PRESS

THE WIRE

ISEA 98 UK Liverpool LIPA

Project DARK, the duo who make records out of solid ruby, larks tongues and Semtex, have added a novel twist to their live presentation, video cameras
mounted on the pick up arms of their turntables, giving the audience a thrilling counterweights eye view of the abuse Kirsten Reynolds is dishing out to her Stanton needle. It’s a great performance, even if the various discs don’t yet sound different enough from each other. But there are signs that, by adding sound processing into the mix, Reynolds and partner Ashley Davies are attempting to nudge the project on from its novelty value.
An intelligent building brings the event to a premature close. DARK‘s rocket-propelled record finale triggers the fire alarm – the best sound of the night – and EAR’s Sonic Boom is hustled, glowering, from his analogue gear before it’s even warmed up. The building spits us out, no noise wanted here; these walls were made for logic and linearity of the lecture.

Rob Young

The Wire, October 1998