Robert Rental - Paralysis
The late Robert Rental’s Paralysis (1978) is a surreal blend of downtempo blues-rock and DIY electrical psychedelia that lends itself to the dissociative sensibilities of the 70s. Paralysis showcases Rentals' expertise as a sonic experimentalist as he selects song structures and sound techniques that were innovative and futuristic at the time of production.
Paralysis relies on its idiosyncrasies to create mood and atmosphere. Rental toys with sound and meaning through mixing, recording and production; his experimentation makes something new to the ear and thus creates a personal experience for each listener. If you have an affinity for bluesy psychedelia that is very reminiscent of krautrock classics, exciting tones, experimentalism and effect-laden production, Robert Rental’s Paralysis will but right up your street, as it fuses the experiments of Amon Düül II with the folky blues of The Animals. Robert Rental has woven in a punk attitude throughout the release, which I feel cannot be overlooked. Every part of ‘Paralysis’ sounds D.I.Y. Rental’s choice of recording equipment, outboard gear and effects have a distinct imperfect sound. The vocals are barely legible in the mix, saturated by odd recording techniques and the heavy use of effects and this choice is echoed on every instrument. It sounds punk, well… post-punk… retro-future-punk?
‘Paralysis’, ‘A.C.C.’ and ‘Untitled’ all encapsulate the bluesy psych D.I.Y. vibe that sets this record apart. Opening the album, ‘Paralysis’ has an old-school rock-esque feel, featuring distorted chords from a Rhodes piano. This thick bassline flirts with dissonance and the wails of a strung-out lead vocalist weary from too many nights under a makeshift tent out in the American plains. All the instrumentation sits beneath a fluctuating whirring tone that floats in and out of the mix, drops an octave in the song's third act, and becomes the central motif played melodically.
‘A.C.C.’ channels a Louisiana-type blues by utilising a jazzy walking bassline. This bassline and the drums hold the track down whilst creating a subtle movement. The magic of ‘A.C.C.’ comes from the heavily affected lead that toes the line between cigar box-style slides and a modified Rhodes piano. The vocals are almost buried under the rest of the track, like a lone wanderer's voice, with constant references to the gruelling pursuit of love. Rental buries the lyrics to further this motif, metaphorically covering the words like dust over the tracks of a weary traveller.
Robert Rental - Paralysis (Original 7”)
‘Untitled’ is a campfire song with gentle plucky acoustic styling and calming vocal performance. It is an obvious standout on the record. Not only does Rental create a disillusioned lonely atmosphere with the sparse production, but the lyrical motif of longing and love heard continues from ‘A.C.C.’. In these sections, I feel Rental succeeds as an experimentalist, as the recording has a grainy, aged, and saturated quality that gives each track a real personality.
In ‘G.B.D.’ Rental’s drums are somewhat hollow because of the use of drum machines and delay effects that create a frenzied percussive sound. ‘G.B.D.’ also situates itself alongside ‘Ugly Talk’ as the most experimental on the release. The former is a 5-minute shred fest that begins with sampled spoken words that discuss science and technology, whilst the latter takes on more ambient characteristics. ‘Ugly Talk’ catapults us into another world, using reverberant and echoing note stabs to build chords that Rental then plays expansive pads over slowly. This gives the track much depth and width as Rental fully utilises the entire stereo field.
Tracklist:
Paralysis
A.C.C.
G.B.D.
Untitled
Ugly Talk
Label: Dark Entries (2020)
Robert Rental - Paralysis
