If, Bwana / Assemble, Age! / Mutablemusic Tyler Haddow 11/28/11

A mixed bag of dadaist musical “collages” from recordings of a strange assortment of instruments-- vocals, trombone, flute, and viola, to name a few. Seems to be an experiment that aims to create tension by organizing short samples of instrumental parts. Especially in the second half, it succeeds. It’s minimalist to the point of being disconcertingly empty. The emphasis on vocals in tracks 2 and 5 is odd and only sometimes works. Instrumental-- no FCC’s.

1. (8:32) Massive drone leads to minimalistic, dissonant synth/viola exploration. Beware: Many 10-second silences.

2. (8:53) Only vocals, layered. Moaning, mumbling, and other mouth noises fill out the space while the vocalist rattles off strange sentences, sometimes sung. Pretty self-indulgent.

3. (15:22) A cornucopia of instruments (+voice) creates a slow, dreary whirlpool of sound.

4. (9:16)*** Some nice minimalist ambiance. Creative synth experimentation creates a dark, otherworldly mood. Becomes more and more tense toward the end.

5. (10:01)*** Minimalist experimentation with focus on voice (moaning, mostly) and trombone. Pretty damn creepy.