Words by TimelandIsWacky

Of all of the amazing non-Gizzard projects, I think Bullant is the one that surprises me the most. The house/techno project of Joey, Bullant has given us two studio albums, eight non-album singles, and two short films done in collaboration with PHC Films so far. It’s a project that has always been grounded in reality with an unflattering look at the seedy side of Melbourne life. Drugs, violence, sex. It’s something no doubt influenced by the visual work of PHC Films, though it's also reflected in the music and song titles themselves. Even its first tease back in 2019 was ominous. There’s something about Bullant as a project that fascinates me just in terms of what it is aesthetically, though my interest doesn’t end there. Joey’s experimentation with the project has been fun to watch since 2020. He started with these dark soundscapes driven by heavy bass and ominous synth work. Today things have lightened up a smidge with floatier pads and an emphasis on sampling that we didn’t get in the early work. All of this says nothing of his DJ sets which have been consistently fun to listen to and have broadened my horizons musically. I would have never listened to Worldcolour, Alarico, HERTZ, Raredub, Partiboi69, and more if it wasn’t for his sets introducing me to that world. There’s a lot of gold in those mixes, though we’ll talk about that some other day.

For this installment of Nice V, I want to focus on five Bullant tracks that I find to be incredible. Three album cuts and two singles from the first heard to the latest as of writing. I hope this helps open the door into this project and gives you some idea of what you’re getting into.

VIEWBANK

The debut album Tyson, Crying is my personal favorite of his two studio albums (and is unfortunately the least accessible as it's not on Bandcamp and has been out of print on vinyl). It was recorded between Gizzard tours back in 2018 using demo/cracked versions of Reason and Ableton which would wipe all of his progress after the programs crashed. It’s an unintentional creative limitation that worked out well, and it's amazing how much mileage Joey was able to get from it. Case in point, “VIEWBANK.” It builds from a chill ambient track with chime-like synths into a dark club banger with some signature guitar work towards the end. The title is most likely referencing the Melbourne suburb of Viewbank, though I’m not sure of its connection to Joey.

This might be one of the most well known Bullant tracks due to how it was teased. We first heard it in the “Mars For the Rich” first person shooter back in 2019, where it appeared as part of a cryptic easter egg. In a hidden room beneath the level you would find nine images of animals. If you shot all but the bull and ant, the level geography would disappear while a cube showcasing the album’s artwork would appear, crying on you. This was before Tyson, Crying dropped so there was a bit of intrigue about it, though if memory serves me right Joey announced the project not long afterwards.

XHamster Invoice

One more from Tyson, Crying for you. It’s actually the song right after “VIEWBANK” on the album. A really dark track with reversed cymbal hits, creepy voice clips, and some fantastic arpeggiating synths that could have been taken straight from the ‘80s. The percussion towards the end is cool too. This one got an unnerving visualizer showing the album cover but with a real human eye looking around, which really enhances how brooding it is. I mean that in a good way, of course.

Also here’s a KGLW.net fun fact: searches for XHamster bring a lot of views to the site due to the song page. Make of that what you will.

Sensitive Crap Opera

“Sensitive Crap Opera” is the second of three singles dropped in July of 2020 and is my favorite of them. Warm synth pads play off a steady beat right before developing into a gorgeous piano melody. It only builds from there with more percussion, synthetic orchestral additions, and a theremin-esque lead part – all of which is backdropped by the sound of rain. It almost reminds me of the song “Timeland” with its ticking percussion that seems to come in around 60bpm. Regardless, another great track that builds on itself into something special.

Perfect Shelving Technique

Here’s one from his second album Late Life Circ. A percussion heavy Latin rhythm drives this one for the first minute before a staggered and somewhat awkward piano melody brings it somewhere else completely. When those two come together, however, it’s magic. The vocal samples that come in are amazing too. I would be remiss to not mention the remix from 2024-11-06 that got the crowd moving.

My City

Speaking of that San Fran set, “My City” was another one that got people dancing and was placed perfectly between the raunchy “K On My D + C” by Partiboi69and Juicy Romance and the surreal and microtonal “Rapture” by Worldcolour. Seriously, the transitions in and out are beautiful. Best part of the set. Go find it on YouTube and listen to it. Anyways, “My City” is a rager. The killer beat paired with the vocal samples from ONEFOUR’s song of the same name and the strange sword and phone sound effects come together to create an intense listen unlike anything else in the Bullant discography. You can find this one as a “name your price” download on Bandcamp. Well worth it.