Brisbane’s SKY NEEDLE have come across our radar before catching our ears with the demented grooves the group is able to coax from their “unstruments”, self-made instruments that creak, and jangle, and plink, and clatter away.

Boston’s NEPTUNE has long approached music making via this completely DIY (instruments and all) philosophy, but SKY NEEDLE’s results tend to be less dark than that great band’s often nightmarish output. There’s also moments here that may remind you of the African group KONONO NO. 1, but really these comparisons only apply to some of the sounds occasionally shared by the groups mentioned. SKY NEEDLE takes their own distinct approach, getting their industrial funk together pretty hard on their latest record, DEBASED SHAPES, out now on BRUIT DIRECT DISQUES.

If you are into bands who can brew up a storm of very odd syncopation and then turn around and allow the whole thing to fall to pieces, then SKY NEEDLE is for you. Industrial thud and clatter dominates the proceedings. Unsettling female vocals waft through at times, as guitar sounding instruments cut jagged lines through the groove and sickly horn-like sounds bleat on. The entirety is a queasy affair.

The title track is a delirious clanger which slows to a lurch that really pulls you in despite it’s stuttering nature. Singer Sarah winds up trading off phrases with what I assume is the “leghorn” player Joel. The 2nd half here definitely brings me back to Neptune at their nasty groove conjuring best. This is the coolest stuff I’ve heard from this band. It was apparently recorded throughout 2011 and 2012. This begs the question: what are they up to now? Also, would love to see/hear this live. Sky Needle! Let us know if/when you are coming to the states, we’d love to help out.