Search - Ether :: Music for Air Raids

Startling Sonic Landscape

E. Kruger | Carpinteria, CA | 02/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I ordered this recording from Amazon because it is on the Extreme label, had an intruiging title and only cost [$$$]! Based upon the album and track selection titles, I was expecting an electronic/music concrete piece using plane engines, air raid sirens and possibly explosions. While the piece does begin with sounds of that nature, the album is comprised mainly of songs or musical "hubs" that use electric guitars, bass and drums/percussion.Each "hub" has a particular style, tempo and mood. The first one starts a couple minutes into the first track and builds with driving guitar harmonics abd tribal drumming in an Unsane/Sonic Youth-like groove. Other hubs have sot of a jazz feel and still others have amazing African rhythms on modern pecussion instruments, fed through tons of reverb.The interludes between each musical chunk perfectly join themn together as a whole. There are heavily processed piano motives, tape loops and various ambient sound-beds, all of which belnd effortlessly with the unfolding of the overall piece. My only complaint (and it is a minor one) is the annoying 10 minute silence at the very end of the disc, punctuated by a piercing, one minute onslaught of noise. It seems like just a cheap ploy to wake people up if they use this CD to sleep to (I don't know how they would, although I have slept to more obnoxious music).Overall, an excellent release. This group is from SLC, Utah. Be careful not to mistake it for the wanky, English acoustic folker of the same name."