Kompost is a kaleidoscope of colour and noise. This latest release by Flowers Must Die, ahead of their UK dates, gives a fizzy appetiser of their live performance. It radiates group gaiety in swirling shapes and occasional shadows. A band of six, Flowers Must Die take full advantage of this range and variety. Kompost is eclectic and communal. The members are by turn individuals, pairs, a finely tuned unit. They change places, appear and disappear. Then get swallowed up by psychedelic sunshine.
So much of psyche music is about the art of sustaining a particular effect and emotion. Kompost is at its best on the longer tracks which are both immersive and diverse. The tracks are split between those that are in their native Scandinavian and those that are in English. Although from a semantic point of view this has little bearing on the listener. After an extended intro, ‘Kalla Till Ovisshet’ builds to an electric frenzy not unlike those generated by Loop. An instrumental opening, it is like the starter in a Futurist meal. ‘Hey, Shut Up’ is equally prismatic, a hugely successful rumble of a track where orange, green and violet collide. ‘Why’ is also notable for its resilience. It is a seemingly never-ending track like a horizon that keeps receding into the distance.
The influence of krautrock and dance are obvious on songs like ‘Hit’. Recent addition Lisa Ekelund, adds lightness through her vocals. Here her voice bubbles like a beaker of something blue in a science lab. Ekelund’s other major vocal contribution is on ‘Don’t You Leave Me Now’. The repeated refrain is significantly higher in the mix producing the most accessible song on Kompost. The song is jazzy and funky with a guitar solo screech that sounds like serrated metal on serrated metal.
In contrast, one or two tracks are the yellow sky in a storm. ‘After Gong’ is certainly more improvisational. In parts it has doom-laden chords and in others the higher frequencies that only psyche utilises. ‘Hej Da’ is an imperious, war-mongering song. It becomes discordant and is reminiscent of renegades rattling and bashing dustbin lids, albeit with a certain amount of musicality. The entire piece is held together by the insistent tapping of the cymbal.
‘Sven’s Song’ concludes the experience, a soaring track with male vocals, presumably Sven’s, added about halfway through. It blasts you into outer space on a laser beam whilst simultaneously pinning you to the settee.
There’s a pub in Sheffield that used to give you a free shot of absinthe on entry to their psyche night. They played music like this there. You won’t need anything additional to be intoxicated by this album.
Kompost will be released on 28th April 2017 through Rocket Recordings.
