Part Chimp are part myth and part echo.
A rumbling, leering, caustic presence in the British underground, the band's catalogue is littered with sonic belches, aural farts, and unrelenting, crippling noise.
It's all pretty enthralling, if you ask us. New album 'IV' ends a lengthy break from the group, and it's the sort of wake up call that could blast you out of bed in around 0.0045 seconds.
Out now on Rock Action, Part Chimp have kindly penned this partly true, partly acerbic, and wholly entertaining track by track guide.
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'Namekuji'
I just wanted to see if we could seriously have a riff that did nothing but keep on going down. An exercise in descent. It’s about a mythological Japanese Slug-Beast that invades and eats people's dreams. Iain's solo in this song is almost the greatest guitar solo of all time. He got his sound through a pedal he had built called 'The Mincer' which is actually built out of an old Victorian meat mincing machine.
'Mapoleon'
It’s about driving around, getting lost, fighting in the back seat of the car, breaking down, breaking up but getting there in the end. Late probably. Which pretty much describes our journey to The Bakehouse where we recorded the album. Satnav almost drove us into a river, twice!
'Bouncer’s Dream'
A homage to the infamous episode of Neighbours in which we enter the mind of Joe Mangal’s dog, Bouncer. Not the frightening anxiety-ridden experience we create in this song, but a vapid whimsical tale which wouldn’t have been much fun to make a song about. Here, Bouncer trudges up the impossible swamp-mountain of a nightmare world where, at it’s peak, instead of his wedding, his own funeral is taking place. Poor Bouncer. It’s only a dream!
'Solid Gone'
This riff was lifted from an old recording we did at Zen Arcade a long time ago. We start playing it at the end of a version of Bauhaus' 'Dark Entries' and it fades out. Part Chimp are firm believers in recycling. A hangover song. And how the pain is soothed and tenderly washed away by further drinking until you’re gone, man… solid gone.
'RoRo'
A road song. Specifically, a tribute to all the drivers who have driven us around over the years. A strange blend of wizards and maniacs. This group of individuals can be encompassed by the genius slogan 'Eat The Road' which our great friend and part time driver Rocky has tattooed on his fist. Pretty much made this song up on the day. Can you tell?
'Bad Boon'
After our 'break', I wrote this song. It indicated to me that I was now writing Part Chimp songs again. Weirdly refreshing. It’s about going to strange parties, taking strange drugs and meeting really strange people. Going with the flow and fighting against the tide. On this track, Joe uses a pedal he made called 'Leftovers'. Whatever it did, we liked it.
'The Saturn Superstition'
I had a great song about the populist takeover of this planet called Pattern Recognition. Apparently that title had already been used by Sonic Youth, so I had to change it and then it didn’t make any sense. Thank fuck. I played this song to the band once and then we recorded it first take. It was decided not to spend more time on it as it probably wouldn’t make it on the album.
'Rad Mallard'
We recorded At Bakehouse studios in the depths of Norfolk which is basically a barn. Next door is another barn where Jerry our engineer had set up another mic to catch any ambience. We mostly didn't use it but when we came to mix this song we pushed the fader up and this strange music was on the track. We never found out who the band were but it turns out some school kids were practising in there while we were recording! I don't know if they were "jamming" along with us, taking the piss or what, but it kind of worked so we left it in.
'Justice (A lil' Bit 'o')'
This track is based entirely round a modal riff from John Coltrane's 'Olé' album which we all listened to incessantly in the six months preceding the recording. The lyrics deal with the my struggle to get my CD by the French electronic duo into the car stereo during an aimless three hour drive through the Cotswolds. Or it's an allegory for Brexit Britain.
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'IV' is out now.
Catch Part Chimp live at the following shows:
April
13 Cambridge Portland Arms
14 Leeds Wharf Chambers
15 Glasgow Stereo
16 Salford Fat Out Festival
20 Brighton Green Door Store
21 Bristol Exchange
22 Liverpool Wrong Festival @ Invisible Wind Factory w/ Housewives
28 London 100 Club
For the latest Part Chimp tickets click HERE.
