The Black Dog - Radio Scarecrow

1. Transmission Start 

2. Train By The Autobahn (Part 1) 

3. Train By The Autobahn (Part 2) 

4. Riphead v9 

5. UV Sine 

6. ...Short Wave Lies 

7. Siiiipher 

8. Digital Poacher 

9. Coda 

10. Set To Receive 

11. EVP Echoes 

12. Floods v3.9 

13. Beep 

14. Witches OV 

15. Dials & Dialers 

16. Ghost Vexations 

17. Dials & Dialers 2

A very welcome new album from veteran UK electronica crew The Black Dog, with a lineup that now also features Dust Science Recordings Richard and Martin Dust. The Black Dog have now returned with a fantastic new album which satisfyingly sticks close to the original sonic template they formed back in the Artificial Intelligence days, a lush mesh of machine rhythms and synthesizer odysseys perfectly exemplified on opener 'Transmission start', a magickal trip deep into sonorous synth shapes sharing a melodic queerness with Coil or mid period Autechre. From here we enter the double part kraut optimism of 'Train by the autobahn 1 + 2', travelling through sparkling atmospheres, past downtempo acid riffs and onto clinical breakbeat techno styles. The lush atmospheres prevail throughout the album, cushioning the often cold machine rhythms in classic Black Dog style. Thankfully the introduction of fresh legs to the team has resulted in a wealth of new influences, from sub-dubstep to Surgeon style industrial techno as on 'Floods v3.9' and 'beep'. The album drops us off in fine hauntological style, expanding their bandwidth on 'ghost vexations' running a Satie-esque piano motif through artificial textures to chilling effect before slipping into catharsis on 'Dials and Dialers'. This is great stuff for hardcore fans and old school warp heads, but newer listeners will also find themselves sucked into this LP and hopefully be led to check out where this stuff came from in the first place... Recommended.