Sheffield’s Eccentronic Research Council, along with actress Maxine Peake, released one of our top albums this year, with the 1612 Underture‘s musical inquiry into the story of the Pendle Witch Trials.
As tQ ed John D says, the ERC’s Adrian Flanagan and Dean Honer "conjured up a beguiling brew of elektronische, keyboard led psych, synth pop and analogue ambient to act as the musical accompaniment to a prose poem… a genuinely unhinged, unique and deliciously weird pop album."
To cap of the year, they’ve delivered us and all you readers an early Christmas present in the shape of ‘Black ChristMass’ (artwork above), which essentially takes the phrase "Merry Christmas" and shoves it where the sun don’t shine. It’s a driving synth pop call to arms to get unfestive, where shakin’ sleigh bells get taken out in the first four seconds and Peake intones "no to the TV ads’ sincere banjo desecrations of alternative hits of the 80s, for the demographic of spoiled, fur-wearing plebeians crying wanking into their mulled wine" over sneering organ and dentist’s drill synth waves, all hurtling to the refrain of "what a load of rubbish".
Download, and don’t dare glean the faintest hint of mirth while you’re at it, below:
Say the ERC: "We wish you & your reader(s) a strong but beautiful jaw line for 2013 and less tolerance to fucking zany idiots from Eton in Blue ties…
Love, your incredible chums in The North.
Adrian, Dean & Maxine for The ERC."
The collective will be setting out for a couple of dates next year, on their 1612 Under Tour – here are the dates:
JANUARY 2013
Fri 18 – Queens Social Working Men’s Club, Sheffield
Sat 19 – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge
Additionally, they were also recently featured on the BBC’s Culture Show – have a watch of the feature below:
