Cull of the Useless Eaters

Cull of the Useless Eaters (COTUE) is a London-based electro/jungle/hardcore project run by Gareth Cox. This is just one of Cox’s projects, with others including a dub techno endeavor called “Houses of Joy,” among others. Cox considers COTUE the most personal of his projects, and a quick glance at any of its social media pages reveals why. It is deeply political, dealing with the predicament of people (The Last Men) in their inability to make sense of life within our post-everything world. COTUE explores themes related to capitalist hegemony, control through individuation, mass surveillance, and more. While he entertains what are pejoratively called conspiracy theories, Cox seems more interested in highlighting the fact that these theories exist and hold plausibility for many, including himself. In the end, COTUE’s indictment of us as societies of useless eaters can be agreed or disagreed with, but what is more important is that a dose of 1990s UK electronic music can work wonders. Cox, who grew up on a very telling and equally righteous combination of Drexciya, Bauhaus, The Cramps, and Acid House, certainly knows how to make sound work, as he has proven with his Cull of the Useless Eaters Parts I and II. His output will leave you feeling nostalgic to the point of ache, as will this mix he’s recorded for us.

In the records

STM 186 is a solid reflection of what Cull of the Useless Eaters is musically—a melancholic combination of acid house, techno, breakbeat, hardcore, and other similar genres that saw their heyday in the 1990s. All of this is interwoven with snippets of political speeches and news reports, conveying a message that takes the front seat in the vehicle that is music. There are quite a few legendary tracks on this mix: “Move Your Body” by Xpansions, Gerald Simpson’s “Voodoo Ray,” LFO’s eponymous track, and more. These are supplemented with newer or more obscure tracks, including COTUE’s own work, which fits seamlessly into this collage (a credit to the artist). We start off on a lighter note with COTUE’s intro, featuring a backward-speaking Obama, and meet our first rhythm with the aforementioned Xpansions track. The mix then becomes more melancholic and dark with LFO, COTUE’s edited “Knowledge” from his first EP, and a gloomy gem from Conforce. It is here that the tone of the mix shifts again, and we are treated to some brilliant bass from Akkord, which sets us on a somewhat different path. Here, we encounter breakbeat/hardcore gems from Special Request, SL2, and Altern 8 among others, all seamlessly blended into each other and shifting place with ease—it’s not unlike a dance-off in structure, but a very moody one at that. The mix closes with the beautiful synths of Cull of the Useless Eaters’ eponymous track flowing into N-Trance’s stirring “Set You Free,” before drifting back into Obama’s eerie backward speech. This mix is nostalgic, but it’s just as great even without the nostalgia. A must for anyone!