Search - 23 Skidoo :: Gospel Comes to New Guinea

Here's the Gospel...

yipyipcoyote | 01/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Postponed for almost one year, this anthology of early single/ep tracks from a seminal cult group finally sees the day.Their significance has always been lumped in with other early luminaries that defined 'Industrial Music', such as Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, although their small sonic output only amounts to a fraction of the latter two.This is a nice collection showcasing different aspects of their music, from shuffling tribal drums to programmed hiphop rhythms, cut-ups as well as uncompromising experimentation as in "Healing/Fanfare" (from 'The Culling Is Coming'), ending intriguingly with the post-punk, new wavey 'Ethics' - a style which was seldom heard from 23 Skidoo.Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, one of their best singles 'Language' did not make it to the final tracklist, and the three tracks from the 'Tearing Up The Plans' EP were clearly transferred from vinyl. It's a bit disappointing, but I do recognise the difficulty of putting together a compilation like this - sourcing old tapes that had been collecting dust in the attic for 20 years or something - and thus am still thankful for its final appearance. Minor quibbles apart, this is still a very worthwhile reissue."