Quite how much we should be thankful for an EP which was included in its entirety in the bonus tracks for the DVD version of ‘Fear of a blank planet’ is debateable, but here it is, issued as a CD in beautiful super-jewel-case packaging courtesy of Peaceville records. The four tracks included (all recorded at the same sessions as FOABP) are essential if you dig the album and they include a collaboration with King Crimson’s legendary Robert Fripp.
Lasting almost half an hour, despite the limited number of tracks, the album kicks off with its title track. A searing instrumental featuring Fripp’s distinctive guitar work, it is an evocative piece and sets the mood (marginally darker than FOABP) perfectly. Following this we have ‘normal’ which was left off the album as it is a continuation of ‘Sentimental’ and Wilson wanted to keep the album under an hour in length. Next up is ‘cheating the Polygraph’, a suitably mellow song with stunning harmonies from Wilson. The EP ends with the eight minute plus ‘What happens now’ a climatic and lengthy exercise in tension building and dynamics.
While some might view ‘Nil recurring’ as nothing more than a stop-gap collection of album off-cuts, they’d be wrong. This collection is as essential as the monumental In Absentia and it’s EP status belies the length and complexity that the record contains. Beautifully presented and containing some of Porcupine Tree’s finest work this is an EP that deserves a place in any record collection and Porcupine Tree fans need this like they need Oxygen. Stunning.
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