The sophomore effort from Blue Screem saw a change in approach from previous releases. The outfit regrouped exclusively as a three-piece around available personnel in Newcastle. Deciding not to pursue gigs, the band instead held weekly rehearsals that focussed on improvisation and jamming as a means of songwriting, with arrangements built almost solely around the bass guitar. The instrument-swapping of the past was phased out, and sonic embellishments were kept to a minimum via guitar effects pedals, rather than using keyboards, vocal treatments or other extraneous devices. These developments, plus the fact that there was now only one guitar instead of two, created a spacious, wiry sound that further informed the freeform nature of the new material.
Over a year of rehearsals was conducted in this manner, with each session being recorded and archived on my field recorder. It was clear from reviewing these tapes that some of the best material sprang from unconscious moments of playing, often from the first attempt at working through an idea. Later versions of certain songs would throw up radically different approaches, with effects, rhythms and emphases having changed into whatever mood the band found themselves upon point of recording. It was clear that any concerted 'proper' studio session would be hard pressed to recreate or better the sheer quality or variety of these artefacts. Therefore the decision was made to use the existing rehearsal tapes as the source for the new album.