Spartak – Tales From The Colony Room (HellosQuare)

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Spartak is the project of Canberra based guitarist Shoeb Ahmad and percussionist Evan Dorrian. This is their debut album together and, while completely improvised, Tales From The Colony Room unravels like some post-punk composite of high concept sound art and cathartic rock abandon. It makes sense then, that the duo should enlist 12k operator Taylor Deupree to master these sessions: his delicate touch balances Spartak carefully between the languorous atmospherics of the 12k catalogue and a more caustic, instinctual pull from within the ensemble itself.

It might not sound much like a rock album, but in some ways it is. “Sunstrokes’ is truly monolithic: brisk, delayed guitar chords climb one another until they disappear into the clouds, their ascent charted by the ever-restless and shape shifting percussion. Ahmad’ shouted vocals gradually interfere from somewhere on the outskirts, his tone is imperative but the details are lost in the din. Towards the end of the track the duo lurch into one of the album’ few generously climactic moments, with Dorrian hitting a 4/4 rock beat full stride and Ahmad’ echoed arpeggios taking pride of place in the mix. It’s a great moment.

“Sunstrokes’ is an anomaly though. Dorrian’ playing has a lightness of touch on more exemplary tracks like “Flanders 1914′ that almost renders his erratic rhythms purely textural. You only realise it when he stops playing, but Tales… is very much a percussion driven album: the swooping and diving dynamics are directed by Dorrian’ whims, with Ahmad contributing a rich variety of sounds, melodies, tones and vocalising. The imagery evoked is equal parts desolate and bustling, like some futuristic city where the inhabitants commute via treadmill to work and back again oblivious to one another. It’s an oppressive yet full-bodied and impressive debut.

Shaun Prescott

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