The Three Hands of Doom
One for the heads, would probably best describe this foolhardy rhythmic venture on Ugandan imprint Nyege Nyege Tapes, a label we most definitely respect for its dedication to "outsider music" yet one we haven't featured on Greedy quite simply because its releases are so hard to stomach and in most cases require a penchant for borderline masochistic listening tendencies. Let us be clear, we are not hating, just stating the obvious. And with that, we present you the latest exception to the rule by ways of UK producer and Skull Disco founder Shackleton, veteran Japanese producer Shigeru Ishihara, aka DJ Scotch Egg, aka Scotch Rolex, and HHY & The Kampala Unit's dextrous drummer Omutaba.
Titled "The Three Hands of Doom" – a moniker that instantly conjures cult Bruce Lee flicks or Eastern classics notoriously sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan – this four-track rhythmic conquest is pure madness. Maintaining a healthy dose of street credibility and ritualistic flair yet emanating an inherent warmth that instantly appeals to the senses, the whole experience is thoroughly engaging and one even risk-adverse listeners might be able to appreciate because it is just so far out. Off-kilter, dubbed-out polyrhythms and subterranean drip infused with a rare kinetic energy to heady, psychoactive effect, these drum-led explorations stay mutating though never lose their captivating composure and alien poise:
"‘Ring Dirt’ opens the session with a limber display of monotone strings and suspenseful synth work that calls to mind Can sent economy class to the equator for ritual teachings. Enlightened, they proceed thru the lush, whorling metric calculations of ‘Insect Vibration’, layering shivering incantations and worm-charming subs with a frisson of field recordings. At this point fully attuned to each other, Omutaba’s Ugandan drumming is felt most powerfully meshed into the 10 minute matrix of rug-pulling and thunderous detonations to ‘Burnt Earth’, before they all buckle into the outright dread of a standout eponymous title tune that appears to follow rhythms from the Congo thru West Africa, to Haiti, via Japan and Berlin, and back to Uganda." Wicked stuff!
Below you can watch a video to a track from Scotch Rolex and Shackleton's 2023-released collaborative album "Death By Tickling".
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