Ripe

SLUG is a brand new musical venture from the mind of Ian 'Blackie' Black a merrily disruptive influence on the North East music for more than a decade. The debut album 'Ripe' was co-produced with Peter and David Brewis of Field Music at their studio in Sunderland, with the brothers adding occasional drums, synths and percussion to Ian's elaborate home-brewed constructions. Ian appears to have consumed and spat out film music (proggy Italian horror, Lynchian twanging), Erik Satie, Zeppelin-esque knotty riffing, snippets of synth-heavy disco, post-punk's more dub-centric excursions and even a smattering of Hall & Oates' new wave blue-eyed soul. The vocals vary from high and sweet four-part harmonies to sinister whispers to a spiteful rasp which wouldn't seem out of place on a particularly grumpy Roger Waters demo. It also manages to be very funny, partly due to the surreal, imagistic lyrics and partly from the unexpected moments of musical audacity.