Originating from the land of down under, the home of wacky-haired Yahoo Serious and the subject of many over the top post-apocalyptic movies, arrives a band who are seldom mentioned and still remain off the radar of most people. Gravity Pirates from Sydney, Australia is a group shrouded in obscurity and will remain so until some more insight is revealed. I was a bit frustrated to find very little information beyond what is on the vinyl's sleeve cover.The only notable things I could uncover is who all the members were involved while the band existed, the sparse discography (2 LP's) and a Myspace page (with just a grainy music video, music samples and a short magazine article). The people connected with the band were: Steven Hindes (guitar, vocals and piano), Sharon Van Tromp (vocals), Paul Hindes (keyboards), Alistair Stevenson (bass), Pierre Della-Putta (drums) and Keith Boots (drums).
This Way To The Cargo Cult, released in 1986 (not 1984, as the Amazon and iTunes download pages insist) by Survival Music, is quite a find and amazed it didn't go for as much as I'd expected it to go for online in physical form (I got mine for $8). Full of brooding sounds and murky vocals, Gravity Pirates' debut album is the type of music followers of the post-punk genre and the like shouldn't miss out on! The most outstanding tracks are the killer, head bopping opener This Way To The Cargo Cult and the slow, dark and ambient Backtrack. With respect to the artist, I've only put these two songs up for review since high quality remastered digital versions are readily available on Amazon and iTunes individually for 99¢ or the full album for about $7.
There's less than two months left before the year ends, so sit back, listen and bask in the sea of gloominess!
There's less than two months left before the year ends, so sit back, listen and bask in the sea of gloominess!
Details:
Gravity Pirates - This Way To The Cargo Cult - LP (1986), Australia
Side 1:
1. This Way To The Cargo Cult
2. Float So Wide
3. Backtrack
4. Frontal Attack
Side 2:
5. Exposure Of My Senses
6. Take My Time
7. Shape Of A Point Of View
More Information:
iTunes (Buy and Download)
Amazon (Buy and Download)
