Ambarchi / Fennesz / Pimmon / Rehberg / Rowe – Afternoon Tea 7.9

Not your standard day of having tea with your grandmother. This tea-time is far more intense, like watching the walls melt around you. An invisible third person tells you insane things as you’re just trying to enjoy your Chai. 

If you’re familiar with even one of the above artists, that might not be enough to prepare you for what’s about to happen. Sure, most of the improvisers on here are primarily interested in the guitar, but don’t expect any of the lush beauty that Fennesz often give. Instead, expect more of Rowe’s “I can’t believe a guitar made that sound”. 

The live recordings “Live Tea 1 & 2” tend to be less dark than the studio versions. In the studio versions, the drones become more prominent and emphasis is on decay. Whereas with the live recordings, you get a sillier mood, but things are a bit more decipherable. 

Actually, the live versions were not included in the original release on Ritornell. Having the night and day versions give you a better idea of what the group is able to accomplish. These are very competent electro-acoustic recordings. It is interesting to note how even with all the collaborators, it is impossible to determine who is doing what. By listening to each other, they are able to accomplish quite a bit. 

Even with the intellectual bent of the recordings, there are some beautiful moments, particularly in the beginning of “Live Tea 2”. This is definitely worth seeking out.

Stilluppsteypa – Stories Part Five 7.6

Iceland proves once again that it is a breeding ground for the strangest of bands. Stilluppsteypa maintains a punk attitude through this experimental and often challenging release. To keep your attention a bit more focused, they often reference (sarcastically) other more popular musical forms, like Drum N’ Bass and rudimentary dance music.

“Nice Things to File Away Forever!” should prove to be a fairly decent introduction, if perhaps a bit more abstract than the rest of the album. Once you get through this colossal track, the going gets considerably easier. What follows is the strange dance-like track of “Which Serve the Purpose Not Only” and later the idea is revisited in “When I was eight years old”.

What works best is the hyper-kinetic “All Drummers Shiver”. Mixing together a translucent drone with a fast rhythm, it then goes into even faster territory, as if the beat is trying to escape some sort of impending doom. 

Ritornell released some very daunting music during its brief lifespan, generally stuff considered “too avantgarde” for Mille Plateaux. But this is fairly easy to get into, even if you’re not usually inclined towards experimental music.

Second Childhood