Review: Sex Swing ‘Golden Triangle’

Golden Triangle is, the not safe for work named, Sex Swing‘s long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s Type II. Although the intervening years have provided us with both the stopgap Passovers remix record (also from 2020) and 2023’s Grade A Peanut Sauce live recording of the band’s 2022 Sonic Whip Festival performance in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, nothing quite satisfies like some new tunage right?

Sex Swing ‘Golden Triangle’ Artwork
Sex Swing ‘Golden Triangle’ Artwork

As a quick recap, Sex Swing are a collection of some of the finest musicians in the underground including Dethscalator’s Dan Chandler and Stuart Bell on vocals and drums respectively, Earth guitarist Jodie Cox, bassist Jason Stoll (God Unknown Records/JAAW/Twin Sister etc), Oli Knowles on synthesist/keyboards and Colin Webster on sax. The album’s title references ‘the region between Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, (or Sop Ruak to the locals), eighty thousand square miles of mountains and mystery and unholy medicine’. The charms of nature and drug production of the Marshall Green coined ‘golden triangle’, gives one an indication of the potential duality to be found on this, the band’s third full-length release.

The Confluence Of The Ruak And Mekong Rivers is a wonderfully ambient sounding piece and not what you’d necessarily expect to hear from the London based noiseniks. There’s a spiritual, meditative dimension to the track eliciting the type of sensation that might be gained from say indulging in substances, or even as a result of too many Bernard Hermann soundtracks. An excellent scene setter.

At two minutes forty-four, Kings Romans Casino takes the listener down an Unsane noise-rock inspired route with pummelling drums, brute heavy guitar and squeals of sax, this is pre-Rudi Giuliani New York. The shortest and most abrasive track on the album, it’s obvious to hear why it was chosen as a preview single. Pat Jasan is prime Sex Swing, heavy pulsating kraut, psych and punk with an emphasis on repetition that recalls contemporaries such as Bonnacons Of Doom, GNOD and Kooba Tercu. It should be pointed out that the sax work here is a little less discordant than usual, instead the playful ska of say Mr Bungle’s Evil Satan springs to mind, which sets the tone for the rest of the track, in other words, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

heavy pulsating kraut, psych and punk with an emphasis on repetition…

Myawaddy‘s overall vibe has the listener thinking of the danger, threat and darkness of proto synth-punks Suicide, Chandler‘s sneering Alan Vega-isms especially, while Hpakant slows the tempo down with a minimalist musical backdrop and spoken word. Hpakant is a town in northern Myanmar (Burma) known for its mining and associated hazards and the fact that the name translates as ‘rock fall’ is intentionally ironic. As with the best horror films, it’s the suspense that holds your attention, such is the case to be had here.

Boten, Route 13 recalls the twisted post-hardcore of Flipper, especially via the use of sax ala Sex Bomb as well as The Jesus Lizard at their most brooding. Special Economic Zone recalls the moody abject despair of a track like The Clash’s Straight To Hell but with the proggier inclinations of Adrian Belew fronted King Crimson. Wild Peacock, the album’s final track, is also its longest at nearly nine minutes and features solid bass work from Jason Stoll that conjures once more similarities to Suicide while the sax drifts in and out like the best noir piece you’ve never heard, making for a perfectly fitting conclusion to the album.

Sex Swing have produced an album with an effortless consistency and trademarks that will satisfy long-term listeners of the band but also has enough subtle musical experimentation to pique the curiosity of newcomers. Thoroughly recommended.

Label: God Unknown Records
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Scribed by: Reza Mills