Just over a year on from its initial digital release via Mud Records, Purely Physical Tapes bring to vinyl the debut LP by Melbourne/Naarm four piece, Dregs, having been altered to their existence by mutual friend Tarquin Manek. And really, there could be no more obvious person to make these connections than Manek, who's well stated interest in murky dub-wise electronics is so clearly shared by Dregs. This is now the quintessential sound of the Australian underground, an interest that runs through and connects the likes of CS + Kreme, Carla dal Forno, Troth, and even ex-pats like a.so. What's precipitated that shift is perhaps a bigger conversation better suited for another time, but Dregs are certainly worthy torch bearers for that sound, and rarely do debuts arrive so confidently attired. The players involved have all adopted mysterious pseudonyms (Sina, Drop Dylan, Ossian and Rip Van Hippy), which presents the possibility that we might already know who's who via other means and explain how they can get it right so quickly out the gate. Whatever the truth - and does it even matter? - you'll have to go a fair way to find a better crafting of trip-hop adjacent, smoke-plumed post-punk dynamics this year. This sounds like a group equally well versed in imperial era 4AD (think The Wolfgang Press and/or Dif Juz), early 90s Bristol, and first album A.R Kane, dreamy, sensual, possibly a little bit out of it. A smoker's delight no doubt, but a lover's rock, too. No idea what they're putting in the water down there in Oz at the minute, but for a place with a whole lot of sun it aint half ended up with a lot of music that sounds like the night. You want the one you can't have...
