LP

Toronto-based electro noise squad Holy Fuck specialize in the kind of unholy racket worthy of their expletive-brandishing moniker. Finely honing their live electronics-aided lo-fi "motorik" for their second album, LP, the band wields overdriven Casiotones against steady-state beats set for oblivion. Upon an insistent, groove-heavy pulse that recalls the hypnotic propulsion of Krautrock outfits like Neu! and Harmonia, HF grafts blistering shards of distorted synth bleat and fractal-chaos effects, creating the kind of psych-noise mayhem that's atypical in the techno-rock fraternity. While tracks like the high-octane opener "Super Inuit" hazard a course midway between noise improvisation and garage punk, others like the nearly-symphonic "Lovely Allen" reveal an almost tranquil, though no less spirited, repose.|

Toronto electro-rockers Holy Fuck are clearly banking on the continued rise of satellite radio, because they're just not gonna get that far in a broadcast world still under FCC restraints. The eight lengthy songs on their debut album are largely improvised, with two drummers (one of them, surprisingly, Glenn Milchem from the languid AAA country-rockers Blue Rodeo) and three keyboardists creating completely rhythm-oriented instrumental grooves that are introduced, percolate around for five to eight minutes with little variation, and then recede. So melody and lyricism are entirely beside the point here, but what makes LP something far more interesting than the average LCD Soundsystem knockoff is the album's thrillingly live feel. In a style of music that's mostly created by pressing buttons and manipulating touch screens, the drummer-powered, live in the studio feel of LP provides both musical excitement and textural variety missing from most similar electro-dance albums. ~ Stewart Mason