Pink Flag 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: One of history's prominent art punk, post punk, experimental and alternative rock groups, at least one Wire record should sit on everyone's shelf, their richly detailed and deeply atmospheric sound helping lay foundations not just for all the outfits that have picked up the mantel and took the aforementioned styles forward, but also genres such as noise and drone. There really is just so much going on in the often chaotic crescendos and pared back moments alike.

As the title suggests, Not About To Die takes early studio demos from the crew and also correctly makes it clear that, when all these were recorded, the troupe still had decades of creative output ahead of them and weren't going anywhere. That said, by the end of the decade they would disband, before regrouping again, disbanding again, and regrouping. Those details aside, dive in and soak up the unbridled and unapologetic raw creativity at play here.

Review: The latest effort from British post punks Wire sets the record straight. And then re-emphasise the point. Having been the first word in the genre for five decades now (credited with its invention in 1976), 'Mind Hive' confirms that longevity hasn't killed creativity.

It certainly sounds like the band in question, but they are still looking for new reference points to further immerse us in their aural world. By that we're talking elements of dream pop, surrealist ambience, metal and psychedelia, resulting in an album that cuts through the noise and grabs you by the earlobes. Opening on the ferocious 'Be Like Them', only to close on the hugely atmospheric and, at times, meditative 'Humming', it's destined to satisfy long term followers while enlisting a new generation of fans.