Semtex
Released
In its concatenation of jungle and blissed-out guitar noise, Third Eye Foundation’s debut album, Semtex, was often referred to as the album Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine didn’t make after Loveless. That fair enough for two songs on the album, maybe – the thrilling, ravenous opener, “Sleep”, and its cousin, “Next of Kin” – but there’s plenty more to this album, and in any case, Matt Elliott of Third Eye Foundation seemed less interested in melody, and more in shaping unruly sonic phenomena. Most of Semtex feels woozy, nauseated, the tones gnawing at each other, beats lumbering like wounded mammoths; the closing “Rain” is an isolated, aquatic respite.