'Consolation' by Human Greed
by Ian Simmons
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Actually, the most entertaining aspect of this CD is, regrettably, unavailable to purchasers - the press release accompanying it. Gloriously overwritten, it radiates an atmosphere of almost masturbatory self-regard and is written in language that wouldn't sound out of place coming from a slightly superior 14-year-old who has just read A Rebours and fancies himself an effete, world-weary dandy with a taste for outrage. In fact the music is produced by writer Michael Begg, who name-drops Paul Bowles extensively, and Artist Deryk (sic) Thomas, best known for Swans CD covers. He also does duty here, contributing something that looks like the kind of picture Louis Wain should have produced in Bethlem Hospital if he hadn't just continued painting his usual cute cats in slightly off-wack landscapes instead. His claim that "some people have trouble with children's viscera spilling into the hands of a cruel God while some monster penetrations occur in dark nursery corners. I can't understand why" suggests he needs to get out more.
Anyway, between them they form the loftily named Human Greed and have produced this CD some 15 years after first working together, after which they apparently went their separate ways "disgusted, as always, with a world that refused to embrace them". Back together now, they reckon their music warrants a new genre "melancholic extremism from the steep black hill of loss" and quote a claim that it sounds like "Arvo Part conducting Metal Machine Music"
Having chuckled my way through the paperwork, I was fully prepared for something which sounded like Stewart Home's imaginary tribute band "The Australian Whitehouse" would, but with strings, and possibly sub-Marilyn Manson lyrics. I rarely get to call anything "egregious dog toss" these days, but this looked like a prime candidate for the honour. Actually, when I whacked it in the CD player it turned out to be quite pleasant -- not exactly cutting edge, let alone defining a whole new genre. Much of it could have come from a quieter Throbbing Gristle track in the late 70s. It is listenable MOR experimental - the sort of thing Radiohead co-opt when trying to disguise their failing song-writing skills. Predominantly instrumental - lots of long minor key drones with the occasional spoken-word sample thrown in - I can see the Arvo Part bit, but couldn't find any trace of Metal Machine Music, it's far too mellow for that, and lacking the compressed intensity of Lou Reed's sensory overload. This is far closer to something like Godspeed You Black Emperor! or bits of Coil - in fact they could be Death in Vegas to Coil's Primal Scream. Effective and listenable followers of the formula without the bursts of startling beauty which make their role models so special.
They do tend to lack the sense of dynamics which is necessary to make drone-based music truly successful, there is little modulation or microtonal variation here and they are far too content to fix a mood, loop it for several minutes, then sit back. This makes for boredom rather than subtlety, but they show the potential to do much better. I am not sure the world will embrace them any more warmly now than they did 15 years ago on account of this, but it is by no means a failure.
