Back in early 2009, an unassuming musician going by the name of Steve Strong played his first show in Plymouth (now lost in the midst of time, but presumably as sweaty and sonorous as the rest). Nearly a decade later, and with more than 1000 shows under his belt along with a brand new album, Steve Strong has more to say than ever - despite a distinct lack of vocals on his work.
The words progressive and instrumental may conjure up thoughts of questionable 70s sounds from the likes of SKY and Tangerine Dream, but dad-rock this is not. In his latest album Turbo Island, Steve demonstrates why his name is known beyond his native Ocean City - now part of the furniture in Bristol's live scene as well as regular appearances across Europe (including a stunning Balcony TV Session in Chamonix). Far from being a master of hype, Steve sits steadily as an underground cult figure, progressing creatively through relentless gigging, recording and collaborations. Thanks to his tendency to pop genres like paracetamol, his chameleon clangour finds a home across math rock, post punk, hardcore, psychedelia, trip hop, experimental jazz and even folk. In the last few years he's played with Bristol geek-rockers Chiyoda Ku, Cornish folksters Haunt The Woods and Japanese punk duo RiL (FKA ROAR). We first met Steve when he played a Bristol show with violinist Claire Northey alongside hip-hop crew Split Prophets and Uncollective resident GINS, followed by a Main Stage set at Langaland Festival. It's Steve's ability to adapt and amalgamate across such diverse habitats, whilst having a steadfast dedication to the sound he's creating, that makes him something of an anomaly in the all too often online world of hyperbole and publicity that causes emerging acts to come and go at the click of a button.
If you really wanted to pigeonhole Steve Strong, you could do worse than imagining a cross-section of some of his influences - seminal post rockers Slint (if you haven't listened to Spiderland, drop everything you're doing and listen NOW) and the face-melting nonsense of Aphex Twin. There's also a rich vein of contemporary artists across both his native Plymouth and in Bristol (perhaps a second spiritual home for Strong) - School Disco, Tunnel Visions and others churn out psychedelic-tinged kraut rock from the former; whilst Bristol's Zun Zun Egui and Iceman Furniss are masters of improvised post rock. You can't help but think that these young artists must have come across Steve's genre-bending performances in the past, and vice versa. There's ancient history here too - it's no secret that psychedelic legends The Heads formed in Bristol, and Plymouth boasts perhaps a more unusual musical child: 'lysergic funk' pioneers The Monsoon Bassoon.
More than an Arc Tangent wet dream though, Steve Strong has a story to tell - chronicled through witty wordplay, cultural references and social conscience - all present on Turbo Island. The sophomore album feels sharper than 2013's Three Hands Tall, the product of an artist who's honed his trade and pushed his own perimeters. Opening track Gravel Gardener is a blistering mathsy intro, cutting out abruptly and leaving the listener wanting more after peeling back the lid of this sonic chocolate box. Lando's House and Drones Over Clifton edge towards a Four Tet-tinged acid ride with Steve's signature guitar licks, but after a brief interlude the pace picks up on the eponymous track. There's an intensity building, and a narrative being sewn through sound alone. Life After Post Rock is tongue in cheek introspection, whilst Sensible Skeletons samples Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator speech in a clear move towards some much needed social commentary. Although you'll have to wait 'til Thursday to hear the album in full, we can confirm that fans of previous material won't be disappointed, whilst first time listeners will find a gateway intro the strange world of Steve Strong they won't regret. You can listen to Drones Over Clifton (at the top of this article) ahead of the release, or head to Fecking Bahamas tomorrow for a full premiere. Steve plays a hometown show on the release date, joined at Plymouth Underground by an ear-aching line up of local support from the likes of Phaedra's Love and Palores. Bristol folk can catch him at the end of the month at psychedelic mecca The Old England. Clearly not a man to do things by halves, Steve plays a third release show in Cardiff on the 24th. As we move into the new year, preoccupied with troubles, tribulations and triumphs, Turbo Island is the music we need right now - astrophysical sounds for troubled times that exist beyond our differences. Although Steve seems more at home behind mountains of pedals than he does in front of the camera, his music speaks for itself whilst open to interpretation and individual perspective - perhaps emanating the words of his wrestling namesake: "A magician can never say anything about his magic... I'm not going to deny or say that there isn't anything there because there could be. There could be." Turbo Island by Steve Strong is released via Sapien Records on January 17th. Pre order your digital copy on Bandcamp, along with physical copies and merchandise.
Tom Stockley is author of this article and the founder of We Are Uncollective. He currently lives in Bristol where he dabbles in journalism, visual art, performance, artist management and event production. He's the Creative Director of Langaland Festival 2019.
www.tomstockley.weebly.com
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