The Asphodells - Ruled By Passion, Destroyed By Lust

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  • He might have had a hand in some 19 albums, but Andrew Weatherall rarely works alone. From Keith Tenniswood (in Two Loneswordsmen) to Gary Burns and Jagz Koone (as Sabres of Paradise), the best chapters in this auteur's proud discography are results of collaborative partnerships. As The Asphodells, he pairs off with Timothy J Fairplay, a cohort from the near mythical Scrutton Street studio where the likes of fellow analogue alchemists Death in Vegas and Daniel Avery also do their dirty do. The resulting partnership gives rise to music that is a gauzy, coal-stained mesh of various guitar genres all married to a chugging electronic beat and dub-wise swagger. Ruled By Passion, Destroyed By Lust oozes a proudly dour Britishness, not least in its literary wit (just look at the title). Tracks like "Late Flowering Lust" are happy to be punky and anarchist whilst referencing fogeyist poet John Betjeman. One of the highlights is the haunted "One Minute's Silence," where Weatherall sings the title's refrain amongst a turbulent brew of shakers, claps and filthy, down-low guitar riffs. For the most part, the Shoreditch skulduggery Weatherall so often references has clearly permeated the walls of his studio. Tracks like predatory prowler "Never There" are dense with smog, guitars are laden with post-punk bile and the tortured dark wave synths are frazzled beyond repair. It all adds up to a tense, dramatic listen. At all times, you know this is an album made by the producer who drenched Screamadelica in so much E. But it also bares all the hallmarks of Fairplay's fine solo experiments in apocalyptic disco. Scuzzy and roguish the results may be, but they sure do tell a fascinating story, and all without ever breeching a seedy 115BPM.
  • Tracklist
      01. Beglammered 02. Never There 03. Skwatch 04. Another Lonely City 05. Late Flowering Lust 06. Late Flowering Dub 07. We Are The Axis 08. One Minute's Silence 09. Quiet Dignity Of Unwitnessed Lives 10. Love From Outer Space (Version 2)
RA