She Walks Crooked — Pink Foot Bandage Volume 1
I think I’ve been aware of this project for the last two-to-three years, having heard more than a handful of the splits it’s been involved in- and from memory, I’ve been impressed by both the skill & thought behind each of the project's contributions. I ashamed to say I think this might be the first stand-alone release I’ve heard from She Walks Crooked. And I must certainly say this C39 tape is up to the high standard of the other bit’s ‘n’ bobs I’ve heard from the project.
The white-shelled tape features a pink Band-Aid-like label on one side. The tapes sleeve is a single sided affair, taking in on its front a picture of a women’s legs with a pink bandage on- we also get theme fitting pink texts against a black background. The physical release came in an edition of 16 copies, and sadly these have now all sold-out, but the download is still available
Side A is taken up "Part One", and this begins with a deep slightly grinding drone buffeting- which is topped by a subdued trim of taut-gritty static grain. By around the third minute, the drones pace has picked-up, switching to more a blunt bass battering feel- though it still retains it’s droning DNA. As this shift occurs the noise grain seems to pare back, even more, becoming more of a uniformed line of subtle grit. By the 7th minute, we’ve really kicked up both the pace & tension of the track, as it rapidly shifts to all-out walled-noise. When fully risen the ‘wall’ sees a blend of rapid & tight judder bound low-end, with a selection of rattling & battering mids- all giving me the vibe a plane constantly running along a runway, with some subtly effective sub-tone detail coming to the surface from time-to-time
Over on side B we, of course, have "Part Two"-this starts out with a wall-bound blend of rolling bass grind ‘n’ drone, cascading & slowing crust bound judders, and thinner static jittering. By around the second minute, the layers have fallen back, and we’re just left with the rapidly buffing & battering tone- which is edged a select of flitting 'n' churning grains of static. By around the 8th minute, the low-end has become more rapid & skittering, with a ribcage of mid-range grinding & slightly rattling noise wrapped around it. I’m not as taken by this track as "Part 1", but there is still a nice use & depth to SWC wall-craft.
With a genre like walled noise it’s sometimes difficult for an artists to put their own tilt/ identity on their sound, but with Pink Foot Bandage Volume 1 I can definitely say the sound here is most distinctive in it’s blending & blurring of drone & HNW. I’m certainly now going to dip into further of She Walks Crooked past discography, and will keep an eye out for new work from the project too.