Pain Management presents the debut release of London based percussionist Pike.
Having provided rhythms from the shadows for a number of reputable labels and live outfits - 12th Isle, Scenic Route, Slow Dance - Fallen Angel sees the artist unveil a musical fluency and soloist instinct with his first independent effort under his own name. Flexing a previously unseen multi-instrumentalism on two emotive post-rock offerings.
An active participant in London’s underground music circuit, Pike’s performances play with textural, rhythmic and improvisational possibilities. He has developed a unique rhythmic fingerprint indebted as much to UK bass music as to rock, dub and avant-garde electronics. The steady evolution of his practice, alongside extensive behind the scenes collaboration with a wide roster of UK-alt artists - Charlie Osborne, Covco, The Fertile Crescent, Tiberius B - has laid the groundwork for this year’s striking introduction to a new era of the project.
His official debut release on Pain Management falls somewhere at the intersection of dub electronics and art-rock; a dynamic exploration of live instrumentation’s cathartic potential.
On the expansive opener Fallen Angel, a tangle of emotive guitar and basslines float above steady, hypnotic drums. In contrast with the record’s plosive closer, Fallen Angel shimmers with a central ephemerality. Threads of euphoria woven into the shadows of something less sweet. The sensation is one of temporality; a distant memory just out of reach. The presence of this melodic softness shrouding over the rougher elements instills an intimacy to the piece. A late night hymn of introspection; one for the wanderers.
The B-side’s Concrete Dub mirrors this format, putting some serious muscle into things. In keeping with the title, Pike masterfully deploys a hazy, dubbed out groove brimming with swung-drum attitude and bassline thickness. From the mycelium grunge bursts a raw, heartfelt guitar line, distorted power-riffs soaring upwards higher and higher. The result is an emotive and vulnerable sensation of uninhibited feeling - a serious pain management power ballad.
Out Feb 17th on all platforms.
Digital files available via Bandcamp.
Cover image by Yasmin Gordon.