Thumper by Brian Gibson
Thumper by Brian Gibson pressed on picture disc vinyl by iam8bit
Pulser
Strap in and thrash into some grooves this week with Thumper by Brian Gibson. Pressed on a stunning picture disc by iam8bit comes the soundtrack to Drool's action rhythm nightmare from 2016. Prepare yourself for the pandemonium that lies ahead. Thumper is relentless to its core and will never cease to dominate your consciousness.
Spiral
Brian Gibson is an artist and musician based out of Providence, Rhode Island. Best known as the bassist of the noise rock duo Lightning Bolt, Brian has been a member of the gaming industry for some time. Working with the famed Rockband gaming studio Harmonix until 2015, Brian departed the studio and co-founded his game company Drool, with Marc Flury. In collaboration, Brian and Marc set out to create one of the most unique music-based games of this generation. Through his artwork and music for Thumper, Brian's muse becomes the catalyst for one of the best rhythm games ever made.
Omega
Synthetic horns come to life as your needle glides into the chaotic track of grooves. An ambient hum hangs in the background leading to a fountain of drones. Synthetic notes akin to Thomas Happ's Axiom Verge cascade like neon waterfalls crashing upon your ears as an unrelenting hiss of ambiance captures and surrounds your brain with a wonderful fuzz. The tranquil crescendo of pleasing notes gives way like a faultline as the stylus crashes through the first corner of percussion… sending quakes through your very bones -- the chaos has begun.
Tunnel
Brian Gibson's writing on this album is superb. From 80s synth to modern electronic trance it's how this album sticks in your skull like a parasite that will leave you gasping for any moment of reprieve. As Brian's first foray into the video game music world, I have to say I am extremely impressed with his ability to meld the world we see on screen so cohesively with the art style he manifested on Thumper. As one of the most harrowing experiences I've had with a rhythm game to date, I can't wait to see what Brian and the team at Drool come up with next!
Beetle
iam8bit's high-art style is in full effect for this release. As this album was pressed onto a picture disc, there is some sound degradation which is to be expected. Keep that in mind when looking to acquire this album for your collection. This album does sound great however and has an amazing noise floor that gives room for the chaos it holds within to be released in incredible fashion. The amazing pattern pressed into the disc is hypnotically cool. The B-Side is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing of the two and in my opinion, better matches the album’s artwork. Speaking of artwork, the art here from Robert Beatty is astounding, to say the least. The way he incorporates the 80s vibe of Brian's music into the packaging of this release is one of the best parts of this album. The use of negative space on the front to show the Beetle from the game shoot across the track is quite possibly one of the best-looking covers in iam8bit's catalog. Definitely keep an eye out for this one!
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Album Details
Music by:
Brian Gibson
Remastered for vinyl by:
Infrasonic Sound
Artwork by:
Robert Beatty
Vinyl produced & distributed by:
iam8bit
Where to buy?
Unfortunately, this album has been sold out from iam8bit for some time. The page for this release has been removed from their website as well which bothers me about iam8bit’s preservation process. I wish that they would add some sort of archive page to their site to house these older out of print records from their catalog. There was another version of this album pressed on red vinyl featuring alternate artwork from Thrill Jockey that you may want to keep an eye out for. As of the writing of this review, there are still a few copies left on Thrill Jockey's website. If you are a fan of 80's synth or transcendent percussion you owe yourself the pleasure of adding this album to your collection.