Review from radio free midwich

“Argot of Incomprehension is a variety pack of a record. There’s a handy list on the inside sleeve of instruments involved in its making but this is definitely not comprehensive. From the list I had to look up what a ‘xaphoon’ is but didn’t have to do the same for ‘escalator’, which I think, gives you an idea about where this record is coming from. There’s all sorts going on and the tracks vary wildly in what’s happening in each of them. I went on a journey of emotions, laughing one minute to actually getting a bit scared during the last track ‘Spangled Rag or the Butcher’s Apron’ (blaming the surround sound speakers my mate dropped off last week for that one, this stuff creeps up on you). Bizarre titles for each piece are no help for making any sense of this as a whole so in that way the title, ‘Argot of Incomprehension’, is kind of the only comprehensible description available.
The album starts with a song called ‘Langue de Bois’ (which sort of translates as ‘beating about the bush’) involving crazed drum machine beats, a variety of vocalisations and possibly tapes all in a heaving mass of conversation. I just love the way you can hear the occasional knock on the microphone and can only imagine either Joe or Jon getting carried away during their recording session to make this happen. Someone pulls out an electric guitar and has a wild couple of minutes soloing on ‘Grief and Copper Balls’ and I’m definitely reminded of that amazing tape Harappian Night Recordings put out on Krayon Recordings. What’s that being played on ‘Sadly Not Teeth, Trees of Demons Piled on a Step’? Is that the xaphoon? A weird melodic scale is played over and over then pulled out of shape until it sounds like over stretched cellophane.
I’m through my third listen of this record now, back to back. I’ve got to stop there, my brain is being bashed about and I’m worried about getting freaked out by the last track again so better switch it off.”

Sophie Cooper, Radio Free Midwich, July 2015, https://radiofreemidwich.wordpress.com/