Guttersnipe

British duo Guttersnipe deliver a brash, electro-charged strain of noise rock shaped by free jazz and no wave. Uroceras Gigas unleashes piercing shrieks while assaulting her guitar, and Tipula Confusa generates a furious barrage of drums, with both also triggering futuristic synth textures. Although the two musicians’ contributions often appear fractured and conflicting, they lock into an unexpected internal coherence comparable to the approach of earlier noise rock outfits such as Ruins and Harry Pussy. Having built a reputation as one of the most inventive and gripping live acts on the circuit, the pair issued their first full-length album, My Mother the Vent, in 2018.

Before the group existed, Gigas had played in black metal and shoegaze projects yet left that world after coming out as transgender amid hostility from fellow participants. Encountering the no wave band Etai Keshiki altered her musical outlook, and once that group disbanded she teamed up with its drummer to form Guttersnipe. Drawing on the structured disorder associated with artists such as Sun Ra and Captain Beefheart, the duo played their initial show in October 2014 and followed it with a demo CD-R in 2015. A series of cassettes appeared afterward while their concerts earned praise from Thurston Moore, Richard Dawson, and Wolf Eyes. Guttersnipe’s first vinyl release arrived when Upset the Rhythm put out My Mother the Vent in 2018.