Radio Massacre International Hog Wild Play:   56K Dialup   Broadband   Download:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track 'The Music Box')

RMI's 2004 performance at The National Space Centre had been (until their last gig there in 2005!) my favourite RMI performance so it should come as no surprise that this is one of my favourite ever RMI albums as the majority of the music here is from that gig.

'The Music Box', wastes no time in deploying a rapid sequence. Even before the first minute is completed a second is added, as are mellotron pads. Less than fifty seconds later an even better one falls into formation. Electronic effects conjured up by Gary on his guitar add extra sonic colouring here and there. A sublime little melodic motif comes and goes, contrasted by cosmic whooshes and the occasional deep bass growl. In the ninth minute the sequences seem to be given even more oomph and we get to hear little electric guitar licks. The mellotron returns - lovely, lovely stuff! 'Below Zero' begins with rather cosmic windy sounds which are augmented by loads of little electronic touches. It's all rather subtle stuff. A lovely melancholy melody floats in the middle of the mix from the seven-minute mark accompanied by some wonderfully sympathetic shimmering guitar effects. Five minutes later we return to more abstract realms full of loads of spaced out whooshes and twitters which take us to just two minutes from the end. We finish with little flutey synth.

'They Go Boom' is one of the two shorter tracks on the album and is the most melodic. It is simply wonderful, full of fantastic catchy tunes from both Duncan and Gary and wonderful syncopation. It was only after listening to it a couple of times that I realised that at least some of the rhythm was coming from Steve's real drum kit (the only time it is used on the album I think) but such a groove is created as it plays alongside the (I assume) electronic percussion that initially I never even noticed, just letting myself be carried along by the music. 'Dirty Work' is the other shorty. Again it is sequencer based and thunders along at quite a rate building all the time as more and more pulsations are added and Gary lets rip. Turn up loud and let the ground shake!