There is splendour in the pandemonium.
Astrological Straits features two discs of great fucking noise rock. The first disc’s 13 tracks run the gamut of Flaming Lips-esque rock (“Stoic Logic”) and electro-pop (“Dark Art”). Marnie Stern’s luscious riffage takes hold on “Astrological Straits” and the stone-faced “Uhuru.” The pressing “Iambic Strays” sounds inhuman in its soul-altering anarchy.
The second disc features a 33-minute single-take expedition that will critically test your sonic sensibilities. “Necromancer” features Marnie Stern as a narrator and heart-pounding percussion.
"I really wrestled with the idea of including that second disc," Hill says. "People's attention spans today don't necessarily invite listening to long records, but I decided I couldn't obsess about that.”
Astrological Straits is a sonic challenge. For many, the noise and swirling percussion will be forbidding. But for others who prefer originality, freshness, and passion in their music, Zach Hill’s debut will exceed expectations. It is an exigent record, for certain, but all true art usually is.
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