When an act draws influence and comparison from the varied likes of Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Amenra and Ulver, it’s sure to pique interest. Can such mighty and seemingly disparate influences co-exist, channelled into sonic form by one act alone? If Human Future’s new EP ‘Flat Earth Blues’ is anything to go by, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’, followed up by a dry slap to the chops for you for daring to disbelieve.
Opener ‘IV’ sees the band forging out on their ramble through dense and varied sonic terrain. Mournful horn tones blare out amid layers of beeping electro, synths subtly swelling to add an impressive depth of field. It’s a melancholic drift that’s part dystopian sci-fi scene change sting and part ambient noisescape. ‘Swine’ jangles in with slightly threatening, scratchy guitars, steady drums building both tension and tempo, speaking of energy forcibly restrained. A vocal call and response rasps and screams above the driving riffs, punctuated by a sweep of synth buzz, dropping into a wearied shuffle. Harrying the flanks with reverb drenched, hard panned noise, throbbing breathily, kick drum hammer blows bring us back into the main riff, which gazes outwards with its wide scope and rolling snare fills. Things wash out into synth and a single, piercing, frail guitar line, proceeding at a stately, looping pace before a cascade of layers tumbles in, blooming outward, a wailing guitar solo reaching out over stuttering drums and crashing rolls, ending in a brief lance of feedback.
‘Axiom’ punches in with ringing chords and whining noise over an angst riddled drum line. Strident shouts arc over the deep groove, and the band take up commanding position along the whole audio axis, not just focusing on the centre ground with their canny use of panning. Feedback builds to revolving, grinding guitars, with additional percussion muscling in to beef up the now irresistible groove. It’s dense, but never overbearing, exhausting itself and ending abruptly. ‘None Shall Survive Through The Churn’ lives up to its moniker, churning with backmasked feedback, droning, pseudo-choral vocals glossing atop. Sudden gasps of riff punctuate, exploding from nowhere, alternating with the dramatic, ethereal voice layers. A slow drum groove picks up, buffeting restlessly towards a storm of angular riffing, ripping into intense blastbeats before being replaced by groaning, grating noise.
Closer ‘V’ sits brackish with white noise that steadily fades in and out unsettlingly, like being sucked forcefully into the static of a de-tuned analogue TV. It pulses, before giving way to a final sparkling, bright synth rise. Human Future manage to pack an impressive amount into the EP format, resulting in a rich, challenging listening that is engaging and leaves a lingering positivity on the palette. Traversing varied sonic topography with ease and an obvious wanderlust, flat earth this ain’t.
JAY HAMPSHIRE