Yes Collapse – Final Diagnosis [Crucial Bliss]

Yes Collapse is a group I’m entirely unfamiliar with but I do know it’s got Matthew Reis (Teeth Collection) in it. And I know they’re pretty awesome.
I’m gonna cut right to the chase. The first of the nine untitled track is a kind of loosey goosey noise plus atmosphere (silence) thing. It works as an intro type thing but the good stuff really starts with the second track. “Track 2” starts with a sustained tone and a synthesized cymbal sound and a dude not saying words (at least not any that I know). Like going down the hill on a rollercoaster the track accelerates into a really sweet rhythm ‘n noise deal. I can’t tell if it’s live percussion or a sampler or drum machine or what but honestly it doesn’t really matter. Someone is credited with “metal” so I’m assuming some of the percussion is them pounding on scrap. There’s a breakdown at the end of the track with a cool two-note synth whine. I’ll be the first to say the track is too short but I guess that means we can listen to it more times. Killer track. “Track 3” that follows is pretty sweet too. And when I say sweet I mean like nice and sedate, for the first half of the track. The second half is a harsh scrap heap. I’m not sure which half I like better but I’d probably have to go with the sweetness. The fourth track is a lurching mess of pedals and loops and more monoto-crush percussion that primes you for the next head ripping piece…
Alright, you know how there are some tracks that are so good that regardless of how good the rest of the album is you have to own it just cause it’s got that one really fucking mindblowing track. Well this is one of those tracks (and lucky for us the rest of album is good too). Remember the name “untitled 5” but because it’s gonna be your new favorite party jam. Guaran-goddam-tee it! I wish I had a better knowledge of club music so I could do a nice critical blender for this track but alas I don’t go to creepy night clubs (yet I still hear slammin’ tracks like this one so the joke’s on them). Anyway, I should probably attempt to describe this track. I this has the most monster bass groove I’ve ever heard, it makes me want be like Grand Master whoever and get a convertible and some big ass speakers and drive playing this track in the summer. You know, as a public service. This sounds like the guys are sampling an earthquake or something like that; it is volcanic, it is destructive, it is relentless. The only thing I can think of that sounds remotely similar is “Stabbed in the Face” from Wolf Eyes big Sub-Pop debut. This track is a little like that one but on a murderous rampage while fucked up on ecstasy, drinking glowsticks. So I don’t think I ever did a good job describing it in all those words, so sorry about that. But if I ever soundtrack a dance party (unlikely) “untitled 5” by Yes Collapse is going to come right after Boney M’s cover of “Sunny” and it will be outstanding.
Most of this album’s tracks are a length that most people would consider to be the length of songs (3-4 minutes), the dudes hold on to their experimental cred with this 11.5 minute piece. This thing is still heaving on the bass but takes the tempo down a few notches, playing pretty noisy for most of it but getting unabashedly groovy at the end. The album closes out with another long one. At one point it resembles a slowed down version of that track I just lost my mind over. Who knows, maybe it is. Then all of a sudden things get eerie and silent though. It sounds really strange and scary after being used to all the big pounding patterns. The guys slowly swell a few tones before unleashing a Kevin Shields style assault. Oh man, it is crushing and awesome!! On a dime, it’s gone with a bit of quiet static and that’s the album. Apparently the band split a while ago, but I guess they put out some other tapes and CD-rs so keep an eye out for those, I certainly will.
Adam Wright-Carmean of Crucial Blast/Crucial Bliss takes his CD-r shit seriously. All his CD-rs come in 4x6 cardstock folder looking things that fold out, printed on both sides. Even the CD-r is color printed and sits on an invisible nub and many of them blend into the artwork like a chameleon. The release is limited to 150 so if you want one, hit up Crucial Blast.