Way back in the ’00s, New York’s Parts & Labor made a version of smeary, psychedelic warehouse noise-rock that actually rocked, like with riffs and choruses and stuff. After breaking up in 2012, the band is officially back, with their new album Set Of All Sets dropping next month. We’ve already heard the 20-minute, four-part lead single “Endless Cycle,” as well as the relatively straightforward follow-up “Haunted Limbs.” Today, the band returns with another new song.
Parts & Labor’s latest offering, “Arterial Material,” is a fast, dazed, synth-damaged freakout characterized by multiple fakeout endings and a surprisingly melodic chorus. The track invites comparisons to the experimental energy of Björk or the sprawling, multi-instrumental approach of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Notably, the reunited lineup features a double-drummer configuration, with Stereogum contributor Chris Weingarten holding down one of the kits.
Singer and guitarist BJ Warshaw opens the song with feedback generated directly from his own hearing aids and audio samples from his personal audiology tests. He shared the following context regarding the song’s themes:
“Arterial Material” grapples lyrically with health issues and the challenges of navigating our frequently inadequate care systems. I wrote the lyrics long before the delusional, anti-science fever dream known as “MAHA” came to prominence. On the one hand, the song confronts head on how hard it is to separate fact from fiction, to make sound choices when faced with dire side effects, to determine whether the latest trend is truly a miracle elixir or merely a pharmaceutical corporation’s cash grab. On the other, in spite of the frustrations I’m vocalizing around the slow deterioration of my physical self, I’m so grateful for the care I’ve received. The song kicks off with feedback generated from my hearing aids, prescribed to mitigate my fairly crippling tinnitus, alongside samples from my audiology testing. Nestled in the cacophony are audio samples from my various MRIs.
Check out the video for “Arterial Material” below:
Set Of All Sets is scheduled for release on July 10 via Ernest Jenning.
