Immersion is a project from Colin Newman (Wire) and Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact), with Matt Schulz (Lake Ruth, SAVAK). The new record is called WTF?? and it creates a racket ideally suited to these dark days. Complex and engaging, the tracks here are worth checking out.
"Defiance" is the opener. Over neat electronic lines, the song pushes forward with the energy of early Kraftwerk. It's an insinuating banger, so to speak. Elsewhere, "Use It Don't Lose It" builds up a head of steam around a simple, insistent melodic figure. There are other keys around the central riff, but the laconic vocals from Newman and the main hook are what keeps our attention. The more languid "It's a Long Way to Brooklyn" lets drummer Matt Schulz lead the moderately-paced charge. This one, like many from Imersion, is layered and full of electronic elements which place this neatly next to the legacies of Colin Newman and Malka Spigel stuff in the past, both together and separately.
The material on this new Immersion record is weighty enough to demand attention from long-time fans of these players. It's also stuff that's easy to dive into. WTF?? is, like most of the duo's work together, something that does justice to the rich legacies of Colin and Malka, as well as moves their Art forward a bit. Dig it!
WTF?? by Immersion available here.
[Photo: Courtesy of the artist]