by Thom Jurek
Flux Information Sciences is a three-piece, New York underground band that defines the word underground. The band's music is extreme, indescribable, and awesome. Tristan Bechet, Sebastian Brault, and Derek Etheridge are reminiscent of early downtown no wave bands such as the Contortions, James White & the Blacks, Suicide, Teenage Jesus, etc. They have the sort of systematic ruined futurism of early Devo running through their sound as well. But this is no revival act. This is some badass punk rock music of outrageously high caliber. Who knows if they can play or they are merely art poseurs, but if they're the latter then they're poseurs with teeth -- make those fangs? With Private/Public's 18 songs lasting just over 40 minutes, FIS is pure art terrorism in the form of a rock & roll band. There is nothing here but decay, fun, racket, energy, and the kind of craziness that only comes from people who know exactly what they're doing even if it's just wrecking the joint. Private/Public is one of those records that people will be talking about years, even decades, from now.