Existentialism met visceralism in Bookie’s hardcore no-wave LP, ‘So what good does living do me?’ –

The NYC no wave scene delivered its fiercest shot of volition yet with the existential arrival of Bookie’s So what good does living do me?. While some will see nothing but dejection in that title, others will recognise a fair philosophical enquiry. If you fall into that latter camp, the hardcore LP, comprising nine distortion-heavy tracks that reach the epitome of guttural vindication, will hand you a form of catharsis that only comes from admitting that existence feels a lot like wading through psychological squalor.

The filthy yet efficaciously adrenalising production mirrors how dank reality can be if you rip away the façade holding society together. Each track gives you a new lens to peer into the void of modern life as the barrage of instrumentation and the off-kilter chameleonic vocals howl into the carnage. Not only did Bookie deliver the same authenticity as early hardcore pioneers in the vein of Napalm Death, they did it with conceptual depth, mind-twisting samples and sheer inhibition that loosens the knots of their rhythms.

Bookie formed in New York as a hardcore unit built around Gavin Hughes, Niko Hasapopoulos and Scott Chupp. The LP came to life through a self-released process, recorded and engineered by Jack Lynch at Pottawatomie Creek, with the mixing and mastering shaped by Niko Hasapopoulos. You can hear the hands-on approach in the rawness that spills through the record. Nothing feels over-tailored. It sounds like three artists making the kind of noise that keeps them sane while outlining a worldview many listeners quietly share. It is an LP for anyone who has stared at the state of the world and thought the same question the title poses.

So what good does living do me? is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Bandcamp. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast