Swell Maps - A trip to Marineville

Swell Maps was a collaboration by brothers Kevin "Epic Soundtracks" Godfrey and Nicholas "Nikki Sudden" Godfrey, and though being together since 1972 they didn't become an official "band" until the late 70's british punk explosion. "A Trip To Marineville" was their first full length cut, and it remains a classic of post-punk/experimental rock, yet i find the term "krautpunk" defines them pretty well. Their sound is a hard one to pinpoint, they successfully combine the raw, urgent and simplistic sound of punk with the expansive sonic experiments of krautrock. From the intense industrial clatter of "Adventures into Basketry" to the abrupt and snotty punk tracks like "H.S. Art" the whole album comes together like a boiling pot of lo-fi madness - random, incoherent yet oddly cohesive.

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