Bold hunters all fall down
Hunting Hunting
This is the hunting ground
Hunting Hunting
Sold out so go home
Nirvana on display
Hunting Hunting
Gives back to take away
Hunting Hunting
Sold out so go home
No form of any kind
Hunting Hunting
There's no more left to find
Hunting Hunting
Sold out so go home
Survivors disappear
Hunting Hunting
So now the coast is clear
Hunting Hunting
Sold out so go home
Hunting Hunting
Hunting Hunting
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
Hunting Hunting (Sold out so go home)
As we have already seen, Warp tracks often forego convention by merging (seamlessly or otherwise) from one to the next. They also lack the superb (often extended) intros that were a most welcome feature of many of the earlier tracks. "Hunting" is an example of this; although the lack of a dreamy intro is nicely replaced here by a kind of melancholy only Tony could have penned...
"Hunting" contrasts a slightly slower, more downbeat pace and mood to that of the last track. It also seems more 'stripped down' than is typical. As ever, Tony was experimenting with everything, and perhaps the bass is one of the key notable features here. Really deep and cool, complimented by other new sounds like the the 'choppy' percussive effects and metallic acoustic guitar. Whilst other elements like that 'squeaky wheel' and the three nagging 'whistled' notes could potentially have become annoying after many listens, strangely they never have...
Once again this is a track I've never quite understood the meaning of, the lyrics being of a rather cryptic nature. "Sold out so go home"? Sorry - you've lost me :)
It isn't the strongest of tunes and does get repetitious towards the end, but I think it just manages to stay on the right side of interesting due to its variety and innovative electronic touches.
81/100
(Richard M)
Clearly, Tony & gang were trying new things on 'Warp'. A different sort of sound, different approach etc. On 'Hunting' they demonstrate that among the "false starts" there can be some gems. 'Hunting', for me, epitomises the "Warp sound".
Obviously it helps that infection is back! Subtle, hard to pinpoint, but this song burrows into the brain and stays there. But the main reason is of course the bass synth. Honed to perfection, melodic, powerful, totally dominant, yet it works so well.
A sign of a good track is that it seems much shorter than it actually is, this sounds more like a 3 minuter.
One of the pivotal tracks on 'Warp', without it the album would be a shadow.
Especially considering what's to come. ;-)
(Graham G)