Black Dog - Further Vexations

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 9 / 5 / 2009

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Review

The old Black Dog refuses to pack in. One of Britain's finest electronic outfits once more deliver the goods like wise men are expected to do. The Black Dog helped to shape a generation of electro musicians and it's definite now. The Dog has become the daddy. The blueprint for a Black Dog track still tiptoes over a dry backbeat yet 'Further Vexations' offer plenty of variations on the theme. Tracks from earlier singles like '0093' and 'You're Only SQL' serve as prime examples of dense and thick beats, which are then tred upon by lightweight bleeps. Sometimes you can imagine that you're in this big, deep cave with all sorts of streams above you and fluids dripping onto your head. 'CCTV Nation' is the first straightforward track on the album, not much of a surprise there I hear you say, hence the title. The track is all about Germanic techno æsthetics with an added breezy Scottish touch in just the right place. 'Northern Electronic Soul' comes next in three acts, setting the score using three words. The Black Dog use brevity and clarity as two of their main weapons and through economy in sound, these 'Further Vexations' build up into a very pleasant and insightful journey. 'Dada Mindstep' follows in due course with blistering magic compiled from scratch, glitch and itch. Using heavy artillery at this point, the Black Dog pursues its common path. The album's epilogue comes two-foldly; 'Later Vexations' rub in those smooth tinglings of sound, whilst 'Kissing Someone Else's D.O.G.' very much functions as an aftermath with its eerie sounds.

Track Listing:-

1 Biomantric L-if-e
2 93
3 Phil: Because Ov, Indeed
4 You're Only SQL
5 We Are Haunted
6 CCTV Nation
7 Stempel
8 Northern Electronic Soul [Part 1]
9 Northern Electronic Soul [Part 2]
10 Northern Electronic Soul [Part 3]
11 Skin Clock
12 Dada Mindstab
13 Tunnels Ov Set
14 Later Vexations
15 Kissing Someone Else's D.O.G

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