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REVIEWS
PURE GRAIN AUDIO (USA)
Lo-fi, bare-bones-with-bits-of-flesh-hanging, minimalist production is a necessity for every release by Turin howlers Sloks. With the group’s debut LP, Holy Motor, this minimalism is enhanced via the efforts of the French engineer and noise champion, Lo-Spider, who plays an integral part in bringing forth a sound so nihilistic. It’s compelling to see if their live show can replicate such a sound in person. A short e-mail exchange with guitarist Buddy Fuzz sheds light onto how they accomplish this: “It’s really the alchemy and skills of Lo-Spider [engineer, Destination Lonely songwriter]; he’s very good at listening and interpreting your needs. I just turned on my amp, and we did everything we could to deliver what [Reverend] Beat-Man asked for, which was for the tracks to sound like nothing nice.” The secret is out: Art Haus, suicide garage punk is made through the direction of a Swiss label owner and a French engineer in Toulouse. It’s only right these two men back Holy Motor, Beat-Man’s label (Voodoo Rhythm), and Lo-Spider’s studio (Swampland Recordings), which is responsible for cutting and releasing some of the more savage sounding garage punk sessions across Europe in recent years. Most labels wouldn’t even take a second look this stuff! A brief song, “Dad Can Dance” is about as long as you can stand to watch your father embarrass himself on the dance floor. Holy Motor adds to their body count with ten dark tracks that bleed misanthropy and anti-social behavior, with the lyrical content written by their leading lady, Ivy Claudy. It goes without saying that we should expect nothing less from a scowling woman who donned a “Fuck Emos” shirt in her band’s press photo. These three also don’t cater to suspense or musical build up, as Claudy’s blood-curdling, banshee-like shrieks overpower Fuzz’s ringing guitars on the album’s opener “One Up”. The track is their first single released as a band, and it gets treated to a violent reworking of dissonant guitars and “singing”, both incoherent and lunacy-like in delivery.
What’s enticing about Claudy, are the methods of delivery she employs, swinging on a whim from disjointed to in synch and flowing with her bandmates. It’s like she’s intentionally throwing us off with this manner while adding eccentricity to the band’s makeup. “Killer” is a prime example as her singing rolls off like a dark nursery rhyme being recited: “I’m searching for my killer/ I’m waiting for my killer/I’m looking for my killer/’cause I’m just so bored, I’m so just so low/I’m searching for my killer/I’m waiting”. Meanwhile, Fuzz’s guitar plays circus-like chords which makes the song all the more sinister sounding.
The track “Rat” is the polar opposite; a no wave influenced effort, with rambling lyrics, explosive guitar tone, and Peter Chopsticks’ exemplary drumming abilities keeping cadence for the sake of volume and nothing else. The tracks “Lost Memories”, “Crashing”, and the mentally-ill sounding title track, add a gritty, blues-punk aspect to balance the overall dissonance that rounds out the album.
Now you’re aware, Sloks are out there and their mantra is minimalism yields maximum results. Do yourself a favour, and grab a copy of Holy Motor from Voodoo Rhythm Records.
PUNK PLANET (USA)
Sloks create the sort of music you either instantly love to death or hate intensely. There’s very little in between for this band. When I first heard them on a Resurrection Records sampler, I was among the former, and their latest 10-song album, Holy Motor, on Voodoo Rhythm has only served to increase my appreciation for them. This trio from Turin, Italy plays fuzzed-out garage trash and raw noise rock – the strange, headache-inducing sort of art that leaves a certain type of masochistic ear wanting more. The members of Sloks unapologetically rip melodies to shreds with utter abandon. Buddy Fuzz’s guitar has more in common with the racket produced by malfunctioning household appliances than conventional music, yet he pushes out dirty chord sequences, repetitive note patterns, and odd, squealing leads through a haze of feedback. Frontwoman Ivy Claudy’s vocals go back and forth from fiercely spoken bits to harsh screams and banshee wails. And drummer Peter Chopsticks somehow manages to hold all the noise and madness together with his work on the kit. Holy Motor opens with the weird “One Up,” whose lyrics seem to be making metaphorical use of gaming terminology. From there, the band moves through a handful of other standouts, like “Rat,” “Jazz is Dead,” “Holy Motor,” “Dad Can Dance,” and “Killer” – basically, the songs that would make up the A Side of the record. Sloks seems to have found the perfect home with independent Swiss label Voodoo Rhythm Records, whose catalog features bands of this ilk such as The Devils, Reverend Beat-Man, The Come ‘N Go, The Future Primitives, The Monsters, The Sex Organs, and Movie Star Junkies, to name a few. .. James Carlson
Vive Le Rock (UK)
Ace Italian garage-punks SLOKS have just revealed a new video.The brilliantly-titled ‘Dad Can Dance’ is taken from the band’s debut album Holy Motor, which is set for release through Voodoo Rhythm Records on 21 September. The trio of Ivy Claudy, Peter Chopsticks, Buddy Fuzz came together in Turin in 2015 and initially came to the attention of Vive Le Rock earlier this year via the video for their single ‘Use Me’. Voodoo Rhythm head honcho Reverend Beatman caught them opening a local alternative festival in Italy and packed them off to Swampland Studio in Toulouse to lay down their debut album with producer Lo Spider. “It was so Destructive and Suicidal Dangerous and amazing eye catching the same time,” says Beatman. “The Female Singer Ivy Claudy almost killed herself in her act strangling herself with the microphone cable and screamed as loud that she spit blood on the same time Buddy Fuzz wanked constantly his guitar overdosing totally distorting and endless feedback they were so Negative and creative the same time .. it was defiantly way too much for the audience and most of them left immediately except Us … and they had to open the festival anyways hahaha!!”
IN YOUR EYES MAGAZINE (IT)
Che il nostro reverendo, colui che veglia su di noi e approva benedicendoli tutti i nostri peccatucci di rockers indisciplinati ed impenitenti, fosse innamorato del nostro belpaese era un dato di fatto incontrovertibile. Ne siano dimostrazione le sue frequenti incursioni sui nostri palchi che calca sempre con la grazie di un elefante in una cristalleria (si badi bene è un complimento). Ma il nostro, che in fatto di buon gusto non è secondo a nessuno, ha cominciato anche a pescare nel nostro sottobosco più intricato ed affascinante per infoltire la sua scuderia già piena di delizie. Infatti dopo dopo due band di caratura straordinaria come Movie Star Junkies e Devils è la volta dei torinesi Sloks trovare spazio sul rinomatissimo catalogo Voodoo Rhythm. Il terzetto sabaudo rispetto al suo precedente 7″ ha ancora radicalizzato il proprio sound già non esattamente “educato” in precedenza e in questo disco ci propone dieci pezzi difficili ma affascinati che hanno certo bisogno di più di un ascolto ma che una volta metabolizzati risultano delle vere e proprie schegge di rock’n’roll che si infilano sotto pelle e dalle quali è difficile liberarsi. L’album è aperto da due canzoni davvero ostiche come One Up e Rat brani che si situano in quel territorio insidioso che sta tra il rock’n’roll ed il rumorismo tanto per intenderci quello calcato qualche anno fa da band come i Pussy Galore. Il pezzo che da il titolo all’album è una lunga e travagliata discesa agli inferi mentre Killer e Dad Can Dance (gran titolo!) sono due proiettili di punk disturbato e disturbante, chiudono il tutto un esercizio noise alla Sonic Youth più ispirati The Swamp e due brani di country+blues+rumore che faranno la felicità di ogni rocker più malato e desideroso di asperità. Gli Sloks non suonano nulla di nuovo ma nello stesso tempo vi prendono e vi rivoltano come un calzino perché il loro modo di porsi è crudo e disperato tanto da non lasciare spazio a indugi o discussioni; dentro Holy Motor c’è energia, dolore e violenza in pratica la quintessenza del rock’n’roll.
musica inclasificable (mex)
Desde hace más de 20 años, Voodoo Rhythm Records se ha caracterizado por ser uno de los sellos más activos de todo el mundo gracias a que de manera constante publica materiales de los más diversos estilos, aunque al final el objetivo es sólo uno: difundir toda la música que sirva para arruinar fiestas. Dentro de la búsqueda constante de nuevas propuestas musicales, el nuevo lanzamiento del sello suizo es el primer LP del joven trío italiano Sloks, considerado como uno de los conjuntos más ruidosos y precarios de la nueva generación. Detrás del trinomio se encuentran Ivy Claudy (gritos demoníacos), Peter Chopsticks (batería ruidosa) y Buddy Fuzz (guitarra atascada de fuzz), quienes en conjunto son los encargados de crear explosivas piezas que en ocasiones ni siquiera llegan a los dos minutos de duración pero con las cuales desatan el caos en cualquier foro que se presenten. A ritmo de trash-punk pútrido y autodestructivo, los italianos hacen recordar a GG Allin & The Murders Junkies, Circle Jerks y los primeros Bad Brains por composiciones como "One Up" en la que Ivy suena al fallecido Lux Interior de The Cramps por sus gritos esquizofrénicos. A su vez, el trío originario de Torino muestra en "Jazz Is Dead" una pieza con un ritmo monótono que de manera paulatina aumenta en intensidad como lo patentaron The Stooges hace medio siglo. Por otra parte, se debe destacar al francés Lo Spider (guitarrista de Destination Lonely y productor de The Scaners y Badass Mother Fuzzers), quien estuvo detrás de la consola y se encargó de capturar la esencia de las 10 piezas que aparecen en el material debut del autodestructivo trío italiano.
Reverendo Lys (IT)
Gli Sloks sono la band che ha aperto per lo show degli Oblivians lo scorso 22 Maggio presso lo Spazio211 di Torino. Chi c’era sa dunque a cosa andrà incontro infilandosi a casa questo primo album del terzetto piemontese con una cantante costretta a torturarsi le corde vocali sotto una chitarra-machete e una batteria che è stata consegnata da lei medesima ai polsi di un barbuto energumeno non prima di averla privata della cassa-timpano, in modo da poterla bacchettare a dovere mentre urla sguaiata dei suoi incubi degni della Lunch (deduco, che non ho saputo distinguere una sola parola, NdLYS). Un delirio noise che Reverend Beat Man non poteva certo lasciarsi sfuggire, tanto che, alla fine del Blackout Fest dello scorso anno, dove i nostri erano in cartellone prima di lui se li è portati in studio a mettere su bobina quel che avrebbe benissimo potuto registrare dentro una roulotte o dentro i camerini del festival medesimo. L’iniziale One Up inaugura lo sfacelo come se la Searchin’ degli Omens fosse tornata dall’oltretomba dopo aver copulato a turno con tutti i Not Moving. La vanità è bandita sin da subito. E sarà così lungo tutte le dieci cacofonie di Holy Motor. Un gioco al massacro.
Nessuna foto con filtro da postare su Instagram. Gli amici dovranno accontentarsi di qualche scatto sulla sputacchiera, a bordo ormai colmo. Altrimenti vadano pure a cercare altrove. Franco “Lys” Dimauro
CUBICAL (IT)
Llega un momento en tu vida en el que crees estar preparado para escuchar cualquier cosa hasta que te encuentras con Sloks y su álbum Holy Motor publicado por Voodoo Rhythm Records. Lo tengo claro, pon a una mujer al frente y todo cambiará a mejor. La relación de la mujer y el punk siempre ha sido mezcla de una perfecta simbiosis. Holy Motor es un disco crudo, lleno de matices sonoros sucios, irreverentes y sobre todo primitivos que te hacen entrar en trance y ahondar en lo más profundo de tu subconsciente a través de la voz hipnotizadora de Ivy Claudy. El Garage, Punk y la No-Wave de Sloks sacuden tu mente en diez temas que parecen no tener descanso alguno, pero esto es algo que nos gusta y hacer hincapié que mucho, no cunda el pánico, es solo Rock and Roll haciendo lo mejor que sabe hacer, incitar a nuestras almas.
BEAT MY BONES (UK)
Torino is home to one of my biggest loves- Juventus. Much to my stepdad’s dislike (he supports Torino) Juve are my team. But Torino is home to a band that are just insanely brilliant and most definitely sound like they have escaped somewhere secure and broke out. SLOKS sound like everything you want your new favourite band to sound like. They are like The Cramps but with more spook and weirdness in their sound. They are totally over the top and I love that so much about them. Their songs are just wild and loud. They don’t sound like anything else I’ve ever heard, but the reference to The Cramps is as close as you’ll get. Lead singer/screamer Ivy Claudy has such powerful vocals. Her screams go right through you like an electric shock on wet skin. It makes you feel like you are out of control of everything around you, they send you into their twisted world that feels and sounds like nothing else you’ve put yourself through before. Her screams on the song, Use Me sound like someone possessed. It’s part eerie but part bloody amazing. SLOKS are afraid to push themselves and have this off the wall sound. They totally destroy your soul with their music, and you love them for it. You want them to take every ounce of you and be part of their gang. Their songs are like fires that keep being prodded to get bigger and bigger. The music is brutal and the sheer fuzziness of it rips right through you. They are such a great band to listen to, and there’s just so much to love about them. I don’t know if I can really put across how great they are.
The vocals are distorted, but my god the screams are electrifying. Play them loud enough, and your neighbours will end up calling the police. Maybe be careful with that one. The songs are made to be played loud. Either in the comfort of your own home, or in some dodgy bar where you have no idea if you’ll leave with or without a few bruises. You can’t help but be fixated on how their live shows must be when you listen to them. You can feel the drums really go through you, the vocals are something else and the guitar just sounds like a machine gun going insane. At the heart of it, SLOKS are a fantastic Garage Rock band but they offer you so much more. Every single song is like a punch in the gut. Your body takes frequent beatings as you listen to their songs. Today they released their new record, Holy Motor which is just a body of out of control HITS. Every song is a hit. No song feels like it is there just to take up space. These are songs you’ll obsess over, and nothing will cure you from this. It’s the fuzzy vocals. They really grip you. Would you play this band to your parents? Well, if they’re as cool as my mum and stepdad, you would! The songs on every release I’ve been listening to just show you how this band are entirely unapologetic in what they do. They aren’t doing it for anyone else but themselves, and those who feed off this kind of music. So sure, we can call it Garage Rock or whatever- but let’s be honest, it’s just genius. SLOKS aren’t a band that are going away any time soon. In fact, they are probably going to get louder and louder. It’s worth sacrificing your hearing for. This is why being Italian is so cool- bands like this! Holy Motor is out today via Voodoo Rhythm Records.
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