Primarily rooted in a live performance approach, the Melbourne quartet Big Yawn embrace sonic curios from far-flung corners of the globe and display them with pride. Affectations for vintage krautrock, esoteric percussion and experiments in steady dance grooves merge with heavy low end frequencies to ‘explore and exploit’ those in-between spaces. Clearly championing a hybrid vision of inter-genre harmony, their music manages to capture the sweaty spirit of DIY basement shows as much as it works on record. Disorientating dub FX, off-kilter synth squelches and live re-sampling. Stoned meanderings mix with grinding propulsion. Prior to great unveiling of Big Yawn, the members were involved in the majority of the projects associated with the Fallopian Tunes imprint.
The various sides of Melbourne quartet Big Yawn fluctuate neatly across their debut full length ‘No!’. Subtle dub techno delays combine with live drums on “Attaboi” to formally introduce their clear affectation for the motorik sounds of 70s Deutschland. Previous single “Skinrat” curiously references off-rhythms and vocal cut ups a la late naughties UK bass music, while abstract jams such as “For Whomst” channel the adventurous live-and-direct sound of Golden Teacher and kindred experimentalist Inga Copeland.
Heavy low-end bass frequencies and twitches of dub fx permeate the LP, shades of post-punk and loopy minimal wave (“Doodle Damage”) contrasting with the more jagged dance orientated moments. In opting to close ‘No!’ with their most expansive recording (“Body Double”), Big Yawn delve deeper into the tense and ritualistic atmospheres the prior tracks only hint at. The effect seems akin to a snapshot into their lengthy freestyle practice sessions; a process honed and refined here for the LP format. Until their next outing, the relentless groove of “Anthem X” will keep hips swaying during those sweaty early morning club hours.
Out of stock
Out of stock
New in store
