Café Mor, the latest full length from Scorn, shows a master at work—honing and developing his signature sound. The album is heavier on bass and atmospherics than previous Scorn albums which is truly saying something. It’s clearly a Scorn album from the get go with slight changes showing the evolution of this genius.
A Scorn track or album is an easily identifiable thing. Like any artist who’s been in the game for nigh on 30 years, Mick Harris makes a specific type of music and nothing else. There are many imitators but when you hear an authentic Scorn track you know it’s the master at work. Café Mor, the latest full length from Scorn, shows a master at work—honing and developing his signature sound. The album is heavier on bass and atmospherics than previous Scorn albums which is truly saying something. It’s clearly a Scorn album from the get go with slight changes showing the evolution of this genius.
“Dulce” opens with the strafing sound of an eldritch beast which leads us into the track’s loping beat of kick and snare heavy, dirge-drone marching. A difference in this from previous songs is the high pitched squeal topping off the snare hits, a possible hint to techno leanings but definitely a welcome addition to the arsenal. “Elephant” bears almost a hint of melody—a very rare thing in a Scorn track where noise and atmosphere reign supreme—while a sparse but thudding beat grows in complexity as it hammers the point home. “The Lower The Middle Our Bit” begins with the sound of metal being power-washed while dubby echoes ping and ricochet across the stereo field. “Mugwump Tea Room,” “Never It Be Said,” and “SA70” proceed along a similar route of atmosphere followed by drums and effects to create oily, smokey and murky portraits of post-industrial lands. “Talk Whiff” adds the brilliant caustic words and wit of Jason Williamson from Sleaford Mods, giving the track a strange, retro-futuristic beat poet tone poem feel—one could argue Sleaford Mods owe a debt to Scorn with their own sparse backing music. The album closes with the heavy beatdown of “Who Are They Which One,” where Harris carves out tunnels of dub-echoes sound effects and swirling spirits panning around the stereo spectrum.
Café Mor delivers a solid addition to the Scorn repertoire while forging new ground for new sounds.
Café Mor is available on Ohm Resistance.
