admin
22 December 2023
Whoa! This CD is fucked-up! And I love it! I\'ve only got one problem here, folks, and that is that I don\'t even know how to begin to describe this five-song EP to you. Let me try, though:
Imagine if someone with Tourette\'s Syndrome put on one of those one-man band contraptions, and then dropped six hits of acid. Yeah, it\'s kind of like that.
The four-piece musical collective known as Battles have released B EP, which-- according to their press release, at least-- is their sophomore album. And if their current release is indicative at all of their previous work, I got some CD shopping to do! Made up of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress) on guitar and keyboard, John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) on drums, David Konopka on guitar, and Brooklyn-based composer Tyondai Braxton, Battles is unlike anything I\'ve ever heard before.
And don\'t let the fact that this disc is an EP discourage you, because there is more musical might in these five songs than there are on most bands\' full-lengths.
The opening track, \"SZ2\", defines a new musical genre never heard before, at least by these ears. Part free jazz, part fully thought out percussion work, \"SZ2\" can only truly be defined as \"free experimentation\". Of course, that term is redundant, because one would expect experimentation to be free. But it\'s the best I could come up with, so cut me some slack.
The following track, \"TRAS 3\", is a synthesized masterpiece. It\'s a quiet and subtle song, but the power of it comes from its production and haunting echo. And at just over a minute long, you better pay close attention.
\"BTTLS\" is the true shining star on B EP. Dark and gritty, \"BTTLS\" slowly crawls through your speakers, hinting at the darkness that is about to come. A bass kicks, and you just about shit your pants. Or at least I did. It\'s slightly reminiscent of Plastikman in its sound; perfect thunderstorm music. And with it being almost 13 minutes long, it\'s a great song to fall asleep to.
Lastly, you\'re given \"DANCE\". Imagine taking the design of Aphex Twin and impregnating it with the vibe and sound of Medeski Martin & Wood. Yes, it\'s that good.
So, in all, the quartet known as Battles has completely floored me. They\'ve given me some new music listen to, but they\'ve also made me think about other music differently. If you\'re looking for something new that you can\'t quite pigeonhole, pick up B EP.
Imagine if someone with Tourette\'s Syndrome put on one of those one-man band contraptions, and then dropped six hits of acid. Yeah, it\'s kind of like that.
The four-piece musical collective known as Battles have released B EP, which-- according to their press release, at least-- is their sophomore album. And if their current release is indicative at all of their previous work, I got some CD shopping to do! Made up of Ian Williams (Don Caballero, Storm And Stress) on guitar and keyboard, John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) on drums, David Konopka on guitar, and Brooklyn-based composer Tyondai Braxton, Battles is unlike anything I\'ve ever heard before.
And don\'t let the fact that this disc is an EP discourage you, because there is more musical might in these five songs than there are on most bands\' full-lengths.
The opening track, \"SZ2\", defines a new musical genre never heard before, at least by these ears. Part free jazz, part fully thought out percussion work, \"SZ2\" can only truly be defined as \"free experimentation\". Of course, that term is redundant, because one would expect experimentation to be free. But it\'s the best I could come up with, so cut me some slack.
The following track, \"TRAS 3\", is a synthesized masterpiece. It\'s a quiet and subtle song, but the power of it comes from its production and haunting echo. And at just over a minute long, you better pay close attention.
\"BTTLS\" is the true shining star on B EP. Dark and gritty, \"BTTLS\" slowly crawls through your speakers, hinting at the darkness that is about to come. A bass kicks, and you just about shit your pants. Or at least I did. It\'s slightly reminiscent of Plastikman in its sound; perfect thunderstorm music. And with it being almost 13 minutes long, it\'s a great song to fall asleep to.
Lastly, you\'re given \"DANCE\". Imagine taking the design of Aphex Twin and impregnating it with the vibe and sound of Medeski Martin & Wood. Yes, it\'s that good.
So, in all, the quartet known as Battles has completely floored me. They\'ve given me some new music listen to, but they\'ve also made me think about other music differently. If you\'re looking for something new that you can\'t quite pigeonhole, pick up B EP.
artid
2837
Old Image
7_4_battles.jpg
issue
vol 7 - issue 04 (dec 2004)
section
entertainmental