The Dead C are New Zealand's reigning purveyors of guitar sludge, having been unleashing albums for decades, in unrelenting fashion. Vocalist and Guitarist Michael Morley's solo work as Gate is equally jarring, and his catalogue is nearly as bottomless as that of his group, with nearly 20 releases flying the Gate banner.
In 2010, Morley shifted gears entirely with the electronic album A Republic of Sadness, on which the musician somehow managed to fuse his morose and beat-down sensibility with bouncy rhythms and uncharacteristically funky dance moves. On Saturday Night Fever, he takes his listeners a few decades back in time, crafting a low fidelity disco-esque maelstrom of noise that is as intriguing as it is confounding. This is definitely a Gate album, yet it's been infected with punchy horn lines and an unstoppable beat.
Somehow, the only element that feels out of place is Morley's mumbling vocals, which seem to sit a little too high in the mix instead of swimming in the midst of the grinding chaos that is the music itself. The album is certainly a must-have for Dead C fans; others should tread cautiously, but may be surprisingly delighted at what they find here.
(MIE Music)In 2010, Morley shifted gears entirely with the electronic album A Republic of Sadness, on which the musician somehow managed to fuse his morose and beat-down sensibility with bouncy rhythms and uncharacteristically funky dance moves. On Saturday Night Fever, he takes his listeners a few decades back in time, crafting a low fidelity disco-esque maelstrom of noise that is as intriguing as it is confounding. This is definitely a Gate album, yet it's been infected with punchy horn lines and an unstoppable beat.
Somehow, the only element that feels out of place is Morley's mumbling vocals, which seem to sit a little too high in the mix instead of swimming in the midst of the grinding chaos that is the music itself. The album is certainly a must-have for Dead C fans; others should tread cautiously, but may be surprisingly delighted at what they find here.
