Hex is the debut studio album by English post-rock band Bark Psychosis. It was released on 14 February 1994 by Circa Records in the United Kingdom and on 11 March 1994 by Caroline Records in the United States. The term "post-rock" was coined by music journalist Simon Reynolds in his review of the album for Mojo magazine.[1]
| Hex | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 February 1994 | |||
| Recorded | March–November 1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:11 | |||
| Label | Circa | |||
| Producer | Bark Psychosis | |||
| Bark Psychosis chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hex | ||||
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Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Mojo |  [3] |
| NME | 8/10[4] |
| Pitchfork | 9.0/10[5] |
| Record Collector | [6] |
| Select | 4/5[7] |
| Uncut | 10/10[8] |
Reception to Hex was generally positive. Melody Maker described Hex as "the work of a band nourished by constant evolution and is unquestionably divine" and "a gorgeously intense 50 minutes".[9] The NME referred to the band as "nothing less than completely captivating" and called the album "a thoroughly marvelous record".[4]
Writing about Hex for its 30th anniversary, Mark Lager, in Under the Radar, described Hex as "an aptly named album as it casts a spellbinding hypnosis on the listener. Hex could be considered ahead of its time but more accurately it still sounds lost out of time. It followed in the footsteps of Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden and The Verve’s A Storm in Heaven and is one of the most experimental records of the 1990s. Hex is a melancholy and wintry song cycle, deeply textured and cinematic, for those lonely moments in the middle of the night."[10]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Bark Psychosis, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Loom" | 5:16 |
| 2. | "A Street Scene" | 5:36 |
| 3. | "Absent Friend" | 8:20 |
| 4. | "Big Shot" (Sutton, Ling, Simnett) | 5:21 |
| 5. | "Fingerspit" | 8:21 |
| 6. | "Eyes & Smiles" | 8:31 |
| 7. | "Pendulum Man" | 9:54 |
Personnel
editBark Psychosis
- Graham Sutton – vocals, samples and programming, guitar, piano, melodica, hammond
- John Ling – bass, samples and programming, percussion
- Mark Simnett – drums, percussion
- Daniel Gish – keyboards, piano, hammond
Other Musicians
- Neil Aldridge – triangle, programming
- Pete Beresford – vibraphone
- Phil Brown – flute
- Del Crabtree – trumpet
- Dave Ross – djembe
- The Duke Quartet:
- Louisa Fuller – violin
- Rick Coster – violin
- John Metcalfe – viola
- Ivan McCready – cello
Technical personnel
- Bark Psychosis – mixing, engineering
- Roy Spong – mixing
- Nick Wollage – engineering
- Mog – engineering
- Darren Westbrook – engineering
- Pete Molyneux – assistance
- Henry Binns – assistance
- Lee Harris – assistance
- Chris Blair – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[11] | 48 |
Notes
edit- ^ Reynolds, Simon (March 1994). "Bark Psychosis: Hex". Mojo. No. 4. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Hex – Bark Psychosis". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Chick, Stevie (October 2017). "Bark Psychosis: Hex". Mojo. No. 287. p. 105.
- ^ a b "Bark Psychosis: Hex". NME. 19 February 1994. p. 43.
- ^ Joyce, Colin (21 April 2024). "Bark Psychosis: Hex Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Moores, JR (October 2017). "Bark Psychosis – Hex". Record Collector. No. 471. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ Morrison, Dave (March 1994). "Bark Psychosis: Hex". Select. No. 45. p. 74.
- ^ Dale, Jon (20 September 2017). "Bark Psychosis – Hex". Uncut. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ "Bark Psychosis: Hex". Melody Maker. 12 February 1994. p. 73.
- ^ Lager, Mark (23 February 2024). "Bark Psychosis - Reflecting on the 30th Anniversary of Hex". Under the Radar.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2018.