Stream: Get sum edumacation with Tarasque
Come for the learning, stay for the sludge.
As he is wont to do, the Lizard sent me a German band. Seeing they were called Tarasque, I immediately harrumphed (but in German), because that name sounds decidedly French. I’ve since learned that it is a mythological creature that allegedly ravaged France, so I am appeased. And at least the next bit was German – Innen-Aussen (“Inside-Outside” or “Within-Without”) is the title of the EP. Alas, I was immediately struck with another word I’d never heard. Quiet opener “Pluveophil” bears in its title a misspelling of “pluviophile” – one who loves rain – and turns out to set the mood most appropriately. For although second song “Trümmerfeld” (“field of debris”) comes out the gate pretty forcefully, it’s not long before it breaks down to make way for the melancholia present throughout the release. If you’re into sludge for the super hateful sound of, say, Indian or Primitive Man, you won’t really get any of that here, although the sound is always far from friendly.
On “Karoshi” (you guessed it, that’s death by overworking), the band occasionally comes close to stoner doom, but here, the lethargy I associate with that genre seems more grounded in grief than in drugs. Tarasque concoct a sound similarly designed to flatten you, but instead of not getting up again because you’ve nodded off, it’s more like you’ve realised the futility of getting up and are perfectly content with your new position. The sadness is painted with a sort of warm palette, making it not only bearable, but comfortable to sink into.
There, you’ve learned a couple new words and even some German. Now listen to Tarasque while you lie on the floor knowing that you’ll never use any of this, even if you could remember it. Innen-Aussen is out on Friday, pre-order your copy on CD, vinyl, or digitally through their Bandcamp page.
