On Direct Action, Alternative TV's first studio album since Opposing Forces in 2015, the listener is presented with six instrumental tracks which steadily rip apart all expectations as they shed all allusions to rock music in favor of the sonic mutilations that once helped 1979's classic Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One) stumble into weird and wonderful shapes. Direct Action marries guttural electronics to sounds most artists would consign to the bin and through Perry's long perfected mastery of pulling together disparate strands to create something entirely alchemical and invigorating delivers a unique stamp to the ATV story. With the help of longtime collaborator Dave Morgan alongside the input of Gareth Matthews, Ruth Tidmarsh, and Cos Chapman, abstract patterns of disheveled sound rub alongside occasional percussion, disembodied plasma guitar strums and even what seems like an oboe groaning in a murky corner. Similar to its distant cousin of Vibing?, everything adds up to a whole that's demanding yet completely rewarding as every listen pries open the dark scab of contemporary malaise to reveal something fresh. The front cover's homage to an incredible album by a pioneering electronic group. If you are savvy enough to get that reference, then you're on the right path to understanding where Direct Action resides.
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