Five Green Moons / Moon 3 / Solitary Cyclist

This is the third instalment of Justin Robertson’s Five Green Moons project. It finds Robertson continuing to make music rooted in the bass heavy, Jamaican reggae-influenced post-punk sounds of artists such as Public Image Limited and Jah Wobble.

A collision of On-U Sound-esque mixing desk trickery and mutant Link Wray rock ’n’ roll rumbles. Trebly, spidery cinematic spy themes combined with occult cryptic lyrics, spoken texts that echo the gnostic folk of Andrew Weatherall’s Moine Dub. Like Patrick McGowan’s Prisoner scripted by Michael Moorcock, or Alan Moore, and riding Robbie Shakespeare inspired B-lines. Robertson all the while reverb drenched world building. Mythos creating. In this respect, not least, there are parallels to Elijah Minnelli’s Breadminster County.

Tracks such as “Under the Light of the Five Green Moons” are delay soaked vapour. The sonic equivalent of opiated, hashish hookah smoke. Vocals are incantations, sometimes treated. “Endless Bright Shadows” has flutes flutter, while Robertson shares a “strange feeling of optimism.” “Leave Yourself Leave All” is haunted by horns. Its voices deconstructed into a dream-like collage.

Numbers like “Divine Darkness” are more percussive than previous releases, and seem to borrow something from West African griots. “Bells in Damp Spray”, shimmering, runs this in reverse. Throughout the set the dub techniques feel more assured than before – no doubt the result of Robertson taking Five Green Moons on the road.

Two tracks feature guests. On “Message From the Tone Generator”, Nickelle scientifically discusses the details of “divine frequencies”. “To Haunt of the Dark Earth a Spot” allows author David Keenan to tip his hat to Edgar Alan Poe, and lead the listener on an atmospheric trip through the midnight murkiness in a “Trainspotting” accent, accompanied by tumbling idiophone chimes and feedback fuzz.

You can take a listen and pre-order at Juno.


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