The Thousands

Like San Francisco’s Chrome and Sacramento’s The Twinkeyz before them, quiet and illusive Californian sci-fi punkers, Nothing People, have built a dystopian landscape of fuzzy, demented tunes, drenched in deep, dark reverb. Their latest release, a split 7-inch with Adelaide’s own psych cowboys, Mondo Phase Band, is no exception.

Nothing People set the scene of a post-apocalyptic underground – frightening, fuzzy and real. Side A begins with Pride, the kind of hollow, deep-bunker, drum sound we have come to expect from these guys, immediately accompanied by heavily fuzzed screeching guitar and mechanical, delayed vocals. Compromise follows with a bass and drum driven repetition, with fuzzed guitar feeding back through a range of vintage effects.

If Side A is post apocalypse, Mondo Phase Band give us the resistance. Side B is introduced by four cowbell hits that preface a synth driven guitar jam which, sans Moog and phaser, wouldn’t be out of place in Neil Young’s mid 70s back catalogue. Bringing this split to a perfect finish is the motorik driven Equalizer. Fading into pounding synth and angular guitar, it soundtracks Mondo Phase Band’s triumphant ride into the sunset as the credits roll.

Bursting with cohesion, both sides roll in and out of each other. Nothing People, unsurprisingly, provide us with another stellar release while Mondo Phase Band prove there are big things to come for them before they head to LA to record their debut album.