The Answer Is In The Beat

Razorlegs: Daragada LP (Fadensonnen Records, 2024)

December 15, 2024 at 1:11 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Noise-rock duo Razorlegs make a racket with an arsenal of guitars, drums, oscillators, keyboards, and other things that make loud sounds. The first side of this LP focuses on shorter bursts of ideas, with most tracks lasting a minute or two before conking out. Starting with the feedback-rattled onslaught of “Parsifal”, these tracks are densely packed, chaotic barriers of energy. “Irrevo Storm” is partially filled with sounds playing backwards along with dinky-sounding toy instruments. The slower, less noisy “The Rhino” also has some more intimate, handheld objects being played, as well as more of a bass groove. “Ding Dongin'” is the album’s first longer track, and after starting out hobbling and struggling to keep it together, the oscillators and rhythm section manage to reach some sort of union and it all rockets forward together. “Belmondo Cane” is more of a steady rhythm and acid rock guitar solo covered in smoldering distortion. The second side of the record, apart from a short interlude, is just two lengthy jams, with “KG Maggot” being a manic yet focused wreck which stops abruptly at 11 minutes, and the shaker-accompanied “Public Image Mutilated” being shaggy, jittery, and still loosely danceable.

Windy & Carl: Heavy Early & The Creation Of Venus (Blue Flea, 2024)

November 3, 2024 at 1:26 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Currently available at the group’s live shows and on Bandcamp, the new Windy & Carl album consists of two tracks, nearly an hour each, which have been in the making for years. “Heavy Early” has a Smiths-inspired jangly guitar riff looped endlessly, with subtle atmospheric details underneath. It also feels like there’s some imperfections or cracks in the loop at times, almost making it seem like it’s being played live the whole time. Or maybe my ears are just tricking me. I listen to this a lot while going to sleep, so it’s a very in-and-out-of-consciousness piece of music for me. Anyway, this is truly beautiful and addicting and I could easily have this on repeat forever and never get bored of it. “The Creation of Venus” is a complete opposite mood. It’s more keyboard driven, with some soft guitar shading, and it has kind of a cold glow to it, but it also feels like it progresses a bit more than the other piece. The opening section is more active, with Alice Coltrane-inspired playing, then it goes still after 20 minutes or so. This cleans the slate a bit, and at just the right moment, shimmering vocals hit, as well as distant hissing noises and a resonating guitar line, before it all ends with keyboard glow.