SPIRIT:level
Orgreave / F.U.C.K.E.R.Y
Paper Piano Records
Available now from Norman Records
Mark Hoyle (Dub Sex) returns on tremendous form with his new(ish) project SPIRIT:level joined by visual collaborator WARK, a dark double act of bass laden moody mania that thrills. Wayne AF Carey reviews…
Mark Hoyle has been a busy man over the last few years, writing his autobiography which is published in September and also resurrecting his project SPIRIT:level, first aired at The Whitworth back in 2016, which has been on the back burner for a few years, yet explodes him back onto the scene with a new single back by F.U.C.K.E.R.Y. which all you Dubsex diehards waiting for more will have already heard.
Mark reached out to me to explain more…
“It’s a side project, revolving around the films of Wark, my collaborator. We’ve done mainly art galleries and weird little theatres so far, and it’s been getting really well received. This single is released to mark 40 years since the Battle of Orgreave, and Orgreave itself features sampled police riot shields over a beautiful pulsing ‘The Light Pours Out of Me’- type bassline. It’s a stripped down electronic soul song ,coming in at a strange angle. ‘F.U.C.K.E.R.Y!’ is harder hitting, nodding towards early Hip Hop, again with a driving bassline from me, with my mangled accusatory vocals right at the front of the mix”
“Yeahh, we made a limited few outer sleeves from a real ex- eastern European riot shield! The things you can buy on eBay!! Haha!”
Orgreave is the sound of the past being mindfucked into the future by Hoyle and Warp who work off each other with the stark visuals and sound effects consisting of subsonic bass, riot shields and the stand out vocals from Hoyle that create a stunning haunting collage of sound like nothing else. It’s dark and thrilling simultaneously and gives you the shivers with the deep crashing sound that shudders with Mark’s echoing deep voice that hits home.
F.U.C.K.E.R.Y. is a proper claustrophobic hip hop bastard that brings to mind the sounds of a moody Kraftwerk with the liquid sound that floats around your head to a hip hop beat and a deep bassline that’s dark and exhilarating, especially when the vocals kick in. “Fuckery lies in wait in the very last place you thought was safe” Pronounces Hoyle, backed by warped sound and trickery from his mind, complimented by the magical visual visions of his main man Warp. Original electronica at it’s best to fuck with your mind…
Mark’s autobiography will be published by Route September 2024 here.
Mark’s book launch will be at the Anthony Burgess centre on the 13th September.
Words by Wayne Carey, Reviews Editor for Louder Than War. His author profile is here
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