Have a Nice Life – Deathconsciousness
Deathconsciousness by the Middletown, CT duo Have a Nice Life already seems to be generating a bit of buzz across the internet and it’s only been out for a few days now. On top of that it’s self-released by the band on their own label Enemieslist, so it’s a bit surprising to see it getting such wide amount reaction so quickly. When I first caught wind of this record I really didn’t know what to expect from it. I saw that it was a double disc lo-fi affair that listed big time names like Swans, Sunn O))), Joy Division, and My Bloody Valentine. That left me a bit worried, more so the two disc part. You never know what possibly lies ahead when taking on something like that. However, Have a Nice Life have completely risen to the occasion and produced a double album that should gather steam as the year moves forward as the positive responses continue to roll in. I assume they will, because it’s pretty good.
The aforementioned comparisons, influences, or whatever they are supposed to serve as are a pretty rough indicator as to what this sounds like. I’ll go ahead and say it completely took me by surprise when listening to Deathconsciousness the first time through. Each song is almost of a different style than the other while still maintaining the cold detached ambiance the whole record basically soaks itself in. When entering the Enemieslist website there is a note saying that the band has proclaimed it the “most depressing record in the history of music”. I’m generally not too big on that sort of thing, but it definitely is one dark and bleak sounding record. Plus, they did include a full 80 page book with the record to back it up and explain the full meaning behind it. I have to commend them for that. The music though is for the most part excellent. As I mentioned every song is something a bit different, although the drum machine programming can be a bit repetitive at times. Ranging from full on drones laced with sparse textures to fuzz filled beauty, it’s a full listening experience that must be heard from start to finish. There are portions that remind me at times of some of the earlier 4AD stuff as well.
Deathconsciousness comes as a wonderful surprise for me in 2008, and I am thinking it will be the same for some others out there. Definitely take a listen to a couple cuts from the record below.
Have a Nice Life – Bloodhail [MP3]
Have a Nice Life – I Don’t Love [MP3]
For those looking to pick up Deathconsciousness head on over to Enemieslist and drop them an e-mail and they’ll be able to fix you up. Enjoy!
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