The Nil Recurring EP was released through Porcupine Tree's Transmission label in October 2007. The EP got a retail release through Snapper Music / Peaceville Records on February 18th and is now available from the better record stores, as well as online retail stores and the Snapper store.
Tracklist: Nil Recurring (6:08), Normal (7:07), Cheating The Polygraph (7:06), What Happens Now? (8:23)
/// ed sander's review ///
When Fear Of A Blank Planet was released, it was already quite obvious that there was more to come. Not only had there been mention of an instrumental track with Robert Fripp on guitar, but also the fifth song that was played during the live try-outs of the album was replaced by Way Out Of Here. So Mr. Wilson had at least two more songs up his sleeve. Unlike with
Deadwing the songs did not appear on any CD or DVD edition of the album (so far) and before long Steve Wilson mentioned that there were plans for a follow up DVD that featured some material that did not fit in with the concept or would result in an album with a playing time of more than an hour, something he was trying to avoid.
Well, now the waiting is over and we can enjoy four new songs on this limited edition 29 minute EP, released on the band's own Transmission Recordings label. Although 'limited edition' comes with a twist here. The EP was so popular and sold out so quickly that there has already been a second pressing and a permanent retail version is scheduled for 2008. The songs will also be available in the band's download store and are also included on the new limited edition DVDA and double LP. And rightfully so because these songs deserve a wide availability. Two tracks (1 and 3) were recorded during the Fear Of A Blank Planet sessions, the other two were recorded last summer.
The album opens with the instrumental title track, a full band writing collaboration. Like the other tracks on this EP it is quite a heavy affair, so don't expect a return to the days of Stupid Dream and
Lightbulb Sun on this EP. Personally I am not a big fan of prog metal but with Porcupine Tree it always works for me; the mood switches and the powerful riffs without the for metal characteristic annoying constant presence of double bass drums and guitar solos that focus on the number of notes per second work perfectly. This instrumental is a good example and has the same style as e.g. Mother And Child Divided, Wedding Nails or Orchidia. Special guest on this track is Robert Fripp, who overlays the band's basis with some of his trademark dissonant guitar solos. Often emulated by Steve Wilson on various Porcupine Tree songs I have grown accustomed to this style, but it will never be 100% my cup of tea. On Nil Recurring it gives the songs a nice experimental edge. The song also features a break with prominent bass, ambient sounds by Barbieri and tasteful drum patterns by Harrison. All in all a worthy addition to the band's collection of instrumentals.
The next two tracks have clear links to the concept of Fear Of A Blank Planet. Normal is quite remarkable in the way that it's a reworked version of Sentimental. As a matter of fact, in contrast with Sentimental, it actually features the word 'sentimental' in the lyrics. Don't expect the same song though, basically only the chorus is copied. While Sentimental is an emotional ballad this energetic rendition is a lot more adventurous with an acoustic riff intro and a heavy middle section before moving into a closing section with acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. Wonderful !
As mentioned, Cheating The Polygraph, a track written by Wilson and Harrison, was one of the songs that was originally part of the album when the band played it live during their Arriving Somewhere 2006 tour. It eventually got replaced by Way Out Of Here and stylistically is a similar kind of song (moody verses and a powerful chorus with drawn out vocals) with a slightly 'patchy' feel. Although it was my least favourite track of the 'original tracklist' I'm glad that it is finally officially available in a better version than the audience recordings that have been traded on the Internet. The song comes with a trademark 'Wah-Wah-Wilson' guitar solo and a spooky break with bass and ambient sounds by Barbieri.
What Happens Now? is a bit of a mini epic, starting of with Indian rhythms, dark moody synths and lyrics about the nonsense of materialism and threat of terrorism. The track slowly builds in tension and after 3 minutes the full band kicks in, as one would expect of a band composition. The last 5 minutes of the track are instrumental, including and electric violin solo by Ben Coleman (unfortunately a bit low in the mix) and a return of the rhythm of Anesthetize (Part 2). The song continues to build with soaring guitars and smart bass lines to a heavy climax with a howling guitar.
All in all this EP makes an essential addition to any Porcupine Tree fan's collection. It is not merely a collection of 'left-overs' or 'outtakes'; these songs stand up in quality and can easily match the material on the band's last album. For reasons of style and concept and in order to keep the length of that album below one hour, Steve Wilson has decided not to include them. Consider this to be to Fear Of A Blank Planet what
Recordings was to the Stupid Dream - Lightbulb Sun era of the band. The EP is nicely packet in a fold-open digipack which contains the lyrics and some nice Lasse Hoile photographs that are clearly part of the concept of the last album.
There's only one bit of criticism I'd like to add to the positive review above. I'm a great admirer of Steve Wilson, who seems to have a never ending stream of creativity. In the more recent Porcupine Tree work I do however get that 'Aha Erlebnis' every now and then - musical deja-vu and the feeling that you've heard it before. On Sentimental there's the reference to Trains and I'm still not sure if this was intentional or not. On the Nil Recurring track there's a section that sounds an awful lot like the heavy section of Strip The Soul. Normal has the obvious use of the chorus of Sentimental and What Happens Now ? has a section with the same chunky guitar riff as the second section of Anesthetize. As such the EP's title could not have been less appropriate. Is this intentional cross-referencing or a lack of creativity on the part of Steve Wilson? Let's hope not.
/// tom de val's review ///
As Ed has done such a sterling job on the introduction and background of this EP, it leaves me to just get on with describing the music.
Proceedings open up with the instrumental title track, which is certainly a track which wouldn’t really fit in neatly onto Fear Of A Blank Planet. Although it does nod towards the heaviness of latter-day (post In Absentia) Porcupine Tree, its really got more in common with some of the work of collaborator Robert Fripp, whose trademark sound is all over this, from the wiry guitar motif that kicks the track onwards. In fact, this is, in parts reminiscent of the material on the 1990 Fripp/David Sylvian collaboration The First Day (and, on the more ambient, reflective mid-section, Sylvian’s earlier Gone To Earth). The contrast between these melodic, ambient sections and the more intensive, heavy parts of the song are effective and help keep the listener engaged throughout the song’s length.
In contrast, much of Normal could fit easily onto FOABP, and indeed shares the chorus (both lyrically and, quite closely, musically) of (the FOABP track) Sentimental. Whether it’s a forerunner of that song or simply an alternative version, I’d have to say I probably prefer the structure and production of this song, with its acoustic-led, mellow tone (somewhat reminiscent of Trains) contrasting neatly with the hopelessness imbued in the lyrics. Richard Barbieri’s nicely understated symphonic keyboard washes add texture and colour rather than overly dominating proceedings, and the ‘call and response’ vocal work is well utilised. The song is a bit overlong, and the heavy, distorted riffing which comes in briefly around the five minute mark is rather jarring, but otherwise this is a fine track.
Cheating The Polygraph is a more experimental affair, although it opens in relatively conventional fashion, with strident power chords, a marching drum beat and Wilson’s fragile vocals suggesting this will be a relatively relaxed, mid-tempo affair; the chorus, however, brings in juddering riffs and Wilson at his more ‘out-there’ vocally, bringing to mind the aggressive In Absentia song Strip The Soul. That’s just the start of it though, as the song soon veers into more avant-garde fusion territory, all sparse electric piano and slightly frenzied yet tasteful soloing. Add in some atmospheric sound-scapes and plenty more crunchy riffs and you have an interesting concoction that holds together much better than you might think.
What Happens Now has a suitably atmospheric opening – a hypnotic Gavin Harrison drum pattern reminiscent of the one that heralds in the mid-section of Arriving Somewhere, gentle, spare keyboard melodies and Wilson’s barely-there vocals herald in a song which gradually builds, adding layers of sinewy guitar and hints of electronica, before settling into a chilled out, almost danceable groove. After a ‘reprise’ of the repetitive, heavy guitar riff which crops up on Anaesthetize, a dextrous bass line that sounds like a speeded up version of the one that drives Don’t Hate Me ushers in some spacey, psychedelic guitar work from Wilson which closes out the track.
I’ve seen some internet forums gushing over this EP to the extent that people have said they prefer it to Fear Of A Blank Planet itself. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but Nil Recurring is certainly far from a bunch of inferior outtakes. Whilst the songs taken together don’t have the flow of FOABP (and in some cases would disrupt it if placed within the original running order), each of the tracks stands alone as a strong piece in its own right. Sonically, as you might expect, its spot on, and you get the feeling that Wilson has taken a few more chances here than he would on a more conventional, commercially released album, and has done so without making the results sound self-indulgent and unpalatable. Fans of FOABP (and indeed any latter-day Porcupine Tree) can invest with confidence, and it will be interesting to see how any of these songs come across live, should they make it onto the set-list of the forthcoming tour.
