A solo career coming from a past as rich, accomplished and effluvious as someone like Drew McDowall’s, is only bound for promising results. The Scottish-born musician, having spent a chunk of his life involved in the ’70s Glasgow punk scene, and later being introduced to and enveloped by the blossom of the ’80s London experimental uprising—collaborating with Genesis P-Orridge/Psychic TV, John Balance (Coil), and Peter Christopherson (of Throbbing Gristle)—McDowall has lived the lifetimes of several musicians, and he is just coming into his own as a standalone electronic powerhouse.
“Hypnotic Congress” is the first single from his debut release, entitled Collapse, and it’s loaded with heavy electronics—modular synths and thumping percussion—and hellish themes, ranging from industrial cold of metallic crashes to the abysmal black of space, to a haunting purgatory of voice-like tones. Similar to that of his live performance, the record, out September 25 on Dais Records, is to be one of the most captivating listening experiences of the year.
