Saturday 14 April 2012

Ebola Disco/Screwtape


Intrigue made me buy the latest single from Australian label Now...This! A split 7" by two Australian projects; Ebola Disco and Screwtape. That is the Andrew McIntosh project called Screwtape, not the Drew McDowall project from the 1990's. I have got to know Andrew through his various writings, critiques and comments on a few internet forums and have always liked what he has expressed...I was keen to hear Screwtape. Ebola Disco contributed their version of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love".
Years ago, 25, 26 years ago I was living in Manchester. Word came that Gary Clail and the On-U Sound System were doing a gig at The Garage in Nottingham. I knew The Garage, I knew it well...from the days it was the "Cool Cat" in the 1970's, the Garage was a great club and a great place to see Gary Clail and the On-U Sound System. Sean, Andy and myself travelled down (on the train) from Manchester and by the time we arrived at the Garage we were stoned to the point of tripping. We were in this cellar room with a few friends from the surrounding area, stoned off our collective bollocks when Gary Clail began his set, mixing and mashing up heavy dub bass lines with crashing reggae rhythms. Great stuff and only a dozen or so folk in "the audience". At some point in the set in came the opening synth sequencer rhythm..the heavy pulsing beat of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love"..I had to dance, I got up onto that dancefloor and danced, and then all of a sudden Mark Stewart was on the same dancefloor with a mic' screaming lyrics. Talk about nirvana and from that moment on I have always loved "I Feel Love".
Ebola Disco do not do a version of "I Feel Love". They provide a pulsing noise with masked grunting vocals that may or may not be the lyrics to the Summer classic. It comes across like an Australian Slogun, which is not a good thing. A very weak Australian Con-Dom.
Screwtape provide "Sacrifice". This track is built from an Australian (right wing) Christian "self help" tape extolling the virtues of resistance to masturbation and pornography juxtaposed against a recording of 'phone sex. It's very cleverly constructed, enough to grab the attention and want to listen. Background noise. synth generated noise a la SPK from their "Information Overload Unit" accompanies the voices. Excellent.
"You can tell what a man likes from his diary and his credit card statement"

Screwtape need discovering, therefore this single is necessary. Limited to only 100 copies and in a foldout picture sleeve. Contact www.nowthis.com.au

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