One of the things that has always made Wire stand out is the presence of oblique strategist and wordsmith Edvard Graham Lewis on bass. “On bass” is perhaps a strange way to describe his role, because it also encompasses graphic design, stage design, sound design, vocals – maybe it’s better to say, “as multimedia, polymath whirlwind.” As part of Dome, Duet Emmo and 27#11, and as solo artist He Said, he has pushed the boundaries of pop into achingly beautiful and unconventional realms. Wire are still reinventing themselves, but Lewis is also working up solo material from his base in Uppsala. Two albums are coming around midsummer from Editions Mego: All Over and All Under are days away from release.
The first track we’ve heard is “We’ve Lost Your Mind” from All Over. It’s unmistakably Lewis material, with an almost conventional start that ultimately dissolves into fractals of noise. Immense.