The Answer Is In The Beat

Bad Luck: Four (Origin, 2018)

August 12, 2018 at 7:05 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Bad Luck are a Seattle-based duo consisting of drummer Christopher Icasiano and saxophonist Neil Welch, who also handles electronics. Together, they have an interstellar sort of chemistry comparable to Chicago Underground Duo, along with some of the prismatic firebreathing of Colin Stetson. This is easily much darker, stranger, heavier, and spacier than what you might normally expect from a release on Origin Records. The saxophones multiply, scatter, and form an all-pervading mist while the drums push everything forward, yet also sometimes break down and enter panic mode. On the extended “R.B.G.”, the duo seem to enter an elevated state. There’s very repetitive passages where they both seem caught up in the sound they’re creating, yet they can also switch and do complicated breakdowns in sync with each other. Following the foreboding drum roll of “Index” is “Capital”, which starts out a bit scattered and jumpy before gaining momentum and being pushed along on a massive wave of energy. “Bends” is another epic which starts out on a specific, inspired path, but then some other force seems to take over and the music drifts out of their control (but not in an aimless, meandering way). Final track “Big Sky” starts out sounding like it’s going to be a sort of comedown, but then it works its way up to enrapturement.

Von Hayes: Gunga Gunga Chi Chi (self-released, 2018)

August 8, 2018 at 11:31 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Not long after Von Hayes released their unexpected comeback album, You Vape?, they’re already releasing a follow-up EP. This one has eight short songs of deconstructed lo-fi rock, with riffs and shouted vocals buried in obscene amounts of feedback and hiss. “The Things She Handed Down” feels like it’s going to arrive at a hook but doesn’t (not uncommon for this band), and ends bu pitching the vocals up a bit before abruptly ending. “Negative Blanks” is an extremely jaunty song built atop a Casio rhythm, also containing pitched up vocals, and ending with some piercing guitar noise. Following the brief acoustic bit “Tow-r” is “No Title #7”, filled with strummy guitar hooks and harmonies. “Chrystal Manor” is a sludger with walls of oversized guitar riffs over a slower but steady beat. “Little Terrry” is kind of similar but less noisy and with more intimate-sounding vocals, and then some abusive guitar soloing near the end. “Son of Sandwich” has even more hushed, intimate vocals and splayed, out-of-tune guitars. Finally, there’s “Emcee”, an acoustic strummer which stops just sort of turning into a power ballad, and then stopping short about 15 seconds before the track actually ends. Even at their most direct, Von Hayes still sound cryptic, and while it’s hard to grasp exactly what they’re expressing, it always sounds fascinating and unique.

Flora FM: EP 12″ (Vanity Press, 2018) + Discovery In The Atomic Garden (Argot, 2018)

August 5, 2018 at 4:42 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Taylor Hawkins (not the Foo Fighter) impressed the Crush Collision staff of the early ’10s with his guest DJ set, then became quite buzzed-about with his releases under the name Community Corporation. After moving to Seattle, he’s now going by Flora FM, an appropriate name for such a bright, colorful style of techno with fluid synths, lightly choppy breaks, and a general sunniness as well as spaciness. His long-awaited Vanity Press EP instantly impresses, starting with the joyous birdsong breaks of “Elm Bully”, then going a tad darker with the night cruiser “Highline Amber”. On the other side, “Comet Xterra” has complex electro beats surrounded by splashy vibrations. “Artificial Limb Company”, the final track, might just be the best one, with more upbeat, gliding melodies and steady but detailed beats. Yet another unmissable Vanity Press release.

Discovery In The Atomic Garden is Hawkins’ first full-length, although the vinyl version is just a truncated EP, and it’s released on Argot, which put out a previous Community Corporation record. This one is along the same lines, musically and quality-wise. There’s the bright hues, flashing/whistling/bending synths, detailed electro and house beats, and it ticks some of the retro boxes but doesn’t get bogged in nostalgia and still sounds fresh. “Eternal Huron Shadows” slips in some acid synth lines and haunting vocals. “Near Petal Field” is the 10-minute centerpiece, taking its time to introduce new beats and nuances. “Degenerative Wave” is just so upbeat and spirited and fun. “Q Horned Column” is a bit rougher electro, with bass surges and a vaguely spooky atmosphere. “Gamma Gum” is kind of sweet and chewy but a little bit melancholy.

Oscar Huang/Rhythm Phazer: split 7″ (Vanity Press, 2018)

August 5, 2018 at 2:35 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

The second split 7″ on Vanity Press features Oscar Huang on the A-side, with a simple but joyful, uplifting track, sprinkling some dazzling synth lines over classic garage-house piano chords, and then adding some bird sounds and other textures near the end. The beat really pushes everything forward and everything else falls into place after that, and it just all ends up sounding really positive and refreshing. The Rhythm Phazer side is pretty different, on more of an ’80s new wave/post-punk/electro-funk tip. Still super danceable, and there’s a hi-hat shuffling away in back of the alternating kicks and snares, but the focus is more on the interlocking synth melodies and swooping bassline. Both artists seem like ones to watch.

Jeff Greinke: Before Sunrise (Spotted Peccary, 2018)

August 4, 2018 at 9:11 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Jeff Greinke is a highly regarded composer of minimalist dark ambient and deep space music who I haven’t spend enough time listening to. This album blends dark drone with modern classical, incorporating acoustic instruments into its soundscapes which flow like the waves of a tide at night. Strings, horns, reeds, and even very subtle hand drums make appearances and are given space, blending into the mix yet also occupying crucial roles in the construction of the pieces. “Night Watch” is more of a still, cloudy haze, but other pieces have more prominently melodic parts. “The River” has a really cool slow, trudgy beat mixed down way low, as well as more Philip Glass-esque patterns, and some flitered trumpet on top, giving it more of a late night vibe. “Under Falling Stars” is somewhat similar, but a lot more sparkling and precious-sounding. The last few tracks are extremely tranquil, but there’s still so much happening. Such an incredibly rich, expressive, sublimely arranged and recorded album.

JP Schlegelmilch/Jonathan Goldberger/Jim Black: Visitors (Skirl Records, 2018)

August 4, 2018 at 6:12 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Brisk yet exploratory CD of melodic instrumental jazz-rock from an organ/guitar/drums power trio including renowned drummer Jim Black. This is definitely the type of album that fans of both indie post-rock and avant-prog can get into. There’s soaring guitar melodies, yet there’s also sudden breaks into complicated drum solos, guitar freakery, and eerie organ spells, as on “Chiseler”. “Ether Sun” eases into more of a relaxed desert drift, while “Corvus” is a bit more angular, and slightly warped. “Lake Oblivion” is presented in two parts, the second beginning with acoustic guitar before ending up scorching and heavy. “Terminal Waves” begins with Mellotron before progressing through a sea of sinister, slightly dubby strings and ending up with a turbulent patch of organ drone and tumbling drums, yet mellower guitars. The concluding minute-long “Island” is even more peaceful and delicate, but still a bit mysterious rather than directly expressing a specific emotion.

Jeff Snyder/Federico Ughi: Duo (Carrier Records, 2018)

August 4, 2018 at 1:05 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Following a solo album of Buchla improvisations released earlier in the year, Jeff Snyder joins with drummer Federico Ughi on this album of robot free jazz. The rolling, tumbling, stop-start rhythms of improv jazz are present, but the horns, guitars, and other instruments are replaced by brittle analog synth tones, often heavy on fuzz and static. Much of the tracks are pretty freeform but also compact, with the two musicians having control over their outbursts and managing to be in something resembling sync with each other. “Consider Sacrifice” is a 15-minute sprawl, however, starting out largely quiet and sparse before erupting and showering sparks during the final third. “Bad Bishop” gets in some mean powerdrill riffing before melting into scrapes and buzzes. “Good Knight” is much hotter, with frenetic drums and laser-like synths which approach Sun Ra at his most electrified. “Attacks Aren’t Everything” is a short reflection with more shimmering synths which kind of warp and curdle, then “Should You Fianchetto?” is more of a direct attack (and even shorter). The album ends with the straightforward cold-gaze rumble of “Useful Interposition”.