OFF: Camera Obscura tour review (Finally)

[Keith Henderson]

Hi Folks...

I promised I'd send this to the list once I'd written it.  I'm sure you were
all terribly anxious to see it.  :)  Anyway, for those interested, here are
my impressions of the show in Pgh., and my reviews of each group's latest CD
offering.  Did anyone else catch this tour?  What did you think?

Keith H. (FAA)

P.S.  Anybody see 12 Monkeys on TV this past Saturday (US only)?  In case
you were wondering (I know you weren't), 'FAA' comes from this movie...the
front organization for the Army of the 12 Monkeys.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>From Aural Innovations #8 (Oct. 1999)
http://www.infinet.com/~jkranitz/space/space.html

The Rolling Psychedelic Circus Tour
(Land/Salamander/Primordial Undermind/Overhang Party)
Pittsburgh, PA - Stevenson Theatre 9/17/99

The Stevenson Theater is an obscure little place...tucked away in the lower
floor of a combination art supply shop and gallery in the east suburbs of
Pittsburgh.  Not the easiest venue to find, and not the kind of neighborhood
that you necessarily want to hang around at night, looking lost.  But even
with my brother (a Pittsburgh resident) in tow, lost we were, because we'd
headed for Penn Circle North as opposed to South.  Well, with a bit of
intuition and after only a single wrong turn onto a one-way street, we did
manage to find the place.  I knew this would be an intimate setting with
hardly a flood of publicity, but I was a little surprised to find that this
'showcase' would only attract 30 or so paying customers.  That same night in
Columbus, Cher was playing to a packed house at $72 a head...I'm used to
these injustices, but it's still nonsensical.

Anyway, the few dozen folks that made the extra effort to support
underground music (literally!) got their money's worth.  Though late, we did
manage to catch the last few strains of ambient/space sounds offered up by
the local group Land.  In fact, we were told that they didn't start playing
much earlier than we'd arrived, so I guess they were aware of (and perhaps
themselves anxious to see) the three acts yet to follow.  AI was promised
that a promo copy of their single (7" vinyl and cassette) would be sent our
way, and I look forward to reviewing that next time.  I liked what little
I'd heard.

During intermission, I was able to chat with a few folks I'd met at various
other events around the midwest, and exchange stories and newly-discovered
bands to impress others with, and soon learned Salamander was up next.  You
know, I believe I'd pay $72 to see *this* band play in an arena with the
glitz and high-tech systems, though I hardly think that's their style.
Unfortunately, guitarist Sean Connaughty had some obvious difficulty with
his amp, though it would've been really difficult to tell exactly which
funny noises were actually intended and which were the 'problem.'  Isn't
space rock great in that sense?!  Anyway, my biggest wish for this night was
met right away when they charged right into the fabulous "Old Mr. Jones."
As great as this is on record, this live version just smoked!  It starts out
as a harmless little folksy ditty with Sean's thin wispy vocals drifting
along quite nicely.  But then the wide-open dueling guitar jam takes over,
carried on the back of Erik Wivinus' Brockian guitar sound (oddly, a
semi-acoustic plugged into a carpetful of pedals) and Doug Morman's steady
bass.  (The band were touring without drummer Bryce Kastning, but Skye
Klad's Matt Zaun filled in just fine.)  This wondrous tune must've run on
for about a total of 20 minutes or so, and afterwards my brother said it
reminded him of (the song) "Born to Go."  I would've said "Lord of Light"
perhaps, but it was right from the 'Space Ritual' playbook.  Salamander
continued with a few more lengthy improvisational psych jams, wrapping up a
50-minute smorgasbord worthy of very high praise.

Primordial Undermind set up next, and I was eager to see them perform as I'd
just been introduced to their works in recent months via their newest member
Doug Pearson.  His four compatriots had gear that went up to 11, such that
Doug's violin could hardly compete, though his bank of homemade analog
devices (things that go 'whirr' and 'ping') were a really nice addition.
(You might notice that Doug is now writing about these wondrous toys for our
benefit and yours in the pages of AI.)  Anyway, P.U. blasted through a slew
of tunes that I struggled to identify, but the one I immediately recognized
was "Bandhu (gospel according to)" and this (without surprise) was the
highlight of their set.  Seeing them in action, you do detect a touch of
punkishness in their demeanor, even though their physical appearance is
rather conservative.  Bret Holley (especially) plays his bass with reckless
abandon and unbridled energy, and must certainly rush his partners along at
times.  Luckily, everyone kept up and they put together a solid set that in
the end failed to make my ears bleed.  (Not without trying.)

We'd heard that Japan's Overhang Party had just arrived from overseas the
previous night, arriving in Pittsburgh at some time in the wee early morning
hours.  So I'm sure they were a bit unsettled, so perhaps that's the reason
for their first offering.  I'm pretty sure it was "G House Blues" from the
4th album, as it was simply 10 minutes of tremendously loud and blaring
noise.  I had been told that O.P. featured Michio Kurihara (of Marble Sheep,
White Heaven, and others) and I didn't think this was his style.  (In the
end, Kurihara is not part of O.P., at least not currently anyway.)  But to
say that the screeching violin and intense feedback was bothersome would be
an understatement.  Thankfully, this is just one aspect of their sound, and
I perhaps imagined that they play this first to judge the 'open-mindedness'
of their audience!  I had some thoughts, but of course hung in there.  Most
of the set (once again, not many tunes) were long droney psych jams, with
guitarist/vocalist Rinji Fukuoka taking center stage, his playing both fluid
and manic at once.  At times, he got extremely animated.  The trio was
joined by a female member playing an odd-looking synth device that she
seemed to trigger in different ways to provide an additional repeating
underscore that merged in with the percussion (often played with mallets)
and rhythm guitar.  All in all, a peculiar but yet still enjoyable set that
hit a high point at the end with what I think was "Barcelona."  "Mirror" was
performed at some point also, I believe.  All in all, it was nice to see a
couple fine bands get a chance to perform far outside their normal
territories.  Hopefully, a positive message will be sent through the
underground that this music is alive and well.  KH

Salamander - KFJC Radio 'From the Vault' - 27th April, 1999 (CD-R) Camera
Lucinda (AU) cl-002

I'm really learning to enjoy the freedom that the new digital technology has
brought.  With seemingly little effort, the members of Minneapolis'
Salamander prepared an hour-long radio show for a local indie station and
then turned it over to Tony Dale, who had 100 copies burned to disc for
release on his new sub-label, intended for just these purposes.  It makes a
nice little package of rare goodies and works-in-progress that we can look
forward to hearing again in final form later on.

Included on 'From the Vault' are a couple interviews with main protagonists
Erik Wivinus and Sean Connaughty, against a backdrop of spacey ambient
music.  Sean's part includes some statements on the general philosophy of
the band and the development of their improv style.  Also included are a
sampling of tracks from the spinoff bands Gentle Tasaday and Vortex
Navigation Company, which I won't get into as there are full reviews of
these in the regular Review section.  By far the coolest aspect are the two
"Untitled New Songs" that bracket the disc.  "UNS#1" is a mantric work with
poetry lyrics and table percussion along the lines of Saddar Bazaar, only
better.  "UNS#2" is a more folksy tune, again in a minor key, and features a
neat effect that I'll call a 'space whistle.'  "You Think Shrinks are Nuts"
and "You No. 9" are more dreamy and lysergic works that sound like cleaner
early Hawkwind material (Text of Festival days).  Space out, man.

Well, for a band that was defunct for a few years before this recent
resurrection, I'm happy to say that we have some more great things to look
forward to from the Twin Cities.  This little community of space bands (also
including Skye Klad) have really hit on something special, and I'm ready to
drink it all in.  Their fully-evolved works "Red Mantra" and "Red Ampersand"
(both Camera Obscura) are what to initially look for of course (as these are
both 'must have' items) - more easily found in the Northern Hemisphere
anyway.  But to the primed Salamander fan:  You should definitely get your
hands on one of these collectable items before they quickly vanish.
Contact:  same as for Camera Obscura.

Primordial Undermind - Universe I've Got (1999) Camera Obscura (AU) CAM032CD

P.U. started out in the Boston area but eventually relocated to California,
now firmly entrenched in the Bay Area.  'Universe' is their third release,
the second on Camera Obscura.  This one falls in the same vein as previous
works, i.e. noisy psychedelic rock with dueling guitars and a touch of punk
sentiment.  Though this time, they haven't done much of the experimental
droney pieces that were featured on 1997's "You and Me and the Continuum."
Also, newcomers Bret Holley (bass), Grawer (drums), and especially Doug
Pearson (violin/analog noises) have modified the sound, though it's still
guitarist/vocalist Eric Arn's band primarily.

'Universe' gets off to a whopping fine start with the eight-minute "Bandhu
(gospel according to)," a masterful mid-paced slurry of fuzz, reverb, and
heavy bass, countered by the obligatory synth swashes and effects.  A much
faster rumbling bassline then kicks off "Hypomorphic Array," and already I'm
sold.  Arn sings in a semi-mocking tone here, and while his voice isn't
outstanding, it really suits the 'dirty' sound that P.U. has.  The best use
of the violin (though it sounds more like a reed instrument here) is found
on "Jean to Sloan," a laid-back eastern piece that works well between the
more aggressive tunes.  "Manta" recalls SunDial of the late 80s with a dose
of extra fuzz and lots of cool synth swirls and nice jangly guitar bits...it
runs a bit long though.  A highly subdued version of BOC's "Flaming
Telepaths" starts off in excellent fashion (with acoustic guitar and violin
plucking) and Arn does a commendable job with the vocals, but in the end I'm
not totally sold on this attempt.  To wrap up, both "Weightless Nemesis" and
the swirling, whirling "Dervish" offer copious servings of the rambling,
intertwining guitars of Arn and Brian Craft along with more eerie sounds
from the violin poking out from behind the sonic curtain.

Anyone who digs Bevis Frond, SunDial, and the like should immediately take
to Primordial Undermind's slightly off-color psychy sound.  But I don't feel
the album as a whole quite lives up to the promise of the first two
outstanding tracks.  So I'd still recommend the first release, "Yet More
Wonders of the Invisible World" on September Gurls (GR) as the place to
start, if you can still find it.  Though once you've gotten a taste that
way, you'll want this one too!  Contact:  Camera Obscura, P.O. Box 5069,
Burnley, VIC 3121 Australia; http://www.cameraobscura.com.au

Overhang Party - 4 (1998) Pataphysique (JP) DD-007

This avant psych-noise trio is a new discovery for me, though I'm not
entirely unfamiliar with the Japanese 'sound.'  I'm all for the
"stream-of-consciousness" (think Gottsching) guitar jamming that they so
often feature, though the general deficiency in the lower registers is not
something I usually prefer.  On record, Overhang Party sounds more balanced
as well as more restrained certainly.

The seven tunes on 'OP 4'  total comprise about an hour's worth of a variety
of stuff, both vocal tunes and sound experiments.  "Kizashi" is an
interesting study of repeating patterns (I hesitate to call it 'drone'
music, as it has a far different feel compared to US drone artists), which
is readressed later in "Barcelona."  The application of bouncy bass (such as
it is, given the band has no actual bass player) and percussion is what
gives their drones a unique character.  "Le Few Follet," on the other hand,
sounds like ballroom music from the WWII era (our side).  Here,
bandleader/guitarist Rinji Fukuoka shows off some of his other abilities
with a pleasant violin melody during the "bridge."  "Then the Ship was Sunk"
is a very peculiar piece of majestic Highlander (or Celtic) music, with
Fukuoka's guitar sounding more like bagpipes.  Later on though, the pace
picks up and OP charge into an excellent blanga-style jam colored by more
violin soloing.  "Mirror" is another layered march-like tune with duet
vocals that works well, and shows off Fukuoka's nimble fretwork.  The
finale, "G House Blues" is a pure, unadulterated noise experiment...12
minutes of very bright and dissonant buzz-guitar and crazed violin.  Yikes!

I feel that I will learn to appreciate this work more over time for all its
idiosyncrasies and noisiness.  Fukuoka has a very ordinary singing voice
(albeit in Japanese), though I find myself drawn more to it with each
listen.  I think that those into the more avant garde krautrock, i.e., Amon
Duul II and Faust (of course), should catch on to what they're trying to do
here.  If you're more the 'traditional' space-rocker, well maybe you'd just
think they're a little strange. And why not?  Contact:  Pataphysique/Aura
Nihilitica Records, 001-0017 17 Building, 1F North 17 West, 4-21 Kita Ward,
Sapporo, Japan;  E-mail:  fukuoka at biglobe.mrj.ne.jp