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Artist |
Biota |
| Title |
Invisible Map |
| Label |
Cuneiform |
| Reviewer |
Richard Proplesch |
| Rating |
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Biota is the audio half of several Colorado-based
artists (the visual portion represented in the CD
booklet by their interchangeable partners, the
Mnemonists) who have released several editions of
printed/sound art over the past two decades. Both teams
have softened their abstract, often radical, approaches
with time. The visual work for Invisible Map uses more
stimulating, colorful imagery, while their aural co-
workers are distancing themselves from the harsh,
Merzbow-like noise collages of the past. Using an
assortment of acoustic exotica (prepared music boxes,
pump organ, hurdy-gurdy, etc.), Biota render 37 brief
musical segments that connect traditional tones with
surreal sound processing. Detuned mandolins and
balalaikas strum a pensive melody, a processed accordion
is drawn slowly to elicit its lowest, eeriest notes,
while a piano ballet verges on paranoia as backwards
tapes are fed into the mix. Imagine the musical misfits
of Mercury Rev given their own evening of unplugged
extravagance and Biota's psychedelic cafe orchestra
turns from murky apparition to reality. Unique.
(ReR
Records, c/o Cuneiform, P.O. Box 8427, Silver Spring, MD
20907)
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© 2001 AMZ/music-reviewer.com
Robert R. Lewis
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