Album Review: Devour by Pharmakon

In her work as Pharmakon , she creates demonic, inhumane soundscapes that are likely to exist at the furthest edge of taste for many. This is not, however, a bad thing: in fact, Chardiet is unquestionably behind some of the most interesting and commanding pieces to be produced within the noise bracket for quite some time and you owe it to yourself to listen. To date, Chardiet has released three albums as part of the Pharmakon project.

Full Review >>

Margaret Chardiet's albums as Pharmakon have always dealt with themes relating to physical pain and body betrayal, and Devour pushes this to the extreme, interpreting a vicious cycle of self-cannibalism. As Chardiet explains, this is intended as allegory for the self-destructive nature of humans, as we instinctively respond to a world of increasing violence and oppression by punishing ourselves. She recorded Devour live in the studio with engineer Ben Greenberg of Uniform, performing each side of the album as a continuous take.

Full Review >>

Margaret Chardiet's work as Pharmakon has always been confrontational. But none of her previous albums hit as hard as her newest, Devour. Largely responsible for this is how its A and B sides were recorded as continuous takes, effectively translating the unyielding severity of her live performances to the LP format. Given the underlying conceit here is to present what Chardiet calls "the self-destructive nature of humans; on cellular, individual, societal and species-wide scales," the experience of hearing Devour is defined by incredible exhaustion.

Full Review >>