Jarboe + Justin K Broadrick – J² CD 2008

Two of the most prolific, restlessly creative, and influential artists in underground music join forces; the result sounds closest to Jarboe's dark, gothic electronics.

When two artists with résumés like Jarboe and Justin Broadrick join forces, it's hard not to have high expectations. It would take many more words than this review warrants to describe the immense influence these artists have had on underground music: Between Broadrick's work with Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final, Techno Animal, and Curse of the Golden Vampire-- and that's leaving out a bunch (!)-- and Jarboe's with Swans, World of Skin, her solo albums, and numerous collaborations, all kinds of genres have been touched upon, if not entirely reworked: ambient, blues, cabaret, digital hardcore, doom, drum'n'bass, dub, grindcore, electronica, gothic, industrial, shoegaze, pop, psych folk, regular ol' rock, tribal. An open-eared musicologist could notice how these various strains grew horns, fangs, and wings and evolved into a whole new kind of beast after one of the Js left their golden touch. (For example, follow the way industrial metal and ambient guitar drone got a facelift by Broadrick, or note the weird and wonderful cross-pollinations Jarboe crystallized from mixing cabaret, blues, and goth with electronica sounds.)