In the run up to the completion of Wire's long awaited new album, front man and post everything experimentalist Colin Newman has found time to A&R a second compilation for his Swim label.
Apart from being retailed at post-punk prices (£5), the album reveals a far more mature repertoire than the series debut.
Silo's opening track 'Root' is hypnotic and engaging post rock that rises like a slow on-coming train, while Toucaen's 'Lecci on the Grande Jatte', with its harps and crystal like tubular bells, is an all together lighter affair that's given edge by crunchy drums and what could be stuttering dead guitar chords.
Host, a collaboration between Malka Spigel and Oliver Doerell, offer a heavily atmospheric floatation tank track that's aptly entitled 'In Suspension'.
Colin and Malka's son (when Swim talk about the label 'family' they really mean it) Bumpy bucks the hypnotic trend with an electro funk pumping house track called 'Bumpy On The Beach'. At 12-years-old it's by far his best work to date.
Newman's 'Tsunami' showcases his current heavy wall of guitar sound, while his remix of Silo's 'Prime Movers' acts a vehicle for his more dance floor orientated work - both of which will give listeners a clue to the new Wire sound. Meanwhile his later contribution, 'Time Will Allow', takes on a Rai feel, features a storming distorted vocal hook and contains the immortal line: "There's only truth and beer". Maybe that should be fear, but I prefer beer.
Immersion/ Flying Saucer Attack (another Newman Spigel collaboration, this time with Bristol based SFA) introduces break beat and ambient strings with 'Even Further' and things take a distinctly sci-fi break with Lobe's 'November'.
Dictaphone's 'Esc. Meetings' takes a downbeat Herbert clicks and beeps turn, while Symptoms' Stale Air On A city Morning' is eerie like Throbbing Gristle's 'Hamburger Lady', making Malka Spigel's 'Antimatter' sound like a spring walk in the park. Beatkitten's 'Bored' has a strange retro feel, even though it could be an unlikely combination of Grace Jones, The B52s, LTJ Bukem and Nina Hagen.
Bumpy's return with 'Blokey' reveals a moodier, if still funky side, with a dark and heavy drum, bass and guitar wig out. By far his best work since 'Bumpy On The Beach'.
Immersion 2Mstens sees Colin and Malka get busy with some nobs, while Silo's sleepy Frederik Ammitzboll returns to the dark stuff with 'Copy'. Meanwhile Symptoms, aka Klaus Ammitzboll (see, that family thing again), provides the incongruously named spawn of electricity pylon, 'Rose'.
Which leaves Immersion to say good night.
