The Woodleigh Research Facility :: Facility 4 EP series (Rotters Golf Club)

Before his untimely death Andrew Weatherall and his long-time collaborator Nina Walsh planned a series of EP’s to span 2020. The advantage of such a long term endeavor is that it allowed their ideas to unspool and then reconstitute over long melodic lines inviting thought without demanding conclusions.

An air of melancholy while at the same time providing a glimpse into the mind of a master

Before his untimely death Andrew Weatherall and his long-time collaborator Nina Walsh planned a series of EP’s to span 2020. The advantage of such a long term endeavor is that it allowed their ideas to unspool and then reconstitute over long melodic lines inviting thought without demanding conclusions. The songs on these EP’s are challenging less for what they contain rather than what they lack. There’s a feel among many of them that they await the final touch of their master before fully coming to life.

“Apres Le Villa 2” is stealth electro reminiscent of early Aphex Twin in a braindance vibe. “There Was A Glow” is lighthearted in tone with a bouncy beat, jaunty synth bleeps and arpeggios percolating like the old coffee machines of yore. “Phonox Special No. 1 (Outer Space)” contains spooky alien voice samples with old school UFO sound effects and a steady beat, like acid techno done on codeine cough syrup. “Foldova’s” middle-eastern vibe folds into itself to become a Kraftwerk Mix-era plugger, chugging along solid and confident with a balance of sound effects and arpeggios. “Central to Control” could almost be mistaken for some of The Fall’s more recent explorations into electronics mixed with rock (Mark E. Smith’s spirit would greatly approve of these works). “Rehaunt” bears similarity to Scorn with plate reverb drenched drums and echoing howls and guitars.

Given Weatherall’s untimely, tragic and sudden death, it’s no surprise many of the tracks have an unfinished feel—some being sketches and others nearly fully realized songs. Thus they bear an air of melancholy while at the same time providing a glimpse into the mind of a master whose true depth of influence has yet to be fully realized.

Facility 4 EP series is available on Rotters Golf Club. [Bandcamp | Boomkat | Juno]