Bloody Oath exacts prolonged vengeance on pop music by taking a handful of chart hits by Australian acts and stretching, layering and generally obfuscating any trace of origin.
A death threat in Valentine’s Day packaging, Bloody Oath exacts prolonged vengeance on pop music by taking a handful of chart hits by Australian acts and stretching, layering and generally obfuscating any trace of origin. Perhaps their titles provide clues, but it’s all speculation as far as sound is concerned. “Back in Black (Angus Freeze)” rises vertically like a dust devil until it towers a hundred feet tall. “Down Under in Two Parts (Full Frequency Sweep)” and “Misty/Devasted” are horizontal, ever so slightly suggestive of Rapoon’s early, mystery cult ambient, with a soft, humming drone far beneath the rushing, drifting sands.
A three-inch disc packaged as a riddle wrapped in a mystery, its many layers of drone are reflected in the tucks and folds of handmade paper and private-invitation calligraphy with rough, undyed twine and inserted Aboriginal runes that you might find on rocky outcroppings in the dark red Simpson Desert. Pop is this moment in time and by smearing it to his liking, Pillowdiver’s René Margraff brings agency to his own listening, while simultaneously critiquing Australian colonial policy.
Bloody Oath is available on Dronarivm. [Release page]
