8 Tracks: Brave Choices While Outback Trippin’ with Concentration

Music

"Brave Choices While Outback Trippin’" may as well be the title of Concentration’s musical manifesto, so perfectly does it capture their aural and visual creations. Whether on their debut release Premature – mastered by Lawrence English and mixed by lovable larrikin Greg Steele (aka Tackle, of ‘Benzedrine’ infamy) – or in their staggeringly unpredictable live performances, the trio mix an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of music (seriously, test ‘em), oddball Aussie via East German humour, and unashamed willingness to let their audience feel a necessary sense of unease, into a sound that can be beautiful, hilarious and terrifying all at once.

Most recently popping up on the Bokeh Versions vs. Jay Glass Dubs mixtape released by Origin Peoples, and hosting a residency at Melbourne’s Tote featuring Keith Fullerton Whitman, Chiara Kickdrum and Primitive Calculators among many others, the three heads behind Concentration (Zachariah Kupferminc, Matt Sativa and Thrush) have kindly provided us with 8 tracks to possibly avoid if you ever find yourself in the outback on psychedelics. Take heed, they should know.

LISTEN

Brainticket - Brainticket

Skip to 8:10 for the real deal. Brainticket put out other records, but never with this motley line-up of freaks (including some Swiss acoustics pioneer who took a break from being respected/respectable to cook up this psychotic LSD mush). First time I listened to this was in a tent at 6am. When it hit the “brainticket, brainticket, brainticket” bit, I knew where I was. I’m still there, mannnnnn – Z

Brainticket - Brainticket

Skip to 8:10 for the real deal. Brainticket put out other records, but never with this motley line-up of freaks (including some Swiss acoustics pioneer who took a break from being respected/respectable to cook up this psychotic LSD mush). First time I listened to this was in a tent at 6am. When it hit the “brainticket, brainticket, brainticket” bit, I knew where I was. I’m still there, mannnnnn – Z
Shackleton - Untitled

An absolute revelation even now, let alone 13 years ago. The ‘row row row your boat’ flow of the original Cutty Ranks sample is uncannily eery over this dub thumper. Shack builds the tension with all the time world and when that bass drops… forget about it. Hit this on a particularly psychedelic tip and it’s like the sound of never coming back – M
Tanya Tagaq - Aorta

This inuk throat singer takes me on my highest sober highs. Watching this tender ice fairy transform into three roaring werewolves might have been the closest I got to an outer body experience. Don’t listen to this alone in the woods, or maybe do! – T
Oren Ambarchi - It Ain't Humid But It Sure Is Hot

Local genius kicks Australia up a notch by makin’ good ol’ fashioned Aussie pub-rock bush-trippable. Fuckin’ on ya, Oren. Should be the anthem – Z
King Midas Sound - Mysteries

This song is perfection and another feather in the bow for the chameleonic yet always distinctive Kevin Martin. Fennesz’ guitar, the delicate hiss of static and those vocals echoing into eternity; it’s the perfect intersection of beauty and utter trippiness. Not technically a brave choice, but when it was used to soundtrack a particularly psychedelic experience it was like the heavens opening up and swallowing us whole – M
Ghostigital - Not Clean

Really bad choice for a trip, which makes it a really good choice, I reckon. Walked in on their set at a festival in Iceland, and they had the bigggg crowd going fucking off to the weirdest shit. They’re also really good at getting really famous people to feature on tracks where they shouldn’t. This one’s got Mark E. Smith fangin’ it for cod. What more do ya want? – Z
Sifir - I Want To Be A Suicide Bomber

This song, much like the emphatic crudeness of its title, forges its own path through gnashing digital noise and emerges into an inspired coda that I could only describe as ‘stadium’. Bizarre. I originally heard this as a 9-minute excerpt on this superb Turkish experimental music comp Thrush bought for Zac, but thought it fitting to submit the full 30 minute payload as the artist intended. I’ve probably got a few crosshairs trained on me for repeatedly googling ‘I Want to Be a Suicide Bomber’ over the last few days so don’t let it be in vain – M
Gudrun Gut - Frei Sein

The Berliner Kindl’s vocals might be the moodiest thing to listen to on a dazed U-Bahn ride. Nothing ages better than her chanting over notably saucy synth sounds! – T