My introduction to Pitchshifter came in the form of Everything's Fucked from their 2000 album, Deviant; listening to Industrial you'd never know it was the same band.
It's now been 14 years since I first heard this album and, up until a few weeks ago, many years since I'd last listened to it. When I bought a copy on cd - the very same day that I bought Deviant - I had no idea what was going on. Whilst I'm not surprised that 16-year-old me didn't get it, I am surprised that 31-year-old has been enjoying it so much lately. With my hindsight-hat firmly on, I have a lot of respect for early 90's Pitch Shifter.
I can't quite seem to find the words for why I'm feeling that way about, but mostly I love how this album fully embraces bleak, angry, brutal industrial music in every way: the title - just one word that sums it all up - is brilliantly simple; the sleeve says in giant letters "VASECT SEETHE DESPISE"; the lyrics to the first song are just "Hate / I hate / You motherfucker / Drown / Bleed / I wish you would"; the black-and-white picture of the band hanging out by a freight train (of course). This record paints a pretty bleak image of the midlands in 1990. I think what it is is that there's no pretentiousness to be had anywhere. That's what I can see in this album now that I couldn't before.
This particular copy I found on eBay in 2004 for the bargain price of £2.85 (including shipping!). I never really intended to have a complete collection of Pitchshifter records but I thought it'd be a good one to buy. I'm glad I did pick it up back then. As I mentioned before, this record hasn't had a huge amount of play by me and spent many years quite unloved. I do love rediscovering albums though and I'm pleased that I'm finally able to get so much out of Industrial.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 8
Cost: £2.85 second-hand
Bought: eBay
When: 11/05/04
Colour: Black
Etching: Side A: "Deity embodiment" Side B: "With more clout"
mp3s: no
