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With such a conceptual release as this, I can’t really do it justice without quoting the promo blurb, so here goes: “dubbed “dark cinema” Psicklops is an experimental narrative noise opera/ radio event that is sure to blow your mind. Originally commissioned for an installation in which people were locked in a room for an hour - it might be best understood as a modern redux, or sequel to Kafka’s “The Trial”. Circling this territory through the theme of interrogation - pointing to both of the capitalists and home land “security,” varieties - the sound play uses an amalgamation of carefully scripted material and the close editing of carefully directed improvisational material, in some cases even using staged guerrilla theatre events”. So with such a hefty conceptual backing, the questions really is, whether this works or not? To provide a non committal answer: both yes and no.

With a framework of cut and paste sounds, reconstructed musical elements, sampled voices, spoken word narrative etc, a complex and partly disjointed collage is formed. Selected tracks work well as experimental spoken word compositions, or as sample riddled dark electronica, whilst others sections constitute cleverly written satirical sketch pieces. However it is these later sketch pieces that really seem to be missing the critical installation/ performance/ visual aspect that one might expect. That said, they are intriguing enough to spark interest in how they would have been presented in the proper context of the installations and guerrilla events from which the material originally derives.

As this release is obviously far more of a performance installation piece then a music album release, it can’t be critiqued in the typical and therefore should be approached as such by any prospective listener. Intrigued? If so, then this might just be for you.

RJS