SILICON VALUES - "HOW TO SURVIVE WHEN..." LP

SDZ: What year was it? I'm not sure. One of those years when we didn't get out much. Zoning on YouTube in search of a catchy track, I came across Silicone Values, a collective from Bristol releasing a series of unstoppable singles. Well, almost, since there was no physical release. So I start a discussion with Brin, the singer and guitarist of this protean band, who seems keen on a vinyl release! So, here they are, on a single LP, the fifteen scathing tracks that got me so hooked. I find in these tracks the essence of the UK punk DIY spirit of the 1978-1981 period, as heard for example in the "Messthetics" compilations, but also in artists such as Steve Treatment, Alternative TV, TV Personalities or more recently Suburban Homes or Hygiene. The urgency is there, the recording is made with the means at hand, the sound is dry, the lyrics hit the nail on the head. The use of a drum machine is not forbidden, giving certain tracks an air of Metal Urbain. "How to survive when people don't like you and you don't like them" is a series of captivating tracks that sound like an essential return to basics.