- Black Swords are Black Rain (Stuart Argabright) and Orphan Swords (Yannick Franck and Pierre de Mûelenaere). Last year Argabright was in Holland, where he was commissioned by Rewire Festival to perform an improvised noise set with Pete Swanson and Vessel. Shortly afterwards, the New Yorker went to nearby Brussels, where Franck and De Mûelenaere are based. The Future Of The Sun is the result of one night of shamanic sound exchange.
The trio's union goes back further than 2016. As Ike Yard, Argabright contributed spoken-word vocals to a track on Orphan Swords' debut EP for Desire Records. They have also remixed each other—check out Black Rain's grim version of "Asmoday"—so the trio share a lot in common. Argabright's industrial techno is informed by band-based psychedelia, which is what you get with Orphan Swords.
The Future Of The Sun is an audacious recording that demands to be played loud—or better yet, heard live in the front row of a Black Swords gig. A booming kick drum heralds the dirge of "The Arc Light Murders," as heavy noise textures gather and darken. Mourning vocals arrive later, amplifying the dreary, choking atmosphere. The piece rides out on a wave of searing electronics squealing their last breaths. "Death By Wire" is seductive and more rhythmic, so its 14 minutes breeze by. The crescendo is awesome, but stealthy enough not to disrupt the jam's powerful spell.
TracklistA The Arc Light Murders
B Death By Wire