Distance From Zero – Found Again

A New Year just starting and DFZ are already on it with a New Track. Well, almost new… ‘Found Again’ was originally written for the album ‘Endless Sea’ by Red Sided Garter Snakes (ex-Chameleons John Lever featuring Dave Fielding, members of The Sun and The Moon, SupaJamma, SWJ Group, Bauer and Puressence amongst other excellent North west UK musicians).

DFZ recorded an excellent version that appeared on their Pilot Error album reviewed here on Canned Static, November 2020. Through time DFZ have evolved their sound to the point that ‘Found Again’ needed to see the light as a single version. I loved the 2020 album version accompanied with its minimalistic costal video. The single version takes it up a notch with the doubled up vocals adding a dreamlike quality, almost an anthem feel to the mix. I love it even more and the video is the bee’s bollocks.

The single will be available on www.distancefromzero.bandcamp.com from January 6th 2023.

Can’t wait? Here’s the Bandcamp page for the 2020 version – ‘Pilot Error’ Album.

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Distance from Zero – Can’t Stop Christmas

Yes you guessed it… it’s a Christmas song and its about as Chrismasy as DFZ will get. There’s always a sting in the tail, or is it a curved snowball. Anyway, defiantly another CRACKER…

Distance From Zero – ‘Say Something’

Back with an echo from their epic ‘new video per month’ 2021 campaign. DFZ are rolling out and ranting on again about the disinformation we are swamped with each and every day. Yes folks its true! Get yer heads out’ the sand and listen in…. Great tune to boot.

Give this great band your support –

Bandcamp – https://distancefromzero.bandcamp.com

facebook – https://www.facebook.com/distancefromzero

Distance From Zero – ‘Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say’

What The Papers Say May 2021

Another monthly instalment for DFZ – What the papers say (the series) continues with yet another belter of a track, got to be my favourite so far and we’re barely half way through 2021. Even better, I have a copy of What The Papers Say (Episode 1), first 4 of the year due for release as an EP shortly. I’m on it so…

Death Threat Cassette – The Purge

Another YouTube visit and I sit here with distorted guitars bouncing around my skull looking at a dystopian scene reminiscent of the movie series of the same name. “It’s like I’m living the purge” sounds like it is spilling out on the streets of some futuristic lawless society.

Don’t get me wrong, this is far from an experimental sound or anything screwball and weird, it’s more akin to rock with bags of energy and a few killer hooks to pull you in. Great stuff, it’s on a loop at the moment and I’m looking forward to the full album release.

‘The Purge’ is taken from the forth coming album ‘Use Your Delusion’.

Death Threat Cassette – Web Site

Death Threat Cassette

Distance From Zero – Sorry is No Apology (What the Papers Say January 2021)

An impromptu mini review here, could not resist….

DFZ are at it again venting frustration this time on the YouTube platform in the form of ‘Sorry is No Apology’. A side swipe at the insincerities emanating from our so called glorious Bozzer.

All sounds very much a DFZ track, all be it, a quick demo, minus the refinements but this adds to the overall feel. Great chorus and as always they have a valid point.

Interestingly, the band promise to release a series of YouTube videos to collate newspaper front pages for every day of this year. Stay tuned…

Humm Bugg – Blue Laser

Is it a bird, is it a plane…. dunno? we’re in 8 bit so it could be a flying saucer. Yes, 8 bit quirky tunes floating on a backdrop of FM waves, if that floats your boat, be the Commodore and read on…

Very much in the realms of the home-grown; 8-bit music has always had a certain fan base within the experimental scene. It’s an area of music I sometimes drop into with open mind and a little excitement as generally you will never be sure of what you are gonna get. Generally you get the ‘Mental’ in ‘Experimental’.

I certainly let out a “Hmm” when I dropped on the ‘Humm Bugg’ Bandcamp page. Met with 8-bit imagery , the cover of ‘Blue Laser’ is straight to the point. This is exactly what you are going to get. Chip tunes a plenty, short and sweet buzzing, tweaks and mods all the way.

There are 10 tracks mostly a little over 2 minutes with just the one track exceeding 4 minutes (Undiscovered Bird Planet). Very tuneful, quirky as expected from this format. I like the feel, as always from chip tunes. It’s not meant to be serious or deep music, this is fun and should draw a smile.

There are some clever twists along the way showing the programming is much deeper than what appears on this chirpy surface. Call it Sine language (sorry, can’t help myself). Seriously though, some clever stuff going on here.

There is an element of B-Movie horror going on at times. I can visualise opener, ‘Clash Manor’ dropping into an Ed Wood jr tribute. ‘Everybody is Dead Dave’, playing over the Red Dwarf cruising through deep space. The slightly more serious sounding ‘Blood’ accompanying some mad alien doom game.

The shortness of the tracks add to the appeal along with a certain comedy aspect to some of the themes. ‘Blue Laser’ is a happy, feel good experience, although short, it feels a like a shot in the arm, a quick boost of happyness to get through the day.

Currently available via Bandcamp and soon to be released on all platforms –

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Matthew Dear – Beams (Extended Edition)

Beams of light may shine over this synth pop extension release…

At times you’d be fooled into the era your ears are in. It does have a flashback style of sorts projecting back into the 80’s but in essence has all the credibility of current time and space. There’s also a pace to this, no rush at all, more of a canter throughout with no urgency or direction. It meanders on in a bubble of electronic melodies from one song to the next.

Opening track ‘Her Fantasy’ is the real stand out of all. It clearly transcends the relative polite mediocre that follows. This really is a feast in synth pop heaven, a trip back to times gone by when the original electronic wave collided with pop and all was cool with a chic swagger. Think ‘Fade To Gray’, Soft Cell the heart of New Romantics… Its one cool track.

The rest follows dutifully but nothing ascends the heights of the opener. Its not bad in any shape or form. All quite good really but the hedonistic feel loses ground rapidly and the temptation is to replay track 1. The following offerings take more than on the fly to appreciate as I did on the second and third play.

There is a lot going for Beams and it does grow on you. Excellent production all the way but for me it needed at least another as good as the opener, at least one would have given it shift to another place. A very good album but not a classic, certainly worth the playlist though.

 

 

 

Joy Division – Closer (Remastered)

Oh hell, this has been covered a thousand times over but I’m diving into the abyss to revisit an old favourite of mine, Closer.

If you have not heard this legendary cornerstone of indie music then go sit in a corner and suck your thumb. If you’ve never heard of Joy Division then shoot yourself in the nuts with a Taser gun…. twat.

“This is the way step in side“ chimes out of my speakers with nasty glorification and a massive smile spreads across my face. There really is no words for this, it is pure originality that went before the history of clone heads. Paved the way for a new music revolution in sound. Post punk godliness and not a muso in sight. Errors n all to digest the magic.

Remastered

The stories I’ve heard over the years about this album are legendary and too numerous to account for here but I started to hear all sorts of things way back in the day before I ever played it. Most notably are the ones about having listened once and dare not replay due to suicidal thoughts. I heard this first hand from a close friend who thankfully is still around. I do understand the reasoning as it is very dark and thought provoking. Personally it makes me happy, I want to drive through cityscapes and urban jungles with Colony and Heart and Soul blasting out. I’m young and angry all over again.

Johnny Come Latelys – Collateral Damage

What a surprise! Bands come & go, some fragment and morph into other forms and carry on the crusade. Just when I thought Johnny Come Latelys had done all three, here they are with a return to the fold.

History in brief: Johnny Come Latelys release two EP’s Messiah Complex (2016) and Judas Factor (2017). They reappear in 2019 as Distance From Zero including the excellent What’s it Worth. Each release grew from the other, almost a follow on, raw, fresh and none conformist. We’re back with JCL and it feels right and so the mission continues.

10 track album ‘Collateral Damage’ is a rage at society and all that is wrong. Delivered with venom, it rocks out all the way, snarling bass lines and chopping distortions smash through your speakers and slap your ears with the likes of ‘Suicide Club’ and ‘Wake Up’.

I think this is the best JCL release to date, I’m loving the sub synth melodies that float in and out whereas before it was more of a chord. The political samples are a release too. I’ve been fortunate to have been spinning this pre release for a while now and expect it to be in my playlist for some time to come.

Grab your free copy over on Bandcamp – Collateral Damage out now