Somatic Responses

"Dying Language" (Album, 2002)

Apart from the Humberstone twins of In The Nursery fame, these are the only other UK brother recording partnership that I am aware of. On the evidence of both projects we can only conclude that there's something in familial genes that enables recording kin to rise above the crowd. At last, an outfit to come out of Wales not seeking rock 'n roll stardom. Instead what they achieve is far more significant. This is my first exposure to John and Paul Healy and from the moment you open the striking digipak it screams style. The first two tracks, Abduct A and the titular Dying Language are almost a microcosm of the entire album. Spanning a glorious scale from ambient bliss, to dynamic rhythmic noise respectively, almost everything else that follows is mere icing on the cake.

Combining beats and bass, even dub-inspired on occasions, the remaining eight tracks (including a Photon Emissions remix of Dying Language) dabble in sample glitch fiddling, laptop-tronica and jittery noise at the expense of distinct melodies. The closing Photon Emissions remix is more refracted and therefore dissipated version of what is easily the stand out track on the album. In the original Dying Language alone there is enough creativity, imagination, daring and success to justify buying this release for that single track. Alchemic music for adventurous souls. 7/10

Rob Dyer

Official Somatic Responses website: http://somatics.c8.com