A genuine lost treasure, K÷93 brings together three tracks from eight originally recorded circa 1993 at Cargo Studios in Manchester. A rare collaboration, the seeds of which were sown during a 1980 tour featuring Joy Division and Killing Joke, K÷93 brings together Jaz Coleman, Geordie Walker and Peter Hook, with mesmerising results. Unreleased until now, the tapes were lost, and the project became one of those mythical sessions; oft discussed, but never heard, until Chris kettle (E.G. Records) bought a copy to Jaz during a signing for the gorgeous Magna Invocatio album, allowing for the work to be mastered and released. Now available as a limited edition 10” vinyl (individually numbered copies out of two thousand), Cadiz Entertainment have done a great job with the packaging, adding detailed liner notes from Jaz and Pete and a postcard of the tour poster that spawned the sessions, while the tracks are pressed onto a gorgeous, smoky white platter.
The first side offers a single track, Remembrance Day, which provides the perfect introduction to the atmospheric approach taken here. Calmer than Killing Joke’s metallic onslaught, Remembrance Day recalls Disintegration-era Cure, while Jaz’s deeply emotional vocal cuts the listener to the bone. It’s a subtle, restrained piece of music that haunts the senses and speaks to anyone who has ever suffered loss, and it may just be one of the performances of Jaz Coleman’s life. A genuine work of art, Remembrance Day is worth the price of admission alone, and it’s a piece of music you’ll want to listen to over and again.
Side two opens up with the tribal Giving Up The Ghost, a track that feels like it was conceived around a communal bonfire. Jaz’s vocals are layered here, while the music side slips between straight forward melody and a minor key digression that is quite unlike anything else out there. With Peter Hook’s bass washed in light flange and the track primarily led by acoustic guitars, Giving Up The Ghost builds upon the beautifully understated atmosphere of Remembrance Day, suggesting that the trio developed a unique sound remarkably quickly. The final track Scrying, similarly juxtaposes the gentle strum of acoustic guitar and eerie synth to powerful effect. Once again, Jaz’s vocal conveys considerable depth and emotion, while Geordie and Peter (who have a powerful chemistry throughout the EP), weave dream-like soundscapes within which he can work his dark magic. It makes for a deeply rewarding body of work.
A rare opportunity to hear talented musicians from two distinct bands collaborating on a project that has its own identity, what is most surprising about K÷93 is how contemporary it sounds. Beautifully mixed and mastered, these songs are deftly layered and deeply atmospheric pieces and you long for the whole to be unearthed fi this is the quality of the material that was written. All in all, an essential piece of musical history presented with the respect it deserves. 9.5
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