The Stargazer's Assistant
Fire Worshipper
House of Mythology (2023)
Making their first appearance in 2007 with The Other Side of the Island, it felt like The Stargazer’s Assistant would just be a one-off. Luckily, David Smith, David Knight, and Michael J. York found something worth revisiting through the drone and ambient layers of their early release. Returning with their third record since 2016 in Fire Worshipper, The Stargazer’s Assistant continues to explore realms that live in the in-between. This is the most alluring quality of this trio, their ability to be informed by tradition, and yet completely open up to exploration. On the exploratory side, it is the lineage of Coil that defines Fire Worshipper. Like amorphous tentacles, it approaches with “Agni,” settling into an astral scenery. At times it can have a minimal touch, as with the slow and deep synthesizers of “Agneya.” But, there is also a more expressive form, becoming obtrusive with “Re-Atum.” The sounds become piercing and more nuanced, shedding away their earlier formless element, and constructing a sharp, crystalline maze of sonic artifacts. It is a pathway into the stars, which is eventually transformed into an alien message, lost in transmission from a faraway world. “Odqan” sees this representation, as electronic bleeps and slight … Read more
Spanish Love Songs
No Joy
Pure Noise (2023)
I saw Spanish Love Songs before I ever dove into their catalog. And it was immediately clear they’re the type … Read more
Public Speaking
An Apple Lodged In My Back
Whited Sepulchre (2023)
It is always difficult to balance between creativity and immediacy. For Jason Anthony Harris, and his project Public Speaking, this … Read more
Les Lullies
Mauvaise Foi
Slovenly (2023)
I’m not going to pretend I know any French, but I can tell you that the rhythm of the language … Read more
Be Your Own Pet
Mommy
Third Man (2023)
Retrospective genre creation by both grizzled music critics and TikTokers has had many victims, from the constituents of Twee to … Read more
