Neutral - Live På Autodidaktik

Not always (or even very often) a fan of live albums, but with a band like Neutral you don't expect things to follow a script. Performed and recorded in Växjö in 2016, and released as a very limited cassette in 2017, Live På Autodidaktik captures the duo towards the end of their (first? We can dream) lifecycle. The setlist pulls a few from their debut, a few from their final record, abd the rest, i'm assuming, new pieces they'd yet to commit to tape, a selection which seems perfectly suited to their no-wave indebted, improv informed approach to sound and song. In that sense, ...Autodidaktik reminds me of hearing those Mars live recordings, how they captured a fleeting moment in time, likely to never be revisited/replayed. Needless to say, don't come here looking for clarity and fidelity - not only futile, but that would miss the point entirely. The droning, atonal freeness of Neutral is designed for its inscrutability, which these somewhat submerged recordings only add layers to. They're a smart bunch, but their live performance feels both instinctive and physical, too, sucking you into their metallic vortex, a trick they partly derived from their stint in Sewer Election and have since developed as Leda. Wasn't always the case you'd have music like this pressed to vinyl. Bless the brave ears of Happiest Place for making it happen, cos this is a key document in understanding how contemporary Gothenburg got to where it is right now. And you're right to assume this a limited one, as per.