This is a hell of a lot different than I expected. I didn't really know what to expect because (and, yes, I know this is cheesy and nitpicky) I personally hate it when great music falls under boring "names" like "Brian and Chris", but this is very nice work. I definitely didn't think so much live instrumentation would be involved. I figured it would be more electronic... something droning and chilled out, maybe a little glitchy. And those types of passages are certainly evident here (the entire CD is quite chilled out), but they take advantage of all sorts of instruments: Guitar, bass, Rhodes electric piano, organ, piano, synths, Russian dulcimer, field recordings, drums and programmed drums, acoustic guitar, pan pipes, electric tanpura... you name it. And the end result is a very musical affair that borrows as much from experimental music as it does from progressive rock, if that makes any sense at all. Many of the drum passages in earlier pieces like the latter portion of "Crossing" are very reminiscent of 70's prog rock to me for whatever reason, sort of laying the foundation and utilizing nice fills, and just check out the quick tapping lines at the start of "Sakura". There's a fair amount of nearly hypnotic repetition in the lengthy tracks (averaging around seven minutes each), which is actually both effective and enjoyable here. The longer (12+ minutes) "Matin" has a lot of laidback passages sans percussion that definitely flow more like ambient selections, though still subtly musical and melodic, and of course the rhythm section kicks into gear at times with a more concrete structure that follow suit with the other material - adding in some carefully placed and barely recognizable record scratching for added effect and variety. There are a few minor facets of the work that I'm not into - mainly some chunks of "Hey Rube" that are a weird mix of lush country-esque indie rock, jazz, and electronic music - but "Galatea" and its emotional mix of slow paced riffing is really quite pleasant. The recording is superb as well. Everything is natural and dense with perfect clarity and a very cohesive mix. I don't think I'd change a damn thing, it really does sound excellent for what they have to offer. The layout looks damn nice as well, with lots of vibrant colors and outer space styled imagery against graph paper and splatters of paint and such. Simple, consistent, effective. I like it. It definitely catches the eye. This is a very pleasant surprise. I'm curious to learn more about this duo for sure. I'm into this. I didn't know it would be half as good as it is. Not for everyone, but definitely worth looking into. I'd be remiss not to mention that I think a lot more people would be into checking this out if it had a "real" band name (Come on, what seems more appealing, something like Brian and Chris or something like Godspeed You Black Emperor, for example?), but ignoring that trivial fact this is a nice disc and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to be exposed to it. Good work.
[Dielectric]
Running time - 43:21, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Action Packed Vacation, Galatea, Sakura]
Dielectric Records - http://www.dielectricrecords.com
