‘…something that is riotous, abrasive, and filthy; the embodiment of humanity’s carnal urges…’
To describe Dead Animals as merely an EDM project feels increasingly disingenuous. Spearheaded by creative mastermind Ruby Roadkill, the Merseyside-based outfit is a nebulous affair of rotating collaborative musicians, multi-media art approaches, and an approach to electronic soundscapes that sometimes verge on “outsider music” in their flagrant disregard for the rules.
‘SCANDALS’ serves as the culmination of three years worth of performance, a mixtape gathering up ideas that Roadkill and her posse have worked on during this time. Intentionally provocative and abrasive, ‘SCANDALS’ is sculpted with an ethos of being riotous and unpalatable, Roadkill refusing to sand down her rough edges to make her easier to swallow. The result is a refreshing, commanding, and gripping exploration of sex, gender, power, expression, and liberation.
Vocals are twisted and contorted to produce otherworldly and inhuman effects, threaded into the oppressive layers of throbbing, glitching noise; it is as if Berghain has relocated to the second ring of hell. ‘Sinister’ sees cabaret performer Princess Peach offering a hypnotically repeated mantra of ‘pain breaks the rhythm but it doesn’t break me’, as Roadkill ferociously growls against a punishingly claustrophobic backdrop. ‘SCANDAL’ builds from sumptuous ambience and silky vocals towards a jarring, raucous climax that celebrates unrepentant passion, whilst ‘TRAUMA Queen’ layers breakbeat and industrial tones atop of suggestions of dark post-punk, producing a menacing, mechanical rager.
‘Obscene Queen’ is a phenomenal display of Roadkill’s talents, as she twists and contorts roles to the point that you aren’t sure who is performing for who. Roadkill presents simultaneously as an object of sexualisation and somebody in entire control of the situation; it forces you as the listener to question whether you are willing participant, or a perverse voyeur. It is tense, playful, and frighteningly electrifying; Roadkill gives you the handle for the leash, but never lets you forget that she is the one in control.
‘SCANDALS’ is a remarkable deconstruction of musical rules that resultantly sounds delightfully devilish and darkly provocative. Roadkill seeks not to make something palatable and accessible, but instead something that is riotous, abrasive, and filthy; the embodiment of humanity’s carnal urges that prove we are nothing more than animals with regressive expectations of expression. Be nasty, be unapologetic, and be you.
RATING: 80/100
For Fans Of: Lip Critic, HMLTD, Auraboros, Nine Inch Nails, Ditz
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