Design By Humans
Published On: Fri, Oct 19th, 2012

BEAK>: >>

Beak>
>>
(Invada)

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I would hesitate to say that krautrock has had a proper resurgence, but in recent years its motorik rhythms have popped up everywhere from Deerhunter to The Horrors. Often times itā€™s used in watered down fashion, and I sure hope it doesnā€™t end up regurgitated as much as new wave and shoegaze have been by the indie community.

But Beak>, which features Portishead drummer/founder Geoff Barrow, always had a far more authentic approach. I certainly wouldnā€™t say theyā€™re simply aping krautrock; the jamming-inspired compositions always had a natural feel to them, mostly because they were recorded live and left unembellished, and the result is equal parts kraut, psychedelia, and post-punk.

The groupā€™s second album, >>, is mostly parallel to their self-titled 2009 debut: airtight, propulsive drumming with fuzzy, repetitive bass lines locked in, splashed with analog synthesizers and echoed, indecipherable vocals.

The result is a dreary, lo-fi industrial soundscape, lending the recording a hint of antique charm ā€“ it may as well have emerged from some gray factory town in the mid-late 70ā€™s. The ominous instrumental ā€œLadiesā€™ Mileā€ in particular is reminiscent of some of Throbbing Gristleā€™s more creepily hushed moments, while ā€œWulfstan IIā€ is the definite climax with its sinister bass and drum groove, cavernous vocals, and synthesizer echoes.

Itā€™s not necessarily all gloom and doom; the more up-tempo groove of ā€œYattonā€ and the brief ā€œLiarā€ attest to that, though they still donā€™t shed the albumā€™s aesthetic.

Adherence to a specific sonic palette can often be very limiting, and in this day and age, quite gimmicky. But >> is thankfully an example of style done right. Its jammy, live nature lends a certain unpredictability and visceral quality to the performance, which makes for an engaging, foot-stomping listen.

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