Specula

Specula, the duo of Specter Spec and Sigh Moan, first formed as a noise rock outfit before shifting direction entirely. From 1991 to 1995 the pair issued multiple 7" singles on Monkeytech and Stomach Ache, then delivered their first full-length album, Erupt, through Scat in 1995. That record unveiled their revised approach, a Stooges-derived style carrying enough swagger to impress Iggy Pop. With neither drummer nor bassist in the lineup, Specula recruited Urge Overkill’s Blackie O. and Material Issue’s Mike Zelenko to provide drum loops; Zelenko has since toured with the group as well. Homemade instruments add further texture, producing a disorienting unpredictability. These strands gradually merge, leaving listeners unsure whether the music qualifies as punk, experimental, alternative, or plain rock & roll. After Erupt appeared, the duo launched a tour that carried them deep into 1996.