When you’ve
already made one of 2012’s best albums, how do you better it? Pretty easy it would seem – enter Mark
Stewart and Exorcism Of Envy!
The
Politics Of Envy was one of the most anticipated albums of the year and fully
lived up to expectations (often exceeding them) – big, brash, bold and bloody
brilliant! It marked (sic) the return of
one of Britain’s most original and respected artists and didn’t disappoint
whether it be joining forces with Primal Scream or Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, or,
simply being the revolutionary that he is.
For months
before its release, Exorcism was known as the Remix or Dub version of
Politics. It’s far more than that; it’s
a complete ripping apart and re-constructing.
It’s a completely different beast.
The album
kicks off with a version of Baby Bourgeois in the shape of Babycino. Typical ‘old school Mark Stewart complete
with police sirens and alarms. Echoes
and ‘that’ house sound that he and Gary Clail seemed to characterise. Dubs aplenty (of course!). An incredible cutting drumbeat persists
through Sexorcist which is guested by Factory Floor and Keith Levene. After Levene in his PiL days, had been such a
huge influence on Stewart, it’s nice to see the two working together so
well. Fingers crossed for more future
collaborations. There a monster wall of
sound persisting throughout like a cross between KLF and Acid making a bastard
son of a noise that ensures your ears bounce.
The
unmistakable sound of Gustav Says starts three self-proclaimed ‘dub’
versions. Gustav Dub has more added
sounds and effects than you could shake a stick at, obviously dubbed to great
effect. Towards the end of the track
there sounds like there’s a party going on in the background – possibly a
gospel choir – who knows? One of those
powerful powerful songs that Stewart is very capable of producing with the new
re-constructed version really adding a certain ‘oomph’.
An almost
military drumbeat sounding like it’s playing over a deserted battlefield, complete with swirling lone female vocal
entrances you on Method To The Madness Dub.
Great hi-hats and reggae beat ensue.
An amazing stereo spiralling effect closes before Codex Dub’s biting drumbeat
starts. Heavy bass sounds get pushed in
from of the vocals creating a completely different sounding version. There’s a brilliant close to the track where
the dub of Mark voice gets speeded up like an out of control cassette getting
frantically faster before cutting off.
Aggression,
shouting vocals and more differing sounds brought to the fore on Want Version
before Mirror Wars with its mighty crashing screaming beginning and the master
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. More of Mark’s
screeching, bleeping, roaring sounds in the background that have made his music
so instantly recognisable over the years.
Pure chaos and an extra rap from X A Cute (that doesn’t appear on
Politics) making the track take on a new form, almost like an extra track
sandwiched in the middle.
An almost
indistinguishable Letter To Hermione is present in the form of Letter (Full Of
Tears). Thumping, clinical drums with a
hard bassline in total contrast to the mellow (as close as Mark gets) version
on Politics. It’s fair to say that every
sound and trick he’s ever used is thrown with gusto into this album, and,
whilst the tracks are torn apart, not all of them are put back together again
leaving torn and ripped brilliance.
Following
buckets of dubbed vocals, the hookline to Apocalypse Dub reminds me of Best
Friends Girl by Cars. I may be hated for
that, but, the similarity is there right down to finger clicking. One of the most immediate songs on the
album. It’s fair to say that the
majority of the songs on Exorcism are very accessible, Mark adding his
individual touch to make them that little more appealing to the music
intelligencia – maybe not reaching mass appeal (yet), but gaining well deserved
critical acclaim.
It’s hard
to pick a highlight of such an accomplished album, but if pressed, Attack Dogs
would be right up there. A quite superb
dub/reggae version of the lead single from Politics, Autonomia, featuring
Primal Scream which was in itself a monster track. Stripped right back with balls removed, added
sirens and alarms which bring recollections of On-Usound, epitomising how the
original tracks have been made into completely new tracks and testament to what
a stunning album this is. Let’s not
forget the dog bark to close.
Killswitch
ends Politics ironically as its ‘mother’, Vanity Kills, began Politics. What more can be said that hasn’t been
already. Everything is thrown in
here. The clunking guitar that starts
the chorus (which actually has the chorus line removed!), shouting female
vocals, crashing drums. Anthemic.
Not only is
Exorcism Of Envy a quite amazing retake on Politics Of Envy, it is also a
superb album in its own right. Both
albums feature in my Top 20 of 2012, and, both albums are right up there with
my best of all time. If you bought
Politics, you’ll adore Exorcism – if you didn’t then you’re a fool.
Published on Louder Than War 21/12/12 - http://louderthanwar.com/mark-stewart-exorcism-of-envy-album-review/
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