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Sleeping in Vilna: Why Waste Time
ByThe 13 short poems and musical musings sketch a new and adventurous manner of presenting poetry with live improvisation. There are some sonic references to the spoken word plays of Laurie Anderson, and to the cinematic soundscapes of guitarist Ry Coodereven to nervous guitar-drums duos such as Mary Halvorson and Weasel Walter's Opulence (ugEXPLODE, 2008)but this quartet is already demonstrating a strong, independent voice on its first project.
Ladd is gifted with a charismatic presence and suggestive delivery that covers a spectrum of moods and feelings. He transforms George Clinton 's "Odd Soul" into a metaphysical haiku: "what is soul?, i don't know, soul is chicken fu-young." On the restless "Entropy," he angrily criticizes the consumer-led Western society when he recites: "guns and toys, watching mass murder my escape of choice." Ladd adopts a painful, sarcastic tone on the chaotic improvisation "In a Name" and charms on the emotional "Oh Honey."
The quartet's musical palette is always surprising. Robinson and Randall set a spare, evocative atmosphere for Ladd, reminiscent of innocent childhood, on "Angels Crazy." "Past Chaser" is the only track where the entire quartet explodes in a fiery improvisation Robinson adding screams, Rothbrust mercilessly hitting his drum set, Randall playing with effects and Ladd reading his anti-war poem. "Marvelling," on the other hand, is a touching love poem, with Robinson as vocalist. Randall's experimentation with effects is the backbone of the poetic musing, "Drenched In Us," while Robinson's clarinet encompasses "Steppe Together" in a modern chamber setting.
Inspiring, unexpected and full of poetic and sonic wonders.
Track Listing
Let Nobody; Million Knots; Odd Soul; Entropy; Angels Crazy (To Our Brother In Seattle); Why Waste Time; Past Chaser; Marvelling; Drenched in Us; The Chew Voices; Steppe Together; In a Name; Oh Honey.
Personnel
Dave Randall: guitar; Dirk Rothbrust: drums, percussion; Carol Robinson: clarinets, voice; Mike Ladd: voice, synthesizer.
Album information
Title: Why Waste Time | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Ayler Records
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