Assemble.Age!

If, Bwana
Mutablemusic
General | Dec 2010

Reviews

tyler haddow
Reviewed 2011-11-28
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.

Recent airplay

Otto Lisa [excerpt]
Music CasseroleJan 07, 2012
Cicada #1: Ehg Version
lost and foundDec 18, 2011
Death To The 8 Notes
Ghost TreesDec 18, 2011
Ringing The Bell
Brownian MotionDec 14, 2011

Charting

2011-12-11 — 2012-02-12 Classical/Experimental
Week EndingAirplays
Jan 8 1
Dec 25 2
Dec 18 1

Track listing

1. Ringing The Bell
2. Otto Lisa
3. Death To The 8 Notes
4. Cicada #1: Ehg Version
5. Six Minus 6