Looks can be very, very deceiving. Glancing at the cover is confusing in and of itself: a detailed, Baizley-esque illustration of a bird-man hybrid in the fetal position threatened by a late-'90s alt-metal font. The sleeve itself has a sticker in the upper right-hand corner reading "kosmische electronics, soaring kraut/space rock, deep analog drones." This befuddling must be intentional, and Chester Hawkins, aka Blue Sausage Infant's Negative Space must be something cosmic.
Hawkins has been under the BSI moniker since 1986, collaborating with musicians on multiple releases and in performances, which he takes advantage of on his vinyl debut. The synth swarms and distant voice transmissions of the 21-minute "Motion Parallax" form a lingering, concave vignette of industrial atrophy, accumulating an agitated primal cadence. Hawkins exercises his 25-year know-how to its fullest potential here, allowing this side-long composition to feel anything but static. BSI's age also brings the piece into a state of anachronism, as the tones of analog synthesizers are paired with noticeably more modern technology.
BSI acts as a quartet on the following title track, accompanied by guitarist Jeff Barsky, drummer Mike Shanahan, and Jason Mullinax on percussion and electronics, where the press release's krautrock comment becomes pertinent. A constant, grooving riff, slowly altered effects and electronics, and signature rhythmic repetition all lie within this spot-on homage to 1970's Germany. Negative Space concludes with "Subferal," a grating, apocalyptic drone further decomposing the album's gritty futuristic setting.
My inner synth bias tells me that some of Hawkins' atmospherics may not have aged well, as I would attribute these to its dismal sci-fi imagery, though this same trait lends Negative Space its appeal and cohesion. Across these three ventures, BSI capture past and present simulacra, happening upon varied yet interconnected genres, though Negative Space's influences cease to appear scattered.
[Blue Sausage Infant Website]
[Buy Negative Space from Zeromoon Records]
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