Surreal, epic, groove-laden masterpiece by this prolific Download alumni.

"It must be said first and foremost that this is one solid record that demands to be listened to from beginning to end. Every song is like a chapter in a novel, flowing perfectly into the next one. Named after a track from the seminal Download debut, Furnace, this is the first time Phil Western and Mark Spybey have worked together directly since The Eyes of Stanley Pain. From the very opening song, "First Song," we are lulled in with a harmonious drone that crescendos in a very classic Spybey way to the point of hypnosis. All of a sudden, we are introduced to those signature Phil Western sounds for "Facing up to the Facts" that could easily be the link between The Eyes of Stanley Pain and III. If one were to compare Mark Spybey and Phil Western to visual artists, then Spybey would be the abstract painter and Western would be a photographer using photoshop. The dynamics that this record shares is what make one go back for repeated listens. There are soft beautiful moments all over this record like "Tis" or "God is So Great, God is SO Dub" to groove-laden jams like "Kurt Said to Me" and "Phil's Zombie Party." The record has so many textures with vocals, dissonance, breakbeats, live percussion, and analog synth melodies. It's impossible to not compare this work with this duo's body of work with Download. However, there is equal representation of Spybey's experimentalism, atmospheres, and vocals, with Western's tech rhythms, analog keyboard work, and glitchy acknowledgments. Interestingly enough, both use live percussion on top of the programmed rhythms. What will really will knock your socks off are the last two songs, "I See Your Light Dying," which is possibly the best song on the album, and then they finish us off with the beautiful "To be Present." With news of a second album and summer tour dates, this is a happy experiment that really may just end up being one of the best albums of 2008. It already blows just about everything out there away and may be considered one of the strongest releases either one of these artists may have done in the last year. These guys are both experts in their own unique ways and for them to synergize to this level makes this a must have for anyone that is a fan of Download, PlatEAU, Dead Voices on Air, or Reformed Faction. One can only hope that a certain dreadlocked musician is taking notice and is going to include Spybey more on future Download releases. Truly a wonderful aural experience in its own right, Beehatch will surpass all trends and musical phases. A true body of art may have this collective hive buzzing for years to come because records this good don't happen too often." - 5 Stars - David E. Flick - ReGen Magazine

"We knew we were going to dig this one before we even crammed it into our goddamn player. Why? Because Beehatch is the new band created by Phil Western and Mark Spybey who originally played together in the band Download. The two traded tracks from Los Angeles, California to England and back by way of file sharing on the internet. The result is the duo's first self-titled release. Folks who have followed either one of these fellows' careers will have some idea of what to expect here. Not surprisingly, there aren't a lot of commercially accessible tracks on this album. Western and Spybey create music seemingly out of an artistic desire to create...giving little or no thought about whether or not the music will sell. As such, Beehatch is a cool collection of creativity...each song flowing into the next with ease...and yet ultimately giving no indication as to what might come next. This might best be described as stream-of-consciousness experimentation. Some of the songs are more musical than others...yet as a whole these fourteen tracks hold together quite well. This is a totally cool musical experiment that works. We can only hope that these two guys will keep the Beehatch releases coming. This is a killer debut...recommended." : 5+++ - LMNOP/babysue