Friendships // Nullarbor 1988-1989.

The debut album from Melbourne-based audio-visual duo friendships. This is a concept album which is meant to evoke the isolation of the Nullarbor region of Australia. Dark electronic dancable music with rappers, samples, guitar, and a lot of noise. Album has a tense mood and the occasional smooth dreaminess. Pretty solid throughout.

Sounds like: Major Lazer, Nine Inch Nails, Crystal Method, Die Antwoord

1) (5:56)** Slow fade in with dreamy and interesting synths and breakbeat drums, very cool track 2) (3:26)** Unsettling sounds coalescing into a dope beat with some Australian rapping 3) (4:21)* Heavy rhythmic beat around 0:50, definitely danceable, slows down and restarts about halfway through 4) (4:21)* Percussion-heavy with breakbeats and vocal samples. Becomes more experimental and catchier in the last minute. 5) (4:44) Interesting string sounds and make vocals over a slow industrial rhythm. Halfway through louder female vocals come in over a heavier beat. 6) (1:51) An unnerving spoken word open letter, an intro to the next song 7) (4:04) Creepy and danceable house song 8) (4:26) Boomy drums and anthem-like vocals 9) (4:59) Slower song with monotone vocals 10) (2:52) Noise and piano intro with another spoken word section 11) (4:21) Hand drum intro with synths, then bass, fading in later. 12) (4:48) Soft sounds with evolving synth hits.

- Slow Proteo

– General Description: The Nullarbor Plain is flat and almost treeless and located in southern Australia. The ‘friendships’ consists of two people (Nic Brown and Misha) who are also in Australia. This album has possible FCC violations but the tracks that have no lyrics are interesting. This is loud and mean music.
– FCC Compliant: PARTS (maybe all, but not certain)
– Recommended Tracks: 1, 3, 8, 11, 12
– Track Reviews:
1. **(5:56) Big Farm In The Sky - very quiet opening that builds into fast bongoes and then drums and loud blocky electronics
2. (3:26) Purebred Dogs ft. Yaw Faso & thelovelyme - NOT Certain if FCC Compliant; sounds like the usual rap song anyway
3. ***(4:21) Paradise - spirited; sounds like Dante’s Paradise Lost in percussion and metal; mean and fun
4. (4:21) Pedal To The Metal - NOT Certain if FCC Compliant; very intense and driving, check it out before playing on-air
5. (4:43) Spit::Flesh::Splinter ft. HABITS - NOT Certain if FCC Compliant, cannot understand the lyrics (flesheaters?), check it out before playing on-air
6. (1:50) Jerramungup 1988 - monolog about violent urgings? (this person is not happy, it seems); NOT Certain if FCC Compliant, cannot understand the monolog
7. (4:03) When I Feel Like Killing, I Murder - an unfortunate sentiment said with a frog-like voice and then distorted
8. **(4:26) Move (Fast) ft. Yaw Faso & Unsoundbwoy - rapid-fire lyrics; NOT Certain if FCC Compliant, cannot understand the lyrics; island-sounding, fun - check it out before playing on-air
9. (4:59) 0.0.0 (Eat Your Flesh) - NOT Certain if FCC Compliant, cannot understand the lyrics; sci-fi sounding
10. (2:51) Footscray 1989 - they do enjoy their metallic scraping sounds; another monolog about violent urgings? (still unhappy, it seems); NOT Certain if FCC Compliant, cannot completely understand the monolog
11. **(4:20) The Roof - intense, driving metallic electronica, interesting
12. ***(4:48) Keep Smiling At Me Like That And You'll Be Picking Your Teeth Up Out Of The Gutter - like having a volcano stalk you, very creepy