Bleep

Bristol has a long and storied history as an incubator of young and visionary electronic musicians and visual artists. From reggae to grime to trip hop and all the graffiti in between, Bristol has given the world much to chew on, and now with their debut LP Void, you can add SCALPING to that prodigious list.

Void is the result of a band who have methodically honed their sound. Having played live in Bristol for two years before releasing any music in 2019, SCALPING have ensured that the heavy, raw energy of their physical presence comes first. Just as their shows are a non-stop rush of energy, Void is a seamless crush of “heavy metal in 4D” from front to back.

Eschewing the typical Bristol sounds in favour of darker, post-rock excursions, SCALPING fold in aesthetics from techno, EBM, post-punk, and noise to create their own sort of wicked alchemy. Void deals especially with elements of body horror and the sinister embrace of technology over our culture, manifested in the electronic effects accompanying the surges of harsh guitar work found throughout. The four piece’s (mostly) vocal-less attack stresses feeling over narrative, constructing hair-raising music with flesh and blood that acts on its own impulses.

A visceral energy takes prominence in SCALPING’s performances, visualised by the artwork’s glowing map of synapses and veins. Cultivating an unnerving atmosphere in its very first moments, Void opens with the aptly named ‘Blood Club’, laid out like an obstacle run in a haunted house with blades swinging overhead, forceful crashes heard all around, and the pulsating beat of blood coursing throughout the body. The industrial-tinged ‘Caller Unknown’ utilises these body horror motifs, with feedback screeching at its corners and an acidic bassline thrown into a punk-spirited EBM dirge. In those corners, beckoning whispers can be heard, striking fear into the heart as DÆMON lends a sneering voice to the infernal visions on ‘Tether’.

Better still is the haunting electro of ‘Cloak & Dagger’, with its fretted bassline runs simulating a harrowing escape down a narrow path, clawing at the locks on the exit door, and the resonant thumps of its headbanging rhythms like blood pumping in the ears. ‘Desire’ drifts outward in a slowburning direction, characteristic of dark synthwave movie scores, with kicks like patient heartbeats soon arching their back and transforming into overdriven, combative drums. The album ends on a high with ‘Remain In Stasis,’ a collab with fast-rising Bristol rapper (and self-professed metalhead) Grove. The tune’s huge beats and sizzling hi-hats play to both of their strengths, and its kinetic scraps of synths paired with scraping guitars propel it into a sense of raving ecstasy.

Void follows an exciting 2021 that saw the band play sold out shows alongside legends like Squarepusher as well as release the critically acclaimed Flood EP. As SCALPING make their way up the ranks, they’ve received remixes from artists such as Bristol legend Daddy G taking ‘Tether’ in a more scintillating direction, and recent Warp prodigies Squid giving ‘Flashforward’ an ethereal drum and bass treatment. With a reputation as one of the UK’s most thrilling young live acts and an electrifying debut in the bag, SCALPING seem to have everything in place.