The turbulent nature of the last year, with all understanding of “normality” now derailed, has one silver lining: with a generation of musicians locked down, frustrated, and restless, we are witnessing a creative explosion from DIY bands out of the UK. Adding themselves to the fray are bedroom goth duo Adoring, debuting their EP, The Absence of Everything (Callous Records). Come, enter their macabre world of “mausoleum rock” with their nihilist anthem, No Poets.
Vocalist Jack Sargent and multi-instrumentalist/producer George Turner, despite the trials of living at opposite ends of the country during a pandemic, offer up abrasive post-punk. The Absence of Everything acts as a time capsule of sorts, showcasing a vast spectrum of genre-splicing and drawing from an eclectic pool of influences such as Fearing, VR Sex, and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
No Poets emits desperate longing, orchestrated by Sargent’s commanding, reverb-coated low drones buried under vast textures of eery graininess that convey unease. Sargent remarks, “The video was a no-brainer…That aesthetic, combined with my love of old horror flicks, perfectly reflected the mess of emotions I was experiencing.” The video, directed by Harry Steel, incorporates found footage films, layered heavily with glitchy VHS treatment. Showcasing frantic cuts of grizzly 80’s horror in all their crude glory, Sargent’s reserved, Ian Curtis-esque crooning evokes the palpable sense of yearning…an impressive feat, considering he had never tracked vocals before.
“I’d never gone near a microphone before, let alone recorded my own voice, but I felt confident in the idea we would only be making something as a joke if anything,” he says.
“I’m drawn to finding the scariest possible option both sonically and compositionally,” adds George Turner. “The creative process is intense, rapid and ridiculous. From a production standpoint, we’ve married dance music sensibilities with harsh and abrasive timbres to create a bleak, dark and twisted sound that still makes you want to dance.”
Check out No Poets below:
The Absence of Everything is due for release later this year on Callous Records.
Pre-save “No Poets” here
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