Rise Above (JK Flesh album)
| Rise Above | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by JK Flesh | ||||
| Released | 3 June 2016 | |||
| Studio | Avalanche Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:40 | |||
| Label | Electric Deluxe | |||
| Producer | Justin Broadrick | |||
| JK Flesh chronology | ||||
| ||||
Rise Above is the second studio album by JK Flesh, a moniker of English musician Justin Broadrick, and was released digitally and on vinyl on 3 June 2016 through the label Electric Deluxe under the designation EDLX.048.[2] It is Broadrick's fourth release under the JK Flesh title and continues the sparse, drum and bass style of Nothing Is Free, the EP released a year earlier.
Composition
 |
"Conquered"
"Conquered" showcases JK Flesh's shift into danceable techno. |
Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
Inspired by Broadrick's childhood in industrial Birmingham,[3] Rise Above's sound is characterized by heavy distortion, kinetic beats, and noisy production.[4] In keeping with the JK Flesh evolution, nearly all elements of industrial metal are gone from this album and replaced with starker, more synthetic sounds.[5][6] John Twells of Fact wrote, "The doomy, distorted grind of Godflesh and Jesu is certainly still present, but woven into a wheezing 4/4 template that doesn’t sound a million miles from Andy Stott’s patented 'knackered house' or a Surgeon record on the wrong speed being played through a broken car stereo."[7] Chang Terhune of Igloo Magazine also drew comparisons between Rise Above and the work of Andy Stott.[8]
According to Broadrick, his vision for JK Flesh was only fully realized with Rise Above.[5] About the deliberate shift away from guitar and industrial beats, he said, "Wildly divisive, its lack of guitars and its adherence to 4/4 techno, has led to a misunderstanding of this project's intentions, but I find this is positive. I'm doing something ‘real', and I'm doing it because I need and love doing it. This shouldn't be easy for anyone."[5]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Quietus | Positive[6] |
| Resident Advisor |   |
Rise Above received positive reviews. Writing for The Quietus, Tristan Bath said "So frank and brutal are the whiteknuckled grooves and aggression on Rise Above it’s tougher than ever to imagine where Broadrick will go next."[6] Resident Advisor reviewer Justin Farrar wrote "It's a rare musician who could make music this bleak sound utterly engrossing."[4]
Track listing
All music composed by Justin Broadrick.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tunnel" | 6:06 |
| 2. | "Defector" | 5:32 |
| 3. | "Swarm" | 5:31 |
| 4. | "Conquered" | 5:12 |
| 5. | "Trinity" | 4:53 |
| 6. | "Rise Above" | 5:26 |
| 7. | "Cast" | 5:52 |
| 8. | "Low Alloy" | 6:05 |
| Total length: | 44:40 | |
Personnel
Taken from the Rise Above liner notes.[2]
- Justin Broadrick – instruments, production
References
- 1 2 Eede, Christian. "Justin Broadrick Preps New JK Flesh Album". The Quietus. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- 1 2 Rise Above (digital liner notes). JK Flesh. Electric Deluxe. 2016. EDLX.048. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ↑ Turner, Rob (July 2016). "JK Flesh - Rise Above". The Wire (389): 50–52.
- 1 2 3 "JK Flesh – Rise Above". Resident Advisor. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- 1 2 3 Raggett, Ned. "Songs Of The 'Flesh - The Strange World Of... Justin Broadrick". The Quietus. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Bath, Tristan. "Lead Review: Tristan Bath On JK Flesh's Rise Above". The Quietus. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ↑ Twells, John. "Justin K. Broadrick preps crushing new JK Flesh album Rise Above". Fact. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- ↑ Terhune, Chang. "JK Flesh :: Rise Above (Electric Deluxe)". Igloo Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2018.