Gate - The Numbers

For reasons that can only be attributed to my own seemingly limitless incompetence, I managed to miss all three Dead C shows at OTO this past week. Doubtful I’ll last long enough to ever live it down. Totally undeserved as it is, at least I’ve this reissue of Michael Morley’s Gate to dress this mortal wound. Though recorded in 2012, Birdman are only now releasing this six song collection to vinyl for the first time. In fact, it might be their first time on any kind of physical format, since the only trace i can find of The Numbers online is a 2022 upload to Bandcamp. Unusual that these might have once been considered 'lost' recordings, since this is classic Morley, gnarled and snarling white light noise-rock catharsis reaching out to touch the void. It's great to hear Morley's voice, too, very much in that 'all my favourite singers couldn't sing' bracket, very effective at expressing wonder and/or distress at the universe, the Eternal, at just how fucked everything is et al ad infinitum. Truly the ruthless sublime.