s a spooky instrumental that incorporates narrative samples and commercials, from something about children’s self-image to an Electronic Flea Zapper that’s a steal at $199.
Exploring different territory is ‘Titanic Days Part 1’ which starts off with an Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark vibe, but about halfway through a groove develops and it’s like OMD meets Cabaret Voltaire. It’s primarily electronic but includes tasty guitar, and at eight minutes Vermilion Vignette do a nice job of steering the music through varied passages. ‘The Vellum Afterburner’ is guitar dominated, with growly vocals, a synth backing, freaky space effects and a grooving rhythmic pulse. ‘That Final Itch’ is a strange one. It’s a kind of but not quite synth-poppy tune with skittish electronic percussion and pleasant acoustic guitar melodies.
‘Kalibaar’ seems to melt into ‘Mochamba Kobar’, making them feel like one track. It starts off sounding like an outtake from Throbbing Gristle’s Second Annual Report, which then transforms into an industrial psychedelic raga that wraps up as a cello, bass and chanting vocals ensemble. Together these are creatively freaky and my favorite tracks of the set. Similarly, the aptly titled ‘Tranquilizer Induced Delirium’ is like a Goblin horror film soundtrack gone totally freakout industrial that seamlessly flows into the acid-dosed circus collage ‘Random Aural Torture’.