I have to admit that whilst I absolutely love this track, I know very little about Pere Ubu. I got as far as adding them to a ‘must check out more’ list and that was that; the trouble is, these list tend to grow and grow until you just need that extra 40 hours in a day to catch up with it all!
I first come upon ‘Heart Of Darkness’ in a punk compilation years ago and got sucked right into its hypnotic, trance-inducing, train-like rhythm. It’s a song that possesses a great feel, distinct flow and quite an unusual sound.
Pere Ubu formed partly from the ashes of Cleveland outfit Rocket From The Tombs and, right from the onset, were a far darker and harrowing affair, this you can detect in early single ‘Heart Of Darkness’. Recorded in September 1975 and released in December that year, this song was intense and compelling and like nothing that had gone before; surprisingly so, despite the groups Peter Laughner’s love of the Stooges and The Velvet Underground.
Listen above to this early/demo version of ‘Heart Of Darkness’
