Released by the ever-excellent Nefarious Industries, Risk Relay’s As we descend is a concept EP based around John Uri Lloyd’s 1895 sci-work Etidorhpa. Hailing from New Jersey, Risk Relay is a four-piece band who draw upon a wide range of influences to deliver an art-punk hybrid that recalls the squalls of Fugazi and mid-period Sonic Youth over the course of six, all-too-short tracks. Available on limited edition white vinyl, the physical packaging is the way to go as it perfectly showcases the glorious artwork of Bryan Elkins, and, as we’ve come to expect from nefarious, the vinyl itself sounds amazing – crisp, clear and crackle-free.
Literally from the moment the discordant, mangled guitar of The meeting emerges on the first side, I’m hooked. The stabbing, interlocking guitar work, somewhere between the Pixies, Linoleum and Sonic Youth, is given weight by the probing might of the bass and the thunderous drums which roil and burn underneath the scratchy surface of the track. The vocals, half-spoken, half shouted perfectly complement the exploratory nature of the music and as the piece collapses under the weight of its own creeping bass line, we find ourselves flung into space via second track to the signal. Brian Buccellato has done a cracking job of drawing together the disparate threads of the band’s vision, the heavily distorted guitar and reverb drenched vocals rendered with a remarkable clarity, seemingly in spite of the band’s devilish intentions. Bands such as this are few and far between, and the sweeping concept coupled with the rich melodies that glide effortlessly under the surface noise make for a compelling listen. The first half of the album spins to an end with the blazing might of lonely the converted mind, a spacey, trippy instrumental that sits somewhere between Red Sparrowes and those alien-led b-movies of the mid-50s.
After the angular excursions of lonely the converted mind, we flip over to the second side with an edgy sense of excitement as to what the band have in store for us next. As the needle hits the groove, the stereo positively explodes as the band unleash My weight disappearing, a track that perfectly captures that same sense of wide-eyed wonder and punk spirit as At The Drive In’s unassailable Relationship of command. The guitars continue to spark off one another on the somnolent healer revealing, a mid-tempo piece that seems to gain weight as it progresses, not least because of the sanguine bass line that thunders away at its heart. The final track, sea of light brings the EP to a bristling end, the fizzing guitars set against jazz-infused percussion as the Thurston-esque vocals seek to draw you ever further into the band’s dark, fantastic realm.
What makes a band great? Everyone has their own unique perspective, but at a broad level I think most people would agree that, beyond the obvious need for great music, attention to details such as artwork, production and the quality of the final physical product are all important ingredients. In the case of Risk Relay, the music is simply stunning. It’s the sort of potent, atypical art-punk that would have had me scouring the physical record shops for days if I’d come across it on the radio. It defies convention and draws upon myriad influences to offer something that is original, exciting and evocative. Add to this the narrative weight of a full-blown concept and the band may as well just take my bank details. All these things, from my perspective, are enough to justify the judgement that Risk Relay are phenomenal, but when you add the artwork (Bryan Elkins – just to give him another shout out), the crisp, clear production and the fact that Nefarious have pressed it to some seriously high-quality white wax, you have a winner. An EP that I’m liable to wear down to a wafer over the next few months (and which has had seriously heavy rotation already), As we descend is a brilliant, if brief, listen. 9
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