I first saw The Physics House Band live a few years ago at an Alternative Escape event, mainly because I’m a bit of a science geek and loved the band name. Upon seeing them live I then became a massive fan of their music too. Their music is mainly instrumental and for a three-piece they make a hell of a sound. The band is made up of guitarist Samuel Organ, bassist Adam Hutchison and drummer Dave Morgan who together take you on a musical journey.

Mercury Fountain, a nice scientific album title to go with the band name, is an intriguing album which at times can sound like the chilled out music of Vangelis, then snap in a second into a hardcore thrash metal sound. Though never in a jarring way, their sense of timing is superb. They are certainly not a band that will appeal to everyone but in a Frank Zappa way they have a hardcore and growing fan base of people who totally get it and can’t get enough of it.

The album starts with ‘Mobius Strip’ and ends with ‘Mobius Strip II’ and apparently is designed so you can seamlessly listen to the album on a loop and it works. Like the mathematical mobius strip the album takes you on twists and turns bringing you back to the place where you started. It’s not the sort of album you are likely to ‘dip into’ and much more like one of those records you play on a loop while travelling around or when you just want to get lost in music. In fact the first time I got to listen to it was on the train from Brighton to London and back, it was the perfect music to listen to while watching the world go whizzing by.

The production quality and arrangement of the songs seem to have moved up a level from the last album and I’m sure this release is going to turn a few heads, in fact there is already quite a buzz around this band. Deservedly too, as they have found a nice niche in the market and continue to fill it with wonderful music that captures your attention. Not an easy thing to do for an instrumental album.

One thing I would say is… If you have a listen and find the music a bit too heavy in places, it’s worth having a second listen as those heavy bits seem to blend into the music the more you listen to the album and seem less extreme once you know they are coming. Mercury Fountain has a vast amount of different sounds in it which were created with a range of vintage microphones, amplifiers, drum sets and synthesisers. Featuring a Wurlitzer, a couple of 70s Moogs, a roland string RS202, and even a bizarre Russian Moog copy. The Physics House Band is all about experimentation and they seem to have got the formula right for this album.
Jonski Mason

Website: thephysicshouseband.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thephysicshouseband
Twitter: twitter.com/thephysicsHB