Agent Side Grinder – Irish Recording Tape (LP, 517 copies) SOLD OUT
History in a loop…
After the debut album was finished and released one of the members had to leave for the USA for about one and a half year. During this time the band continued to write songs and played numerous live shows, with their studio technician (now a full time member of the band) filling the spot. Also in this period the band attracted another band member to perform live bass guitar on stage.
Together they worked on a new album which was finished after the lost member was back from the USA. This record is ‘Irish Recording Tape’. On this record the band has been perfecting their sound and song writing skills. Maybe the songs have been become more accessible in a way, but they still show the typical style of Agent Side Grinder: drilling industrial sounds which may be reminiscent at times of Swans, hypnotic synth sequences that refer to krautrock and psychedelic music and post-punk influenced bass lines which will give you flashbacks to Joy Division.
Here are two promotional video clips made by the band’s bass player Alexander Blomqvist:
See “Life In Advance” here… and watch the band at work in their studio.
See “Die To Live” here… and watch a nice home made video.
Tracklisting:
A1 Pulse
A2 Die To Live
A3 The Screams (LP version)
A4 Blue Streaks
B1 Eyes Of The Old
B2 Telefunk
B3 Life In Advance
B4 Black Vein
Selected press quotes:
“…Irish Recording Tape doet een gooi naar het duistere, industriële geluid van de vroege jaren tachtig. Een beklemmende mix van kille beats, wanhopige zang en snerpende gitaren. Een beetje een clash tussen D.A.F., Joy Division en Cabaret Voltaire wellicht. Desondanks wordt het hierdoor geen hermetisch afgesloten, vaag stuk muziek, maar blijft de band toegankelijk. Daar is nog niet alles mee gezegd, een flinke hoeveelheid psychedelische krautrock is ook in het beslag verwerkt van deze plaat. Stiekem is het een eerbetoon aan de bands die jaren geleden al het uiterste opzochten, zonder dat het klinkt als ouderwets.” (ROAR e-zine)
“…The Swedish five-piece channel the Cabs along with a hefty dose of Joy Division/New Order (particularly using Peter Hook’s trademark bass guitar style) but add more than enough of themselves to the mix to not sound at all derivative. Their sound takes off from this fertile starting ground and adds in a dark pop sensibility – clear, well-delivered lyrics, conventional song structure, tension and release. ‘Irish Recording Tape’ is their second album, apparently more song-oriented and polished than their first, and was a year and a half in the making. This certainly shows in the strength of delivery and the quality of material on display… It’s clear that ASG have some great songwriting skills; every track on this album is accomplished and thoroughly enjoyable. It would probably prove popular with fans of Goth, Minimal wave, Post-Punk, early Industrial and even fans of 80s pop. I think these guys may be around for a while. They’re not out of ideas for sure; just have a look at their concurrent release ‘The Transatlantic Tape Project’ to clear up any doubts, and to be assured they’re not focused on the pop charts by any means.” (Heathen Harvest)
“…Tijdens de intro van “The Screams” verwachtten we even de wilde schreeuw van Anne Clark te horen te krijgen, zo diep heeft deze band zijn geluid in de aloude wave verankerd. Natuurlijk is dat, net zoals Maintentant doet met zijn Spectorachtige popsongs, veeleer een stijloefening dan een inventieve bijdrage aan de muziekgeschiedenis. Maar probeer op een donkere winternacht, terwijl deze plaat op endless repeat door de hoofdtelefoon komt aanrollen, Irish Recording Tape maar eens af te wijzen omzijn anachronistische karakter. Goed gemaakt, is goed gemaakt. Punt.” (Goddeau)
“…The album is firmly ensconced in the retro cyber-punk quirkiness of the 1980s and, through its idiosyncratic outlook, finds its niche in the Krautrock movement. There’s plenty on offer here, from the uneasy industrial catatonia of opener “Pulse” to the pop-pogo beats of “Die to live” to the abstract happiness of “Eyes of the old”. It’s littered with a Cold War clinicism that keeps the album rooted in that era despite the fact that the world-at-large is years ahead of that age (or so we’re led to believe). The likes of “The screams” and “Telefunk” wouldn’t sound out of place on an early John Carpenter soundtrack (if the vocals were removed) and that’s an added bonus in my book.”(It’s A Trap)
“…The song “Die To Live” is for sure what I’ve heard as the best from this band so far. The minimal electro-wave style reminds me of Suicide. It’s a pity all the songs aren’t in a similar vein as it would for sure opens interesting perspectives for the band. It doesn’t take away that a few more songs like “Telefunk” and “Black Vein” are quite honest pieces as well. Raw sounds were mixed with down tempo rhythms. “Black Vein” is one of the most danceable cuts from the album!” (Side-Line Magazine)
“…AGENT SIDE GRINDER legen ein verdammt cooles Album vor, das ein weiterer großer Schritt nach vorne in der Entwicklung der Formation ist. Aufgrund der hohen Eingängigkeit dürfte es dem Projekt dabei spielend gelingen, neue Fans zu gewinnen. Alle Minimal/ Wave/ Ur-Industrial Freunde können hier bedenkenlos zugreifen.” (Terrorverlag)
“…Im Prinzip vergleichbar mit COLD CAVE, aber wesentlich interessanter und origineller!” (X-Mist Records)
“…reminds me of some early european techno/ industrial stuff. At various points I’m also reminded of some of the very early stuff coming out of Sheffield, The very dark side of the Human League and early Cabaret Voltaire. Some of the rhythmic elements also have clearly been informed by Krautrock…” (Norman Records)
“…Op Irish Recording Tape ratelt de band energiek en industrieel. Joy Division is een duidelijke invloed geweest. Bij Agent Side Grinder mondt dit echter niet uit in al te gladde of kekke deuntjes of gestylede songs. Daarvoor is er teveel Swans te horen, teveel krautrock ook. Soms een psychedelisch toefje zelfs. Denk aan Cabaret Voltaire. Denk aan The Human League. Denk vooral aan die heerlijke basloopjes van Peter Hook. Dit is een plaat die met een been in toen staat en eer betoont, met het andere in het nu en welbewust vergane glorie van een sprankelende levensvonk voorziet.” (KindaMuzik)
“…Werd de sound op het debuut nog uitsluitend gedicteerd door analoge apparatuur; op hun recentste output klinkt, onder meer door het gebruik van elektrische bas, het geheel stukken organischer en dynamischer.”(Gonzo Circus)
“…it shows tremendous growth over last year’s self-titled release and I must also commend them for the recruitment Alexander Blomqvist (on live bass) as he appears to have brought many new strengths with him to the executive team. The fine qualities that first caught my attention when I rated them a Buy (ie, the driving, dirty industrial beats) are still very much in place, only now far more refined and developed.” (It’s A Trap)
“…IRISH RECORDING TAPE sounds like Joy Division meet Cabaret Voltaire at a late 70’s Human League concert.” (Chain DLK)