The Dead Company - Afternoon Show Ft Larry Ludwick

Hear The Track Here

Well yes Doctor, as it happens I know exactly when I became infected by this dark, almost sepulchral, morbid, yet strangely beautiful experience. It was way back in the early part of 2003 when I was working in the wilds of Ejay, techno to the left of me and techno to the right, when I was quite literally blown away by a peice of music called Buildings Part1,2,3 and all points to infinity. The track, like a lot of Dead Company tracks, was made from a) a storm; b)radio fades and c) what sounds like an ocean swishing around your ears. Sounds horrific and yet it had a majesty, a quiet brilliance that made it stand out above everything else I'd heard up until that point. Mind you, this was on the old Ejay site, so ANYTHING would be different. The Dead Company, however, took that difference into a whole other dimension. At the time I wrote 'There is no doubt in my mind that The Dead Company are far and away the most INTERESTING music coming out of this site right now'

And now they are on Soundclick. Be afraid, be very afraid...

Head honcho and Main Man is one Jon Bushaway who could only be English; he's too weird for anything else. When I first met TDC they were a trio but on this track Jon is aided by Soundclick (and the CC forum) stalwart Larry Ludwick - a most unlikely combination when looked at face on. Larry only supplies the vocal on Afternoon Show, and for someone who is used to Sean Boyle's very distinct and unusual style, my initial impression wasn't that posiive. Mind you, the more I played the track, the more it started to register just how apt Larry's vocal delivery is. He has a poet's intonation and that really helps to push across the seemingly obscure lyrics. Jon has always been an awesome lyricist; his images are of a class you are not likely to see to often.

Mind you, you would need to be a bit of a mope to really enjoy them and being a hard, increasingly bitter cynic I absolutely wolfed this little treat down again and again. As I've made clear, I have been a very long term fan of this unique musician and his amazing detailed, yet simple soundcapes. Not so much songs as tone poems in every sense of the word. The way TDC string together disparate themes lend the majesty and power that permeates all TDC tracks and Afternoon Show is a classic example of what they do best, amply backed up with some considerable skill by Mister Ludwick. So, taking into account my enormous bias and my long standing like of this artist, it would be best to understand that I LOVE the wilder fringes of what can be done. Nonetheless, Afternoon Show is much, much tamer than some TDC tracks, the ones who scare you half to death....

Another dimension. MUST HAVE for TDC fans. Highly Recommended tone poem.