Dunedin, March 1994: a trio calling themselves High Dependency Unit rise from the ashes of a forgotten pop band to surprise everyone (including themselves) with the most full-on assault from a brand new band the city had witnessed in years. Over incessant rhythms provided by drummer Dino and bassist Neil sprawled the high anxiety guitar and vocal histrionics of HDU's compelling focus point, Tristan. Too loud and good to ignore. It wasn't long before HDU's searingly intense performances outgrew the confines of their home base. By Christmas '94, they were making their way to Auckland to play with Cake Kitchen and then Headless Chickens.

When they weren't impressing with their increasingly mind-blowing live show, HDU were recording the demos which rapidly earned them cult status on the student radio network, particularly Auckland's BFM. Encouraged by the interest, HDU made frequent visits north. In June, Flying Nun witnessed an especially good set, convincing them to take the trio on.

Eight weeks later HDU left the Dunedin winter behind, flying to Auckland to record their first release for the label. They ventured into an intercity basement known as the Nerve (also Super groove's former practice room) and six days later the frazzled threesome emerged from the underground with a remarkable four song EP called ABSTINENCE: ACRIMONY. The EP recording goes for performance-based power.

HDU can rock -- they're solid - - but there is an element of harmonic space in their songs where emotion bleeds through into sonic slabs of beauty (someone did say that about them). Throughout the four songs, and most of all in the epic closer, "Usurper", HDU bring heavy riffs to bear down on gentle passages. It's like the Gordons crashing into Slint and it's impossible to know what Tristan is singing about, but you can feel it.