Dead Boomers & Dustin Johnston & Shayne Bowden 'The Next Action' C-20 (Deterra)

Shayne Bowden’s Deterra label has diminished its output of late, but a string of great cassettes were released earlier in the decade which seemed to unfortunately escape their deserved audience. This split/collaborative release is one of the last of them, and its under-assuming profile should not diminish its worth.

Over their side-long collaboration Shayne and Actuary’s Dustin Johnston lay down a thick and satisfying stretch of industrial-tinged noise, Shayne setting the pace with a mix of flowing distortion and strong scuffs of beaten contact microphone clatter, a simple modern harsh noise bounty which is counterpointed by wilting high-end tones and soaring electronic chirp from Dustin. The obvious separation in register stakes out sonic territory well, but even with that definition the interplay is meaningful – the rise and fall from each makes sense – and “We Jam Lexapro” achieves more than its constituent parts would suggest: proof, were it needed, that modern noise has a workable space between wall stasis and textural/spatial disruption.

Dead Boomers’ time exploring the boundaries of their sound is over, the campervan pulling into the driveway in time to launch into the pernicious “A Gentle Occasion”, a tense piece of marching synth rhythm, clawing feedback, and spacious howled vocals. This is the duo at its familiar best, the piece apparently a live recording – a setting the duo have long commanded – which gives a sweaty sheen to its simmering.

According to the liner notes “Annual Rite” is a contemporaneous recording to "A Gentle Occasion" – but there’s no sense of audience, a greater volume, and a very different feel, hinting at Red Wine And Sugar’s use of extended text, but here with a backdrop of industrial drone/ambience. It’s settled and safe after the turmoil of “A Gentle Occasion”, the vocals spoken evenly and soaked in effects rather than the power electronics gruffness of the opening track – but without effecting an anti-climax or losing the duo's steely resolve.

In 20 minutes ‘The Next Action’ covers a lot of ground, but not so diffusely as to lose focus and with not a wasted moment to be found. If not hitting their full audience by now, clearly all artists involved should – and check out the great artwork to boot!