Cured Pink has always been an intangible element within the Brisbane music scene. Even in the most obscure nooks of the underground, Cured Pink stands as one of the more distant forces that still manage to inspire awe and reverence despite limited output. Andrew McLellan is the original creative mind behind the project, who has until now operated by gathering musicians to perform and record with as needed. Although previous recorded material is collated nicely on the Cured Pink Bandcamp it’s readily apparent that Cured Pink’s releases are sporadic at best, although each fragment of noise emanating from that murky corer are as engrossing as they are difficult to describe or categorise.
In August, Cured Pink will be releasing an LP entitled As A Four Piece Band, referring to the creative effort of Andrew McLellan with band mates Glen Schenau (Per Purpose), Mitchell Perkins (CLEVER) and Stuart Busby over recent years. Addendum: Communication from Cured Pink informed me that “Andrew McLellan is not an auteur/mastermind spearheading the project in a self-fulfilling prophesy, rather all members contribute their ideas to a dialogical and collaborative ‘ideas-writing’ workshop and remain the authors of their givings.” With that clarification, it’s important to note that Cured Pink is currently a band, and As A Four Piece Band will feature music composed as a sum of the members involved.
Two fragments of the album have come forth to date, ‘Essential’ and the latest track ‘(I’m) Swimming)’. Both tracks are examples of Cured Pink’s disjointed and disconnected noise experiments that are in a moment both invigorating and daunting. Of the two, ‘(I’m) Swimming’ is the more immediate and impactful tune, thanks in no small part to the crash and clang of the percussion, the brain-reverberating horns and haunted vocalisations of McLellan himself. Indecipherable as the song may be, I sense a communication of inner turmoil thanks to the frenetic pacing and feverish mental evocations.
In past releases, Cured Pink seemed to serve as more of a means for sonic experimentation to push the limits of what music was and what music could be. 2010’s self-titled release exemplified this approach by leaving compositions untitled, preferring to live in the moment and movement, realising ideas and quickly letting them go. So far, As A Four Piece Band sounds like a release of ‘songs’ in the way a musical laymen would perceive songs to be. I hesitate to call them structured – though they are in a way – maybe more cohesive. Although initiates to Cured Pink’s sound would probably find this sort of music inaccessible at first, ‘(I’m) Swimming’ is one of the most melodic songs; conducive to body movement.
As A Four Piece Band will be released through R.I.P. Society Records in mid-August, followed by a European tour. Await accordingly.
Weirdo Wasteland 