The Apparatus - Various Artists - Smatterings, Volume 1

You are here: FORUMS

Various Artists - Smatterings, Volume 1 Hot

Monday, 22 June 2009

Editor's rating

8.6

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chris Alfano
Top 10 Reviewer
View all my reviews
Monday, 22 June 2009
Average user rating: 0.0
0 User reviews

View details
Read editor review
Read user reviews
Write review

Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Erek Gita - Tablantarde
02. Forms of Things Unknown - Stupid Blood
03. 400 Lonely Things - The Light Hurts My Eyes
04. Larry Marotta - Anemic Cinema
05. Hawaiian Garbage - Breathe
06. Mookoid - Requiem for Bali
07. Disco M'Bobulate - 77% of the Dead (Have Been Spoken For)
08. Diarmuid MacDiarmada - Boyhood in the Shadow of the Hellfire Club
09. Moolah Temple $tringband - Rum & Pepsi
10. Forms of Things Unknown - From Here to Parker Posey
11. Erek Gita - Whipped Egg for Piggy Sammich
12. Robot Buckwheats - A Thanksgiving Prayer (Live)
13. The Penetralia - Battlestar Fucking Galactica
14. Worm and Sponge - Nightwear
15. Steve Abercrombie - Jump Rope Posse
16. Stimulus - Solstice (Version)
17. 400 Lonely Things - Pimalia

Artist: Compilation
Multiple Artists: Erek Gita • Forms of Things Unknown • 400 Lonely Things • Larry Marotta • Hawaiian Garbage • Mookoid • Diarmuid MacDiarmada • Moolah Temple $tringband • Robot Buckwheats • The Penetralia • Worm and Sponge • Steve Abercrombie • Stimulus •
Title: Smatterings, Volume 1
Genre: Instrumental • Experimental
Release Date: 14 April 2009
Record Label: Pimalia Recordings
Format: Compilation
Country: United States of America
Official Website
Purchase from Amazon.com

Label sampler. Available FREE at the Amazon link.

Bookmark & Share

Free social bookmarking plugins and extensions for Joomla! websites! title=

Editor review

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		8.6
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		8.0
Experimentation		10.0
Production		8.0
Value		9.0

The path less traveled is often wrought with potential loss and misfortune, and those who walk it can attest to its perils. These are people who know that making one\'s name as an artist is an onerous task as it is; never mind those who color outside the lines or throw convention to the wind. The western North Carolina-based label known as Pimalia calls itself home to a small roster of artists who pride themselves on creating sounds that push beyond the veil of commonality. Founder Craig Varian goes so far as to state that his releases are \"genre-free\", meaning that each of them defies the tyrannical confines of labeling or classification. This may be a bold assessment, but one listen to Pimalia\'s debut sampler will make a believer out of all but the most hardened skeptics.

\"Tablantarde\" by guitarist Erek Gita starts the festivities with light ethnic percussion and a repetitive East Indian melody. As the song progresses, increasingly dense layers of melody compete for breathing space in the song\'s dense atmosphere. Static-ridden vocal phrases hum and moan in alternating succession as Gita begins improvising in a manner reminiscent of John McLaughlin\'s live performances with Shakti. The proceedings come to a rest as swelling keyboard flourishes resonate against a virtual wall before disappearing into the void.

Form of Things Unknown is next with a haunting cover of Howard DeVoto\'s \"Stupid Blood\". It begins with an ominous note sequence which sounds like it\'s being played on a keyboard, until closer inspection reveals that woodwinds are the source. Rich baritone vocals soon enter the picture, creating a vibe that is somehow melancholy, yet emotionless. The song ultimately progresses into a huge display of compositional grandeur, complete with a sax solo and intense interplay among various other horns and woodwinds.

The previous track proves to be an ideal lead-in for the eerily heartfelt ambiance of \"The Light Hurts My Eyes\". This track is credited to a project called 400 Lonely Things, a seemingly appropriate moniker given the song\'s hypnotic three-chord riff and ghostly minimalism.

Larry Marotta\'s \"Anemic Cinema\" introduces itself as a New Age guitar piece, although it treads over slightly different territory than the flowery indulgences of Alex Degrassi or Eric Tingstad. Despite being written in a major key with sparse instrumentation, there is an oddly flavorful darkness in its broken chords and extended bass note progression.

\"Breathe\" by Hawaiian Garbage is up next, and features Asian woodwinds engaging in a call-and-response session with a slowly picked ukulele. The song is really too brief to invite much in the way of contemplation, but it certainly piques interest and a desire to seek out the source. The mysterious Mookoid follows along similar lines, with a slightly extended take on ethnic ambiance entitled \"Requiem for Bali\". Australian experimentalist Mick Lampert is the prime mover behind this project, which incorporates various instruments from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East over a wailing background.

Another truncated piece comes in the form of \"77% of the Dead (Have Been Spoken for)\" by Disco M\'Bobulate. Little information is available on this project aside from bits of abstract poetry about Stevie Wonder, flavor ice, and a practice referred to as \"navel-grazing\". I\'m scratching my head on that one, but the music here is quite interesting with a vast arrangement that sounds as though it could have been played on strings or woodwinds. Upon its subtle fade-out, the Irish-born Diarmuid MacDiarmada gives this comp a righteous kick in the groin with \"Boyhood in the Shadow of the Hellfire Club\". Beginning with an amusing dialogue between a demon and what is ostensibly an alien life form, MacDiarmada rapidly shifts into a hardcore techno beat with pitch-shifted vocals that suggest Eric Cartman singing with Napalm Death. The moment is short-lived, however, as a speedy harpsichord riff takes over and segues into a melancholy acoustic guitar passage. Moolah Temple $tringband follows up with a fast electronic beat and odd funk passages that bear some similarity to Dog Fashion Disco or any of Mike Patton\'s earthier moments.

\"From Here to Parker Posey\" is a newer Forms of Things Unknown track that focuses more on percussion and voice samples than the material on Cross Purposes. The droning background noise and quirky horn blasts make for an enjoyable listen; albeit one that lacks the intensity of earlier works. This is followed by a second Erek Gita track, entitled \"Whipped Egg for Piggy Sammich\". This cut is the complete antithesis of its predecessor, and gives a very different perspective on Gita\'s songwriting. Where \"Tablantarde\" was very organic in its use of ethnic percussion, \"Whipped Egg...\" is entirely electronic and seems more dance-oriented.

Next up is the inimitable Robot Buckwheats with \"A Thanksgiving Prayer\". This outfit is the project of two brothers who firmly believe that music should be documented with complete accuracy and spontaneity. Thus, their material is unrehearsed and every sound captured on tape (intentional or otherwise) is left intact. An oscillating keyboard pattern kicks thing off with reckless abandon as a synthesized back beat rises to the fore. Sampled voices and distant sound effects build gradually, creating a transcendent mystical aura.

The Penetralia follows with a humorously titled romp called \"Battlestar Fucking Galactica\". The track actually has a few moments that sound like Cobra Starship, although this comparison is fleeting at best. For the most part, it moves through various phases of spoken word passages and mangled keyboard riffs, all the while maintaining an intrusively pulsating rhythm. Worm and Sponge provides a surprising respite with \"Nightwear\", a melodic piano-and-vocal tune that almost seems out of place among Pimalia\'s other signings. This is followed by another song-based ditty by singer/guitarist Steve Abercrombie, who accompanies his simple chord progressions with a ghostly vocal effect that recalls Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd.

Stimulus checks in with \"Solstice\", which is quite possibly the most \"progressive\" track on the album. Hand-crafted static washes through the background as voices rise and fall to the sound of reverb-drenched chimes and sustained volume swells. This is also one of the comp\'s longer tracks, which allows time for development over its seven minute duration. Lastly, 400 Lonely Things turns in a second appearance with the eponymous \"Pimalia\". This song follows on the heels of Stimulus\' contribution, albeit with a more subdued approach. Its soporific pace is offset by the Brian Eno-flavored synth lines, which twist and weave into a beautiful cascade of texture and sound.

Smatterings is a considerable accomplishment for Pimalia, as it carefully accounts for every corner of their small, but diverse roster. While the label shies away from terms like \"ambient\" or \"experimental\", there is no doubt that the artists on display here will appeal to fans of either genre. There is little excuse for even mildly interested parties to pass on this comp, as it is offered free through Amazon. You read that right: FREE. Just click on the Amazon link above, and indulge your inner consciousness.

Music Information

Promo

Was this review helpful to you? yes