PETER J. WOODS – The Illusory Hope CS

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While the tape fits securely within Peter J. Woods’ discography, The Illusory Hope continues to strip down the approach taken on recent recordings. Forgoing the usual moments of crushing static and howled vocals, Woods takes a more restrained stance by focusing on extended drones and textural percussive elements, pushing harsher elements into the background. What results are two extended meditations that hold the listener in a solitary place for the duration of each side.Thematically, The Illusory Hope explores the failure of political action within larger social formations. Thinking locally, “The Crusader” takes a symbolic against the common use of transgressive imagery within extreme music circles as a means for thematically challenging an oppressive status quo. Instead, this thematic approach reinscribes those forces that artists hope to challenge and subsequently accomplishes the exact opposite intent. On a more global scale,”Another Form of Feral Leather” addresses the means-ends paradox of neoliberal politics, claiming that any attempt to attain liberation through this political regime can only end in more oppression. Through these two pieces, Woods invites the listener to sit with the problems of the modern social condition, to understand the ways these forces interact, and to better imagine a world that might exist outside.