‘Topography’ on Textura

“Topography merges Mueller’s percussion and cassettes with Jason Kahn’s percussion and analog synthesizer in a fifty-minute collection recorded at various stops on a March 2007 US tour. The duo eschews cacophony in these five live settings and instead opts for controlled feedback and smears of industrial character, resulting in rumbling electro-acoustic drones of shape-shifting character where nary a conventional percussive attack occurs. “New York 1” pairs what resembles the amplified rubbing of a steel drum’s surface with a background howl that slowly intensifies until it mutates into placid exhalations of metallic character. The machine static coursing through “ New York 2” gradually escalates from low-level beginnings to a more combustible and violent pitch, eventually suggesting the clatter of train cars near its close. In contrast to the frenetic city pace of the locales with which they’re associated, the pieces unfold unhurriedly and exude a sense of time-suspension, especially when each is eight minutes in duration or longer.”

Full review here.

‘Topography’ will be released on June 17 by Crouton/Xeric. More info here.