Sometimes when two musicians get in the same room something just clicks, and when Kowä Axis (James Barry) and Pale World (Joe Parkes) first met when sharing a stage in London one Sunday afternoon, they probably didn’t expect to be collaborating on a release just a few months later.
With little planning, the duo entered the studio on what was only their second face-to-face meeting, and emerged with Niche Field, four improvisational musings that wander between oppressively bleak noise and meditative ambient. It’s a truly gripping listening experience, one capable of holding attention throughout – which, with a runtime of 87 minutes, is no small feat.
Some musicians spend ages perfecting each and every song, but some styles and some partnerships lend themselves to a more free-form approach, and once you hear Niche Field, you’ll be hard pressed to disagree. Luckily, you can do so right now, with Astral Noize’s exclusive stream of the collab ahead of official release tomorrow. Scroll on to hear the record in its entirety.
Niche Field is out 20th December on Trepanation Recordings. Purchase here.
Words: George Parr
