Sunday, August 23, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

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The Rational Academy – Swans (Someone Good/Vitamin)

Posted: 23 Aug 2009 04:48 AM PDT

There’s 10 tracks, but Swans is over in under 20 minutes (the release is part of the label’s ‘10 Songs In 20 Minutes Series’). What is packed into those 20 minutes, though, is mighty fine. The Rational Academy explore folkish tinges, indie-pop, psychedelic band interplay and outright post-rock (in the best senses) experimentalism. Key to the release is the production of Lawrence English. While he remains subtle, his processed gentle noise is unmistakable, undergirding most tracks and acting as segues between the various styles. Which is not to say that the trio in the band have no say in the success of Swans. Amelia Golding’s vocals are beautiful – deadpan yet beguiling. Mellow guitar feedback and synth drones such as in ‘12 Feet In Cheltenham’ float along blissfully. The abrupt change to distorted bass for ‘Hammer’ sees one of the more rockist moments, complete with what could be called guitar hooks, but underpinned with a sonic queasiness and looseness with tempo that keeps it well and truly exploratory, interesting and listenable.

A series of mellow, almost ambient tracks in the second half of Swans, beginning with the title track, balance beauty and disintegration perfectly, culminating in the 33 seconds of disappearing cloud of ‘Yoko I’m Only Dancing’. I’m guessing at a reference to Yoko Ono’s infamous ‘Don’t Cry Kyoko, Mummy’s Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow’. If so, Ono’s mix of exploration and quirky shards of pop are as accurate a starting reference point for The Rational Academy as I can think of, and I consider that a great compliment.

Adrian Elmer

Gordon Kerry – New Classical Music: Composing Australia (UNSW Press)

Posted: 23 Aug 2009 04:24 AM PDT

New-classical-Australia

While the presence of such a text in a blog that squarely aims itself at ‘experimental music’, whereby the idea of such is often codified and the domain of the edge a question that stylisation subverts in the process of becoming, of being translated, or merely the process of being heard or recognised, is put into question. I merely place this conundrum here for you as it doesn’t truly hold such dilemmas for the book in question, the idea of New Classical music is other than an oxymoron.

New Classical Music: Composing Australia can be read as a companion to Gail Priests ‘Experimental Music:audio explorations in Australia’, not just in it’s arrival from UNSW Press but that Gordon Kerry provides survey of the last 40 years of classical music innovation in composition within Australia. As is often the case with Classical music the thematically overarching concepts are the tableau of reference for works as such the content of the book contains these domains. The ideas of the Australian landscape, identity, indigenous traditions, position within Asia, rememberence of Europe, geographical isolation, mythologies and spiritual traditions are the specific arenas that Kerry fashions his survey of this specific scene. Among the included artists are Liza Lim, Brett Dean, Peter Sculthorpe, Roger Smalley, Carl Vine, Christoper Willcock, Nigel Butterfly and Georges Lentz. The book is accompanied by a companion CD which provides an introduction to some of the composers works but is obviously hindered by it’s brevity in providing as wide a survey of works as the book so clearly reveals. I must admit that the territory of the sound is bit oblique to my ears but in a sense this sound geography is there for all to traverse and Gordon Kerry, an accomplished composer himself, is a knowledgeable guide.

Innerversitysound

Tetragrammaton – Elegy For Native Tongues (Subvalent)

Posted: 23 Aug 2009 01:33 AM PDT

Tetragrammaton

Tokyo-based free psych / drone trio Tetragrammaton, comprised of Tomo (hurdy-gurdy, saxophone, electronics), Cal Lyall (guitar, electronics) and Ken Nobunaga (drums, percussion) have managed to amass an impressive live reputation in their homeland, having supported Kenji Heino on numerous occasions, whilst also collaborating live on stage with guests including members of Acid Mother’s Temple and ex-Can singer Damo Suzuki. While Tetragrammaton have been performing live for some time now however, this two disc set ‘Elegy For Native Tongues’, the debut release from Tokyo label Subvalent represents their first widely available recorded output. According to the liner notes, the five tracks comprising the first studio disc were recorded straight to 4-track during late 2007, but given the sheer detail and vividness packed into its 67 minutes, you’d never expect that they’d opted for such comparatively low-tech methods. Expansive 17 minute long opening track ‘The Ghosts Won’t Starve But We Will Perish’ sees Tetragrammaton following a drone / noise approach clearly influenced by the likes of Hototogisu and Vibracathedral Orchestra, with textural flurries of rapidly struck percussion and broad guitar drones gradually shifting towards psych-damaged jazz that almost rolls with a sense of ragged bravado as Tomo’s spiralling saxophone solos rear out of the background amidst repetitively chiming guitar chords and sudden snare breakdowns.

It’s certainly ‘widescreen’ stuff that would lend itself beautifully to soundtracking visuals, the clustered drum breakdowns and wildly contorted sax soloing of the title track particularly calling to mind Ornette Coleman’s spectacular soundtrack to Cronenberg’s ‘Naked Lunch’ , while ‘Kohelet Revisited’ manages to introduce some sinister Eastern European atmospheres as subtly placed hurdy-gurdy elements trail amidst a thick fog of shearing guitar drones, clattering snares and hissing ambient textures. By contrast, the second live disc, recorded at Tokyo’s Penguin House in July 2007 sees Tetragrammaton in a considerably more extrovert mode, with the four expansive tracks seeing things approaching more of an incandescent Sun Ra Arkestra-esque vibe, complete with soaring saxaphone runs and even the appearance of free-flowing vocal tone improvisation at points, resulting in a listening experience that almost manages to eclipse the first studio disc. An extremely impressive debut release from Tetragrammaton and Subvalent that’s made all the more appealing by Yumikofu’s gorgeously twisted sleeve illustrations.

at 5:06 PM