The Conformist – Paid To Fake It
The Conformist? Yeah, right. His day job is mastering and mixing – paid to fake it = whore?- pays the bills, but this presumably feeds his soul. We whack into ‘Savages Go Modern!’, a cut up break beat with large guitars, a vocal like ‘Dance You Fuckers’ by Wall Of Voodoo . ‘Big City Buzz’ is probably better if less immediate, lots of drum-machine-falling-down-stairs percussion with equally hyper beats. This is not an easy listen although it’s not quite Gabba. It fits into my 2012 world rather well after a trip to a Frankfurt Hardcore.
All-nighter turned me on – many years late – to the fast beat/guitar riff as a destruction dance. The whole album maintains a cut-up experimental edge, it would probably take a collaborator to provide any level of mainstream access. The guitar sounds used aren’t all Slayer death speed, bits sound like Neil Young on Trans (the track ‘Hack Green Bunker’) or elsewhere Twisted Sister . The harder/faster tracks seem to be front loaded for maximum attention, the more playful dub of ‘Mr Grosse And Mr Playfair’ ushers in the ‘sensitive’ side of The Conformist . Well, more experimental rather than all out bangers. Though it’s easy to shy away from the initial blast a few listens show layers and production quality above and beyond a bedroom noisenik.