Whether congregating in dimly lit halls or in forests, and whether mediated by e-mailed audiofile or infiltrating darker realms of consciousness, mysterious forces are being channelled by a shifting collective intent on psychic communion by any means necessary. Bonnacons Of Doom’s identities may be shrouded and hidden in the live arena, yet the force of their vibrations – as captured on the unearthly vibrations and unholy revelations of their self-titled Rocket Recordings debut – is gloriously manifest.
“From the beginning, we’ve been really interested in the transformative possibilities of music” explains Rob, one such Bonnacon. “How it has the power to make us and the audience at that particular moment into something else. Whether that’s being in a trance-like state, being blissed out or just annoying people, there’s something that’s physical and mental that we want to change in people. In particular, we’ve tried to work with repetition, volume and texture rather than traditional song structures. Anything that produces a stasis that people can get lost in rather than following something in a linear or obvious way.”
Whilst the line-up of Bonnacons Of Doom has been known to morph with each undertaking, the prime movers in the principally Liverpool-based collective endeavour have included members of Mugstar, Forest Swords, Jarvis Cocker’s band and Youthmovies, donning robes and masks to sculpt altered states and subsume themselves to the ritual. “Initially it was that we were interested in how British ritualistic costume took things from everyday life and make them otherworldly and slightly grotesque” notes Rob. “Whatever lineup is playing, once you put on the mask you’re a Bonnacon.”
Bonnacons of Doom by Bonnacons of Doom