There are great, skull-searing garage-rock throwdowns, then there’s On The Edge – the breakneck and blown-out masterclass from Hypnic Jerk, aka Derry/Donegal’s Philip Wallace. A one-man powerhouse of demon grooves and bombastic stomp, Wallace doesn’t just summon the primal spirit of the genre – he contorts, then fully distorts it into something supremely his own. With On The Edge, out this Saturday, he delivers a fresh blueprint of garage rock at its most unwavering.
And then there’s ‘Emotional Hijack’ A serious contender for one of finest blasts of blistering, groove-heavy garage noise you’re likely to hear all year, it distils everything that makes On The Edge such an unmissable listen. Wallace’s weapon(s) of choice? A Farmer Footdrum rig, a Danelectro guitar, and a very well-earned dose of full-throttle conviction.
Yet for all its sublime sonic chaos, ‘Emotional Hijack’ isn’t even the wildest thing about today’s premiere. Enter the video: a Nicolas Cage-fuelled fever dream that might just burn itself into your subconscious for life. More bananas than a Fyffes factory, it’s a deliciously demented onslaught of raw creative madness – full testament to a truly one-of-a-kind artistic mind. Consider yourself warned and very lucky indeed.
While previous singles ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘Hypnic Jerk’ hinted at Wallace’s singular approach, On The Edge sees him fully locked in – pushing his sound into even more lawless and hypnotic spheres. Across ten tracks, the Derry/Donegal artist – who has just signed arguably the island’s finest, most uncomproming imprint Black Tragick – veers from the primal stomp of ‘Let It All Go’ to the harmonica-fuelled strut of ‘State of the World,’ constructing a full-length experience that demands to be played at max dB.
Wallace has long been a formidable presence on the scene, from his time in Waldorf & Cannon and Cashier No. 9 to his ever-expanding solo output. But with Hypnic Jerk, he’s hitting upon something yet rarer: an unfiltered, full-force distillation of his artistic vision that feels equal parts and visceral and utterly unshackled.
On The Edge is out this Saturday, 1st March.
