by Sianne Suicide

Created on: December 29, 2006   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Before hearing 65 Days of Static I was told by a friend that they sounded nothing like anyone I'd ever heard before. "That's a bit of daring statement, isn't it?" I proclaimed. The more I thought about that statement the more they intrigued me. I wanted to hear them, because I was told they sounded like no one else. I didn't think it was possible.

I noticed them first in the spring of 2006 in my flatmates CD collection and upon asking whom they were, he made that above statement. I was thrilled! I'm a music technology student and I've surely heard some weird and wonderful things enter my ears and I can honestly say most of it is absolute rubbish. But, like most music tech students, I'm pretty open-minded. So I gave them a chance.

From first putting on their little CD, the homemade look to it made it all the more exciting. A small time band puling off something I'd never heard before? The first track, another code against the gone' starts off with the ingenious sound of static! White noise to be precise. Followed by flowing chords, mad samples and cut drum loops. My ears went nuts! The ever so slow tempo ploughed through my senses like a ten-ton truck. What they've done is combined truly British sounding post-hardcore with samples, electronica and acid-jazz. The mad vocal samples through the album and the beautiful piano playing on Aren't we all running?' is a beautifully extensive portrayal of what these young British electro heads can do. All the way through the album, something different arises in each track that just makes you want to tell your friends about them! Even though they are totally instrumental, you don't want to hear a gut wrenching chorus or a slamming bet-down. You're pretty happy just listening to the music like one of those Sounds of the ocean' CDs and letting the band take you on a wonderful perceptual journey.

I was lucky enough to see the guys live at The Glade 2006 festival. And I am so glad I was sober for that one. It was the most enjoyable performance of that festival, to see a band doing the exact same thing all the DJ's were doing. But totally live. It was on a sunny afternoon in a heat filled tent full of high festival-goers and dehydrated security staff. I was right at the front and loved every second of it. It was a short set, but totally amazing none the less. If you get the chance, see them live. If not, just get the CD and enjoy such a wonderful collection of live and synthetic sounds pasted together like Pitchshifter and a lullaby. Anyone a fan of Lamb, Pitchshifter, Portishead or thisGIRL will find 65 Days of Static unique and wonderful to listen to.

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