Recoil - subHuman (2LP) - Blue Curacao Vinyl

Alan Wilder makes patient music. After leaving Depeche Mode in the mid 90s, he took his time shaping Recoil into a world of shadowy groove and slow-blooming drama. subHuman landed in July 2007 on Mute Records after a seven year gap, and it still feels like a deep night listen. Blues, gospel inflections, and widescreen electronics wrap around each other until you stop trying to pull them apart.

The big presence here is Joe Richardson, a Louisiana musician with a voice like river silt. He brings guitar, harmonica, and that weary drawl that turns these tracks into ghost stories you can tap your foot to. Carla Trevaskis balances him with a clear, airy tone that cuts through like cold air after rain. Wilder sets the stage with meticulous sound design. You can hear the hours in the edits, the patience in the way a bass figure is allowed to pulse while a snare bloom curls off into nothing.

“Prey” lays out the thesis straight away. Richardson rides a swampy riff and mouth harp while the drums push forward like a slow march. The mood is thick but not cluttered. Wilder gives everything space, so when a synth smear widens behind the groove it feels like a curtain opening. “Allelujah” leans into a choral edge, with percussion that ticks and swells while voices hover like heat haze. Trevaskis takes centre on “5000 Years,” a piece that drifts with a kind of secular hymnal weight. It is less about chorus and more about accumulation. Layers build, fall away, return a little changed.

The record is not in a hurry to please, which is part of its appeal. “The Killing Ground” slides forward on a low, rubbery bass figure and scraped guitar, Richardson sounding like a man counting sins. “Intruders” is colder, with Trevaskis floating above a pulse that hints at trip hop but never settles for cliché. “99 to Life” is a nod to the language of American punishment, a fatalist blues set against quietly ruthless programming. Closer “Backslider” takes its time, circling a refrain until it becomes a mantra. If you are in, you are in for the whole ride.

Wilder recorded subHuman at his base in Sussex with long-time partner-in-sound Paul Kendall helping to wring that cinematic width from the mix. The deluxe edition shipped with a 5.1 surround version, and that tells you plenty about intent. This music wants to move around the room, not just sit between your speakers. It is also the rare electronic record from the 2000s that holds up beautifully on wax. The bottom end breathes, the textures feel tactile, and those hand-played elements have natural grit. If you are hunting for Recoil vinyl in a Melbourne record store, subHuman is the one that tends to stop you flipping. The artwork suits a large sleeve and the grooves like a bit of elbow room.

Some listeners at the time wanted faster gratification. Recoil has always chased mood over hooks, and subHuman doubles down on that. But give it your undivided attention and the detail keeps giving. The harmonica that flares in “Prey” is not a novelty, it is a textural voice that threads the record. The way Trevaskis is placed in the stereo field on “5000 Years” tells you Wilder is thinking like a film mixer. Even the drum programming feels played rather than quantised, with tiny imperfections that make the rhythms feel lived in.

If you collect Recoil albums on vinyl, you will know the catalogue rewards good playback. subHuman vinyl is no exception. It is one of those late-night sides you pull when the house is quiet and you want the room to change shape. For anyone looking to buy Recoil records online in Australia, it is worth comparing pressings, because Mute’s packages usually come with thoughtful mastering and solid pressing quality. Independent shops that specialise in vinyl records Australia wide often list it, and the second-hand market turns up copies in decent nick.

Seventeen years on, subHuman feels like a statement rather than a side project. Wilder trusts the slow burn. He trusts his guests. He builds environments that work at low light and sensible volume, which is its own kind of confidence. Put it on, let the first kick hit, and you will know within a minute if this particular weather is for you. If it is, you will be back.