Search - Aa (Big A little a) :: gAame

There is reason in this madness

Feminist Review blog | worldwide | 08/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pushing the edges of what is and what's not acceptable is the core of most creative artists. When something new and different appears on the horizon, the usual reaction to it is dismay, derision and damnation. It's happened in classical music (Igor Stravinsky's Rites of Spring); it's happened in writing (Yoko Ono's Grapefruit and Salmon Rushdie's The Satanic Verses). If today's artists stopped trying to break these social "sound barriers," we, as a species, need to call it quits.



I'm so pleased to witness groups like Aa! Their recent release of gAame (CD and DVD) is a wild descent into discordant noise, feedback, keyboard clash and clanging of some "bell" (I don't know, what the instrument is) and then it ascends, it rises, into the persistent beat of the drums. There is a beat to this music, heart pounding and tribal. I recommend listening to it, when you've got the space and time to move. Stay in your room if you must, close the doors, put on your headphones, listen to the music and let your body react.



The music of Aa is experimental, as "any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is." John Cage was a pioneer in this genre with his crash and burn classical avant garde compositions. The music of Aa is also defined as post-rock, which was first coined by Simon Reynolds in The Wire (May 1994) as music "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitars of timbres and textures rather than riffs and powerchords."



I like the concept of "non-rock purposes" when contemplating Aa's music, because when I first listened to it, my natural reaction was "Whattttt?" One of the perks of trying to break social barriers is to be able to successfully elude being defined. It is gloriously chaotic at the beginning, but then, like the birth of a baby, it gains a voice, and the insistent beat coming in for the kill. It's great.



The music videos are interesting. Listening to the music and then seeing the videos definitely increases the pleasure of the experience. The first few videos are crude, which I believe was deliberate, since by "New Machine" the quality of the videos change. They are really rather good. What I like about watching the live performance on the DVD is seeing the reaction of the audience to this Brooklyn group. However, I prefer the studio versions of the songs, where the mixing of all the discordant sounds meld into a cosmic, electronic soup.



There is reason in this madness, and I think everyone who is interested in the evolution of the species should get this album."

LISTEN TO IT, ADORE IT, AND SEE IT LIVE!!!!

J. Byerly | New York | 05/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Short and sweet, Gaame has a wonderful atmosphere, with amazing, pounding & chant driven moments, alongside lush, keyboard and feedback filled noise-gasms..... I am amazed that this album posseses the energy that they deliver in live performance (a very hard feat, if you have ever seen them.) AND THE DVD IS INCREDIBLE!!! Supplying a music video for every song and tons .... TONS of live footage, these guys are truly giving the fans everything they could ask for. BUYITBUYITBUYIT!!!!"

Incredible!

Lover Del Toro | Philadelphia | 05/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Live, this band is absolutely incredible, fresh & exciting. This disc captures that impact. However I'd hope you can enjoy it either way, with or without the live experience. 3 drummers, 1 keyboardist and semi-gutteral chanting. Tribal, psychedelic, heavy, raw, hardcore, high energy, high impact, original. I personally listened to it 7 times today during my work commute. Recommended!"