Rad Spurts, the brainchild of Brighton-based guitarist Todd Jordan (known for his work with Negative Pegasus and Arcimago), serves up a unique blend of music that’s akin to fusing the bone-rattling fuzz of Lightning Bolt with the sonic endurance of Oneida.
It all started with the 2022 album Rain Sounds, where a randomised algorithm took improvised riffing and transformed it into a cubist mosaic of static. With Arms Drums, Rad Spurts boldly continues to venture into uncharted musical territory. Joining forces with members of The Library Is On Fire, Help She Can’t Swim, Speak Galactic, and more, the individuals crafted their contribution in isolation and then handed over to a machine to turn the pieces into what one will hear on Arms Drums (December 15th, Cupboard Music). With machines proving it could do the work of taking individual music and turning it into cohesive, genre blending, mind bending tunes is what makes Arms Drums feel almost avant garde.
The first single, “Rad Forever” clocks in at an astonishing fifteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds. The repetitive drums, vocals, and saxophone makes one feel as if they are spiralling down a never ending loop and the song itself blurs a line between that of a Talking Heads song and a skipping 80’s compilation record bombarding one with sound after sound. The song is both intriguing and infuriating at the same time because once one thinks they’ve found the pattern, it pivots to another and flips the scripts.
While only being seven tracks strong, Arms Drums isn’t just about the music; it’s a multi-sensory experience. With motivational speeches and deliberately naïve lyrics, it’s a bold departure from the ordinary.
At times, Arms Drums feel as if one is receiving a pep talk from a parent “Out Here Thriving With Steve Five” and at other times like one is at an out of hand and deranged punk show, “Hubba x2”, “Dolly Dexterous”, jamming with members of the The Grateful Dead “I Just Wasn’t Made for these Rad Spurts”, or watching one’s favourite band “Hey Let’s Age” and “Shredder”.
Not only is Arms Drums a unique and artistic way on how music is created, it melds tradition and technology to create an undefinable sound.
Get ready for a musical journey that defies expectations and offers a fresh perspective on sound.
Arms Drums will be available in a sustainable, plastic-free format and starting from December 15th, 2023, it’ll be available for streaming and as a T-shirt bundle with a download code.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Rad Forever”, “Hubba”, “Hey Let’s Age”, “Shredder”
