Bunnydrums
PKD/Simulacra
By: Dave Madden
Splendid

Who the hell is Bunnydrums? Though this seminal post-punk group slipped past most people's radar, overshadowed by contemporaries such as Joy Division, Killing Joke and Bauhaus, their sound is every bit as deep, mature, dark, thrilling and brash as anyone who rocked the quasi-goth/new wave stage during the early '80s. However, like many bands during the time, they never quite received the recognition they deserved. They recorded a few albums and toured a bit in Europe, sharing the stage with Pere Ubu, REM, The Cult and Gang of Four, but never quite found the audience they needed to sustain anything more than cult status. But hey, isn't that what the aforementioned bands' careers are built on? .

PKD/Simulacra is an exploration of sounds from the group's heyday, taken from recordings made between 1981-86 (PKD was the band's first album, Simulacra a "best-of"). In other words, it sounds like the early '80s, a time when music suffered from a post-disco nightmare and technology began to peek it's mechanized head into "rock" bands. The opener, "Smithson", begins with a synth drone and sloppily arpeggiated whistle, while the Cure-like bass guitar (flange plus chorus pedal -- I think these were issued to every band during 1980) and backbeat drums, accented with synthetic hits, serve as a foundation for occasional chants of "Not 'til now did I understand / most of us will never understand / to some of us, animation is man." .

"Magazine" switches gears a bit with a bass riff Tool most assuredly copied and a cool four-note chromatic descent on the guitar (G-F#-F-E) as singer/guitarist/saxophonist David Goerk does his thing: the off-key, delayed baritone vocals that will haunt you in your sleep (basically, channeling the ghost of Ian Curtis). "Shiver" throws a drum machine into the mix along with staccato guitar stabs, falsetto squeals and a squiggly, disjointed bassline. .

The remaining tracks continue in this fashion, carefully blending artsy theatrics, rock, funk and hints of dance. The album rarely feels gimmicky; you'll be sincerely moved to find more of Bunnydrums' work, and to see them live. Good luck -- they've only played twice since calling it quits in 1986. .

With a bit of luck and some good press, PKD/Simulacra may finally garner Bunnydrums the praise they deserve as long-lost pioneers in the genre. Perhaps then they'll be able to enjoy the latest rite-of-passage for eighties cult bands -- the inevitable "reunion" tour.

From: Splendid