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Firewolf review - Medway gig guide
BY RICHARD BATCHELOR
UpCDownC have been making a name for themselves lately with a number of local performances. After seeing them live recently its great to hear that they have been able to take all the energy and sound that you hear live and place it onto a CD. Intro and following track ‘The Tavern’ and ‘Black Lodge’ set the tone for the album; thumping and chugging guitar riffs that want to break your speakers!
The Fantastically named ‘Def Zepplin’ and ‘Dad Rock’ also keep the album chugging along, the album is largely instrumental with a few screams bringing home the power. If you’re looking for a good musical way to spend 27 and a ½ minutes you can’t go wrong with UpCDownC, extra kudos points for the great album artwork!
8/10
Rocksound - Firewolf review
7/10
Although on the outset tongues are firmly in cheeks (the album art looks like one of those wolf T-shirts you see over weight ramblers representing down the local tavern), Upcdownc’s music deserves to be treated with a bit of respect. There are moments of drawn-out doom that tickle the spine, such as the creeping riff of “Smiling bag”, but “Firewolf” is at it’s best when the catharsis gives way to sheer anger. “Black Lodge” explodes into fits of faraway screaming and the awesomely named “Def Zeppelin” sounds like the onset of a gruesome tribal war. It’s an undeniably stirring offering.
Michael Copus
Silent ballet - Firewolf review
Score: 6.5/10
It is always amazing to discover how easily preconceptions can subconsciously be created. Owning both pervious releases by Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC+Start (henceforth Upcdownc), I greeted this new album with much trepidation; I adore the band and was afraid it would be unable to capture the magic of its past efforts and would release a post-rock album that simply revisted old ideas. My worries never came to fruitation: Firewolf is anything but a repeat of things past. The first two proper releases by Upcdownc, And The Battle Is Won and Embers, received high praise from the press and established the band as one of the best new post-rock bands around. After such accolades, it seemed inevitable that the band would once again create an album of rising and falling crescendos. This, however, is very far from the truth.
Opening track “The Tavern” is far removed from the band’s previous characteristic sound — the riffs coming out of the speakers sound more like a rock band than accomplished post-rockers, and it quickly becomes evident that the “post” has been dropped and the rock has been pushed up to full. Following track “Black Lodge“ mixes more influences than Upcdownc previously disclosed and shows a whole new side to the band. Not only have they included beautiful vocals, delivered in much the same way as Oceansize, but they also sweep from structured soaring guitars into a full-on distorted movement that would make Torche fans sit up and take note. There are still moments of familiarity in “Black Lodge“: the tempo of the song drops from its soaring start and the guitars lead the build up. Just as a crescendo would be expected, however, the almighty distortion pedal is nailed firmly to the floor and the band proceeds to storm to the end, even throwing in some screaming.
Vocals, screaming, and heavy distortion sound like a bit of a departure from what many people liked about Upcdownc, but it really does them no harm to mix in these new features. It has taken away the predictability of the music and the listener gets a fresh surprise at the end of every build up. When someone becomes familiar with a band’s music, he generally knows what will happen next. Bands can only go so far with their sound and ideas. Upcdownc have taken their ideas from the previous album and given them an injection of steroids, highlighting the influence of rock music and making it hard to ignore the heavier sound they are creating. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this is Upcdownc; post-rock bands are generally stubbornly opposed to massive shifts in their sound, but this is one band that’s not afraid of the risk.
There are still those moments of post-rock’s glistening guitar work on this album, particularly on the title track and also on the superbly done “Agent Cooper.“ At a running time of only one minute and thirty-nine seconds, “Agent Cooper“ goes through all the post-rock motions: build up, crescendo, and spiralling end. Harsh vocals are even added, and they help make this an outstanding creation and prove that plenty of emotion can be released from a song in a short span of time.
As with the majority of albums, there are a few moments that bring the overall package down. As mentioned, the short opening sounds like an average pub band. iI may be that Upcdownc use it to announce that they are going to offer a new sound. “Smiling Bag” and “Def Zeppelin” both do well to build up atmosphere, but they don’t really go anywhere; for fillers they show a great deal of promise, and it’s a shame they are not fleshed out further. The biggest let down of the album is that “Dad Rock” is not a post-rock cover of Journey, and this shows just how far Upcdownc have progressed. Firewolf is an album that offers something different, but still seems familiar.
-Gary Davidson
Kent Gig Guide embers review
Post rockers UpCDownC have come a long way to release the album ‘Embers’. The material has been ready for a year, but due to many difficulties arising between the band and record label; Tap ‘n’ Tin records, the album was only finally released in October 2008. It was worth the wait though… full of powerful post rock guitar anthems, Embers delivers on many fronts and the band should be more than proud of their achievements despite the difficulties.
‘Murmurs Part 2′ is a favourite stand out track of the album, full of beautiful melodies, it has an anthemic quality akin to the mastery of Sigur Ros. The band have already prepared a second album called ‘Firewolf’ due to be released soon. I for one am anxiously waiting to see what the next album will bring.
9/10
Kerrang and Rock Sound reviews for embers
Silent Ballet “embers” review
Score: 9/10
Almost two years ago I went to see Motivesounds label-mates Capulet play with Mt. and a band I had heard little about, upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start. I attended the show with the expectation to be thoroughly entertained by the Motivesounds roster, but I was completely surprised by the third band who actually ended up impressing me the most. Quickly I attained a copy of And the Battle is Won, and frequently relived the magic of that incendiary live experience.
Forward ahead two years and roughly 12,000 listens of And the Battle is Won, and we are eagerly awaiting the follow up from Kent’s mighty upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start (hereafter referred to as upcdownc). Sometimes a band can create a fantastic debut album and struggle to follow it with something that is even close in quality to the original. What makes this common situation even more difficult to overcome is when fans stir up the hype, attract more fans, and then those fans stir up even more hype…until somewhere along the way the band finally announces a new album, only to then have it eventually delayed a year in a strategy which seems to accomplish little more than to frustrate the heck out of loyal fans!
So, three years after And The Battle Is Won, expectations are high - but do they live up to the rather relentless hype? In short, the answer is yes. What upcdownc have done here is to take their trademark sound, a kind of stripped-down melodic heaviness, and to embellish it with all kinds of elaborate flourishes, without losing the immense appeal of the debut. Some of the beautiful timelessness evident in “New Year” and “Sadako’s Fury” from the debut is replicated in this instance, but amplified tenfold. “Get To The Chopper,” for instance, begins the album proper, after a short introductory song. Drawing the listener in with beautifully panned delicate guitar notes over a droning bass part, the piece slowly crescendos into the crushing assault that immediately reminds you why we waited almost three years to hear this record.
Another fine example of this depth of feeling is found in the grandiose “Murmurs Pt. 2.” Segueing slowly into a beautiful acoustic guitar and layered with uninhibited violins and almost celestial chimes, it feels as though the piece could stay just the same way for over a week and not lose any of the charm it exhibits in these first few seconds. Before long, the oft-used but (surprisingly) never boring crescendo becomes apparent. Layering guitars over each other and slowly increasing the volume of the other parts sounds rather obvious, doesn’t it? It is, but in this case, it is done with such panache that it makes you wonder why everyone doesn’t take their time in doing these things.
One thing that I constantly allude to in many of my reviews is that a sense of continuity is absolutely vital to an album having that mass appeal, and because Embers shifts so much between opposite ends of the dynamic spectrum, it is a credit to them that they manage to maintain even a shred of cohesion throughout the album. Forget the shred, the shred is long gone, what we have here is a fully realized linear narrative, made even more impressive by the time it takes for this to become wholly apparent. As the album continues, the delicate intervals become fewer and the heavy sections become more pronounced, giving the feeling of a journey. The cadences become darker, and the guitars more scathing with each passing track, truly pummeling the listener with the light/dark contrast, and adding even more to the unimaginable depth of feeling portrayed with each movement.
As I mentioned before, making a follow-up so long after the original album is always going to be a hard feat to accomplish, but with Embers, upcdownc manage without a shadow of a doubt. This is an album steeped in inexplicably beautiful consonance, juxtaposed with crushing heaviness, and at no point does any of it feel labored. What could have so easily been a disappointing elegy has triumphed in a way that will have their fans (old and new) willing to wait as long as it takes for a follow-up.
-Barry Smethurst
Beacon Court, Gillingham by Chris Thomas KRNM
UpCDownCLeftCRightCABC+Start made a noise that really shouldn’t come from only four people. They managed the balancing act of sounding massive and delicate at the same time, drawing the crowd into their clutches and refusing to let go until they were done. As the members flailed around to their captivating brand of post-rock, you couldn’t help but wonder if they would collide with any of their equipment which dominated a good third of the stage. As it was, members darted between guitars, keyboards, samplers percussion instruments and more with ease, often within the same song and always seamless. A highlight came at the end when all three guitarists switched to drums, playing a marching beat which brought an unexpected end to an impressive set. The post-rock canon is beginning to look a little overcrowded but Up C Down C’s eclectic approach and lack of overindulgence, a failing of so many acts in the genre. Although it seems a crime an act of this caliber isn’t playing bigger venues, you couldn’t help but feel the confines of the Beacon were the kind of intimate setting them music should be enjoyed in.
Purple Turtle, Reading by Simon T Diplock, Rock Sound
Of all the five senses the last you’d expect a post-rock band to mess with is touch. But Kent quintet Upcdownc are all about contact. And it’s not just the confines of tonight’s tiny basement venue that means they get to cop a feel. From their very first note the band reach out, tickling the hairs on your neck with beautiful, hushed gentleness or punching holes in the foundations with massive, stirring volume and a double drum attack. They build songs that press on chests, shake brains, rattle teeth and posses the sort of riveting bass sound that should come with a health warning for folks with weak hearts. The oomph being one new tune in particular is like a suckerpunch to the gut. Sure they entertain your eyes and ears too, but there are moments here when it feels like the music could actually move you to a better place. Superb.
Purple Turtle, Reading by Victoria Hall
Have you ever watched a band and felt like you were intruding on a very personal, secret outpouring? That’s how I felt on Wednesday night at The Purple Turtle where UPCDOWNC performed.
It’s a bold statement, but UPCDOWNC are the best post rock, progressive act I’ve seen in over a year.
They opened their set by playing their guitars with bows. They were experimental, yet extraordinarily tight, throughout their entire performance. Vocals were absent from the set, but musical wealth was present in abundance. The band played for themselves and I felt like a voyeur. It was a passionate and honest display of musical flair that has been absent from all of the local gigs I’ve been to in recent months.
I literally stood watching this band either open-mouthed and in awe, or I was off on cloud nine with my eyes closed and letting their music wash over me… it’s been a long time since that’s happened.
UPCDOWNC were humbly confident in front of their audience and held a very alluring, personable aura about them throughout the set. They were smiling and enjoying themselves and had none of the haughtiness that many acts display nowadays.
Unfortunately for UPCDOWNC and the support acts (the somewhat average Last Days of Lorca and Polar Remote) the live performances were delayed by about 90 minutes! This meant that UPCDOWNC didn’t get onto stage until around midnight. Many punters (including some of my own ’superlightweight’ friends) couldn’t wait around any longer and missed out on the headlining band. As such, the crowd was pretty small, but we gathered close anyway… in fact, any closer we would have been on their pedals!
So, if you were one of the imbeciles that left early, or simply didn’t go at all, make sure that you get to another UPCDOWNC gig as soon as you can… I promise you, you will not be disappointed!
Live review, Oxfordbands.com
If Flies Are Spies From Hell were akin to Kandinsky, UpDownCLeftCightCABC+Start reveal themselves to be Dali, Picasso and Monet all rolled into one (something I previously only thought possible from Battles). Their sound is exquisite, lush and transcendent. Last year’s release ‘And The Battle Is Won’ explored the more ethereal, warped side of post-rock and provides material from which they draw heavily tonight. The collective from Kent employ a twin drumming assault that reassuringly and upliftingly increases the dynamics rather than losing them to a chaotic mess, which seemed the initial potential. From the opening highlight of the rocktastic ‘Stand Shadowless Like Silence’ though to the glistening gem of ‘Sadako’s Fury’ and the final, seemingly-improvised crescendo, the pace is kept snappy and bathed in abstract, impressionistic verve. Barring one track, parts of which suspiciously bear an uncanny resemblance to Mogwai’s ‘Guardians Of Space’, UpCDownC… make the post-rock sound their own tonight and have the hellishly hot venue eating out of their hands throughout.
Amazon Reviewer rockthenchill, Glasgow
Yet another Instrumental Post-rock band? You won’t be complaining when you hear this album. It’s the Post/prog-rock music you’ve always known and loved, compiled into one neat little cd box under the very long name of “Upcdownc…”.
It’s like Mogwai, Explosions, Mono and 65daysofstatic all rolled into one - (except without the prolonged passages of annoying feedback) Plus, it would appear these guys have something extra up their sleeves: Talent!
Stunning intros and bridges of beautifully fingerpicked tunes will sooth your soul before blowing you to the firey underworld and back…and when Up C kick in, boy do they kick ass!! Some seriously meaty guitars will knock you to your knees - often more than once in the same song! Oh, and a couple of songs even feature string sections - something surprisingly uncommon in bands of a similar vein, though goodness knows why, because it sounds Awsome!
You will feel like you already know these songs when you hear them, but that doesn’t make “And the battle is won” any less enjoyable - on the contrary it’s therefore more readily accessible.
Superb drumming (often with that classic marching snare sound), shrill flowing lead guitars, deep walking bass riffs, always melodic, always with oomph, and never tiresome.
You need this.
Kerrang! album review - 4/5
Once the last outpost of pedal junkies, post-rock has now grown and expanded into a diverse and healthy genre, with a lack of vocals and grandiose ambitions as the only real unifying factors. Leading the new vanguard are Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC + Start - it’s the cheat instruction for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ - whose debut is a lesson in musical architecture. Segueing some stirring classical into layer upon layer of guitars that crash like the falling pillars of Pompeii, ‘Not Of The Fallen’ is indicative of Up-C’s deft way with creating high drama with guitars in new ways. Their future looks bright.
Voted number 6 out of the 50 Top post rock albums of the year on Decoymusic.com
After years of fine-tuning its sound, Up C Down C finally connects with And the Battle is One (appropriately titled). It’s albums such as this that make it truly a joy to partake in the post-rock genre. And the Battle is Won is the result of the last four years of song writing, and the selection of tracks on the album could not be any more diverse. At times you might liken the band to Pelican, and at others to Mono, and still at others you might describe them as a space-rock band. Each song adds it’s own unique flavour the to album, and no matter what your preferences may be–quiet, loud, long, short, epic, subtle–Up C Down C has it covered. It looks like all of Up C Down C’s hard work is beginning to pay off with And the Battle is Won, which shows a stunning drive in the band. It’s difficult to say where the band will embark from here, but they’ve shown that no matter the direction, they’ve got a good place to start.
Album review from Sounds xp
Here’s a true story: Cruising along in my modest automobile (my baby wasn’t beside me at the wheel at the time though) I was poised to place ‘And The Battle Is Won’ into my car stereo for the first time. Just as I placed the CD in, a car nosed out in front of me. Mildly narked for a brief moment and gradually quelling my rage, I stared in disbelief at the last three letters on the car’s number plate: “UPC”. And it wasn’t just any old car. It was a BMW Z4 Coupe. Now make of that what you will, but I saw it as a sign.
Hailing from the hotbed of Kentish musical talent that is the Medway towns, the Up-C Down-C boys deal in what pigeonholing types might call ‘instrumental post-rock’ but the rest of us would call quality shit-kicking music. Ignore their somewhat dodgy moniker, these five men are out to create some truly gargantuan cinematic tunes to soundtrack Armageddon (and we’re not talking about the rubbish Bruce Willis film here).
The record opens with the excellent ‘Stand Shadowless like Silence’, gentle guitar purrings giving way to a fat slab of skull-crushing guitar noise and a fluid, constantly shifting bass-line. Their penchant for splitting layered multipart riffs with paint-peeling chords reveals a fondness for art metal and hardcore as well as a nod to the complex rock of bands like Slint.
‘Not of the Fallen’ begins with a sumptuously arranged chamber orchestra lulling you into a false sense of tranquility until somebody stamps a jackboot on the pedal marked ‘instant sonic death’ and the elemental force of two drumkits rages out from the speakers like a brutal audio shockwave that entirely melts your ears and face. One of the album’s finest moments comes with ‘New Year’, which initially comes across like a plaintive Angelo Badalamenti score before morphing into what sounds like the soundtrack to a viciously deranged Martial Arts flick.
True, their music is not groundbreakingly original (other obvious reference points being Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai), nor does it pretend to be, but unlike many of their musical forebears, they know the value of taught economy. The majority of their songs are never longer than they need to be, often stopping way short of the wearying ten minute one-idea dirges occasionally peddled by the likes of Mogwai.
Only in the medieval-jig-on-steroids of ‘Shallows’ do they stretch a single idea to its monotonous breaking point and the wheels of the Up-C wagon start to loosen. But hey, it’s a tough bloody wagon and the superb closer, ‘I Think About Forever’ comes as sweet relief, featuring gently serene percussive chimes and a mournful intro likely to reduce even Vin Diesel to tears.
Up-C Down-C then - not quite the musical equivalent of a BMW Z4 Coupe, but on the evidence here, most definitely firing on all cylinders of a ruddy big V8 engine.
Album review from Decoy music.com
After a series of self-recorded EPs and albums, Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC + Start received a break from Tap n tin records and brings their new album, And the Battle is Won to the world with proper label backing. Paying tribute to the invincibility cheat in old-school Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis), Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC + Start should not be confused as a childish band. The sound created by this band challenges the hard-rock mentality of Pelican while remaining soft enough to dance with Mono without breaking any toes. Those who felt elation at the fragile composition of Pelican’s acoustic “-” will salivate for the smooth ride of Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC + Start ’s tranquil “Comfort Me, I’ve Lost My Heart,” who step up the ante by introducing a violin to the picture. Yet, on the same page, the band offers blistering rock in the form of “Sadako’s Fury” and the heart-stopping “Silent Fire,” which dives into a space-rock composition featuring a sharp breakdown that is so powerful it snaps itself literally in two as it progresses further into the track. Clearly the gem of the album, “Silent Fire” is a bit of new taste for the band, as it brings together many of the different sounds the band is exploring into a concise five minute song that drives the point home with undeniable authority. “Shallows” is a similarly attractive track, starting off slow and melodic and building towards an epic, loud finale. This is a song that the band has struggled with over the past three years, repeatedly attempting to perfect the song but always finding themselves unhappy with the final production. On And the Battle is Won, the band can claim just that–that the struggle with this song has finally ended, as it shines as brightly as the rest of this superb album.
Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C ABC + Start accomplish a rare task with And the Battle is Won. They’re able to convincingly pull off an album that simultaneously taps into the pool of softer sounds of the instrumental genre, in all of its various “post-rock” forms, and also the rich history of instrumental hard rock. Often these experiments result in oddly paced albums or create a disorienting experience through jarring transitions. However, Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-CABC + Start show that over the years they’ve found their unique blend of instrumental rock, and those who care to joint them on this adventure will be well rewarded.
Album review from Sound of violence (translated from French)
Several years after first getting together, the post-rock group Upcdownc, who hail from Kent, can be proud to have succeeded in their fight - they have found a record label on which to release their first true album “And the battle is won”
The first opus truly is a reflection of how the superb single “Shallows” released on 12″ vinyl, managed to leave us last summer. Blending delicacy with powerful interludes highlighted by the use of two simultaneous drumkits, the post-rock music played by these five Englishmen is meant to be both catchy whilst knowing how to remain simple. In fact, the group rejects all use of electronics and they totally forsake vocals, all whilst attaching great importance to the use of guitars, even if a violin managed to find its way onto “Not of fallen”, “New year” and “Comfort me, I’ve lost my heart” too.
The majority of tracks on this CD don’t shine with originality, rather it is their effectiveness which makes them stand out. Those who appreciate this kind of music will not be able to stop themselves from tapping their feet and nodding their heads when listening to “Sadako’s fury” or “Stand shadowless like silence”, to name just two tracks. Admittedly, the band do seem to have a few repetition problems, but the overall quality of composition counterbalances this slight downer perfectly.
Whilst it most probably won’t revolutionise a style of music which has got by perfectly well on its own for many years now, “And the battle is won” does at least prove that Upcdownc now deserve to be taken notice of - much more notice than has been awarded them these last few years. One of this autumns most pleasant surprises!
Album review from Boomkat
What is it about the new generation of post-rockers that impels them to employ such spell-check crippling appellations? Last week we had 65daysofstatic and now it’s the absolute ball ache of Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start. Moving away from their moniker for now (which we presume is a favourite computer game cheat code), UpcdowncÔøΩ indulge fully in all the orchestral stature and gale-force rock tendencies we’ve come to expect from the likes of Mogwai and Shellac. The kind of HUGE that caps lock simply can’t do justice to, tracks like ‘Not of the Fallen’ and ‘Stand Shadowless Like Silence’ broil upwards in an Eos-enhanced dawn of soaring strings, subterranean bass and sweaty riffage that could fell a marauding army. With the former single ‘Shallows’ still a soaring edict on the power of traditional post-rock (it essentially sounds like a Christmas song being torn to bits by Hades), ‘And The Battle Is Won’ proves that a silly name never stopped anyone.
Live review from pretentious heathens.co.uk
Upcdowncleftcrightcabcandstart (a reference to an old cheat on the mega drive I was told) Well, I was very impressed with them. Two drum kits, for a start! Performing instrumental rock music that was both musically complex, yet easily accessible. From the first few notes, I was entranced by their sound. There was a depth and scale to their songs that had me both physically, moving and emotionally ‘moved’ too. Strings were made much of in a few of the quieter passages of some of the songs played, and added a certain pastoral beauty that was elevated and extended, when the other instruments joined in and the songs evolved. Some of the songs played were epic in sound, and had an almost richly dark flavour.
A stunning start to the day…I rushed to buy their debut album ‘and the battle is won’, after the set.
Plan B featurette
“Spiralling whirling guitars at the ready as the two-drumming, prog rock, math pop, formula known as Upcdowncleftcrightcabcandstart emergeth. With riffs as big as fillet steaks and pastoral passages straight outta Middlemarch, Upcdownc’s debut album, And the battle is won (tapntin), is a symphonic sprawl of bucolic tinkering and prolonged colossal feedback that has me reaching for my mathematical dictionary to make sense of it all. And it has me realising, to my chagrin, that I’ve never known a man who spoke the other universal language - that being, of course the mathematical tongue” Nicola Meighan
Rock Sound Live Review (Notting Hill Arts Club, October 2005)
The Arts Club has never seen anything quite like it: two full drumkits sit atop the tiny stage, forcing multiple amplifiers and more pedals than there are in central Beijing onto the floor. Three-fifths of the Medway instrumental outfit stand at eye level, and an unusual intimacy is immediately assured as they trigger a combat sample and engage their gargantuan guitars - the band have our full attention from the very outset. Their music - both dynamic and replete with post-rock referencing repetition - owes a degree of debt to many an act before them, but Upcdownc’s live performance has to be seen to be believed; rarely has the skin been freckled by such tingling static and the soul shaken by continental plate-shifting switches in volume. ‘Sadako’s Fury’, for example, begins its seven-minute duration with considered calm but soon erupts into an Isis-rivalling controlled cacophony. Such comparisons aren’t made lightly.
And The Battle Is Won, Drowned In Sound - 4/5
It’s the collision of two worlds, expertly documented: the schools of instrumental elegance and metallic brutality entwined and embalmed for posterity by five men from Medway, each proffering as much of a nod to Karate as they do Khanate.
Up-C Down-C might not look the rock part, nor call a particularly rock locale their home, but they know their strengths and play to them: even the more immediate tracks here - those that bear similarities to songs written before them - are executed with expert precision. When Up-C Down-C truly hit their stride, such as on the awesome ‘Shallows’ (previously released as a limited-edition 10″), the sensory effect is phenomenal. Ears open acceptingly, the throat dries, eyes swell.
Consistently startling originality is not what makes And The Battle Is Won a worthwhile purchase for those enraptured by Sigur RÔøΩs and Sunn O))) alike. What will are the more technical strengths: the band’s competency is astounding, their craft finely honed, and the overall feeling of satisfaction come closer ‘I Think About Forever’ is second to none. Repeat will frequently be engaged. This is deep nourishment served aurally, a banquet of riffs and double drum kit bombast, forever bound in subtle beauty. This is a rock that stands freely of post or prog prefixes.
This is a rock that requires a wider audience, today.
Medway Messenger album review, August 2005
On paper, an instrumental five-piece makes a limited visual experience. In the flesh, however, the Upcdownc live show - with two drummers - is hugely exciting and highly entertaining. Seeing the band work at its relentless musical onslaught is like watching Steve Irwin struggling with an angry croc. Brutal and loud, yet melodic and almost orchestral, Upcdownc’s sonic explosion feels massive in this tiny venue. In truth, it’d probably feel massive in any venue. Martin Kahl.
Shallows single review from DJ magazine
Sure player. 4/5. Like an unkempt, middle-aged man offering sweets to unsuspecting children in exchange for a ride in his Volvo, ‘Shallows’ might appear harmless on first impression, but give it half a chance and you realise its intentionsare less than honourable. Enticing you in with a gently plucked guitar motif and some conforting, military-style drums, it slowly drags you in further and further. By the time it’s finished with you, you’ve been assaulted by dense, heavy feedback, angry, growling guitars and enough post-rock to knock out a smack head. Great. (FS)
Shallows single review from Smallfish record shop
Bit of a gem, this. The A-side is a tremendously evocative piece of quiet/loud post-rock that’s almost like a slightly more pastoral/folky Mogwai! On side two, things head down a more State River Widening / Tortoise / Thrill Jockey dust-track, concluding with a more electronic John Amino remix (whose name rings a bell, but I’m not sure why, sorry… he adds a touch of Ulrich Schnauss to proceedings). Fans of Silver Ray will really go nuts for this. One to watch.
Shallows single review from Boomkat.com (independent music specialists)
Alongside Sheffield’s 65daysofstatic, Updownc (have none of these bands heard of parenthesis) are at the very vanguard of the British post-rock movement, looking up to Mogwai, Shellac, Slint etc. for riff teasing guidance. Following the dogmatic blueprint of these things, ‘Shallows’ begins with a genteel guitar part (in this case quite folky and very addictive), then incrementally batter it about with staccato rhythms and roaring, white noise riffs. Yes it may have been done before, but it still has the ability (if done well) to thrill and exhilarate. Updownc do it very well. On the B is the Smashing Pumpkin Xerox ‘Don’t Be Sad That I’m Gone Just Happy That I Was Here’, whilst ‘Sadako’s Fury-John Amino Remix’ is a brittle re-reading of the above, bolstered by some iron clad beats.
Shallows single review from Phonica records
A beautiful post rock record which has something truly uplifting about it, with a guitar sound reminiscent of Ariel M and hypnotic guitar lines such as that in the title track “Shallows” which have a folk tinge. This is the follow up to an excellent 7″ from 2004.
From DMC Update magazine
This three tracker is gonna get a lot of play at the Big Chill and plenty of other events on a similar vibe. The opening title cut “Shallows” starts with a riff that lands somewhere between The Velvet Underground and Lemon Jelly, other guitars start layering, including a Doors like one, whilst military drums build, then the whole thing explodes into a swirling ball of psychedelic distortion. Aaaaah! Bliss. “Shallows” Ep is only the second release from Upcdownc and already there’s a big buzz about this band. 5/5.
Shallows single review from smallfish virtual record shop
Bit of a gem, this. The A-side is a tremendously evocative piece of quiet/loud post-rock that’s almost like a slightly more pastoral/folky Mogwai! On side two, things head down a more State River Widening / Tortoise / Thrill Jockey dust-track, concluding with a more electronic John Amino remix (whose name rings a bell, but I’m not sure why, sorry… he adds a touch of Ulrich Schnauss to proceedings). Fans of Silver Ray will really go nuts for this. One to watch.
