OKComputer1016
06/14/08, 04:25 PM
Pyramids - Pyramids
Record Label: Hydra Head Records
Release Date: April 21, 2008
Sonic experimentation is what keeps music moving forward, stretching genres into undefinable new territory. If everybody just rode out the trends, we would be left with nothing when they all fizzed out of the public eye (just ask Gavin Rossdale from Bush). And so in theory, on paper, I stand firmly behind this atonal and bizarre release. But in actuality...
Even the most daring audacious artists ought to have key musical elements (like, oh say, melody or rhythm?) somewhere on their release. Sonic Youth are considered geniuses because they balanced obscure and chaotic atonal hisses with beautiful refrains; Daughters make a living on anarchy, but they shape it rhythmically into something creative and exciting. And so, because it lacks these building blocks, Pyramids eponymous debut is like a painting without colors. It’s hardly art, it’s just intention. Paired with that intention, pretentiousness to be admired perhaps, but never fully-enjoyed like a good, memorable album should be; there’s no replay value. There isn’t really even any play value.
It’s hard to even cite particular moments from this album as good or bad because it’s all one flowing piece – which isn’t necessarily a negative thing in itself, but the stacks and stacks of unconnected sound layers reach monotony about a minute into the first track. There’s nothing to grasp; it’s all white noise, not even adequate for background music. There ought to be a voice over the top of it telling the listener, “Yes, you can stop smoking!”
Even more confusing than the lack of musical structure in the melody is the awkward 80’s-era-Ministry drums thrown on top of several tracks. Without the percussion, this music might serve as a pretty creepy movie soundtrack, but as it is, the album sounds like some sort of prank that I’m just not in on.
Maybe this band has potential. The reverb-soaked vocal thing works pretty well for My Morning jacket, and I’ve always been a fan of multiple effects pedals, but it just seems like all of these things go to waste when the musicians don’t feel like actually writing music. Maybe this band could pull it together, but what they need to find is a direction, or a producer, or a ghost-songwriter.
Otherwise, this piece of plastic is a Frisbee to me.
taking some Valium and imagining what it would sound like if Al Jourgensen from Ministry programmed drums for a project between Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead and Jim James from My Morning Jacket that you were hearing from a different room with cotton in your ears
myspace.com/pyramidsmusic (http://www.myspace.com/pyramidsmusic)
Record Label: Hydra Head Records
Release Date: April 21, 2008
Sonic experimentation is what keeps music moving forward, stretching genres into undefinable new territory. If everybody just rode out the trends, we would be left with nothing when they all fizzed out of the public eye (just ask Gavin Rossdale from Bush). And so in theory, on paper, I stand firmly behind this atonal and bizarre release. But in actuality...
Even the most daring audacious artists ought to have key musical elements (like, oh say, melody or rhythm?) somewhere on their release. Sonic Youth are considered geniuses because they balanced obscure and chaotic atonal hisses with beautiful refrains; Daughters make a living on anarchy, but they shape it rhythmically into something creative and exciting. And so, because it lacks these building blocks, Pyramids eponymous debut is like a painting without colors. It’s hardly art, it’s just intention. Paired with that intention, pretentiousness to be admired perhaps, but never fully-enjoyed like a good, memorable album should be; there’s no replay value. There isn’t really even any play value.
It’s hard to even cite particular moments from this album as good or bad because it’s all one flowing piece – which isn’t necessarily a negative thing in itself, but the stacks and stacks of unconnected sound layers reach monotony about a minute into the first track. There’s nothing to grasp; it’s all white noise, not even adequate for background music. There ought to be a voice over the top of it telling the listener, “Yes, you can stop smoking!”
Even more confusing than the lack of musical structure in the melody is the awkward 80’s-era-Ministry drums thrown on top of several tracks. Without the percussion, this music might serve as a pretty creepy movie soundtrack, but as it is, the album sounds like some sort of prank that I’m just not in on.
Maybe this band has potential. The reverb-soaked vocal thing works pretty well for My Morning jacket, and I’ve always been a fan of multiple effects pedals, but it just seems like all of these things go to waste when the musicians don’t feel like actually writing music. Maybe this band could pull it together, but what they need to find is a direction, or a producer, or a ghost-songwriter.
Otherwise, this piece of plastic is a Frisbee to me.
taking some Valium and imagining what it would sound like if Al Jourgensen from Ministry programmed drums for a project between Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead and Jim James from My Morning Jacket that you were hearing from a different room with cotton in your ears
myspace.com/pyramidsmusic (http://www.myspace.com/pyramidsmusic)