Editorial Reviews
Music Review:
Music Review
The Guitar That Changed The World!
"PASTIME WITH GOOD COMPANY" 1998-2003 / Various Alpha Artists
Old No. 1/Texas Cookin' [Import] [Original recording remastered]
Music: Comme on a Dit: 1er Best of Jean-Louis Aubert [Enhanc
In Concerto: 1998 [Live] [Import]
Amazon.com
Even with the knowledge that the Ex has legs in the Dutch free improvising and avant-garde jazz scene, this collaboration with Chicago's Tortoise is an odd one. The Ex are customarily on the unmistakably political, musically spastic side of the fence, while Tortoise revels in complex rhythmic mazes that explore layered rhythms. So you can easily imagine a band as seemingly cerebral and measured as Tortoise getting tugged hard into noisy sloshing when in cahoots with a band like the Ex. And they do do considerable sloshing on this EP, though they always maintain a flooring that varies the rhythms and keeps the Ex grounded. The atmospherics are all Tortoise, with Jeff Parker's guitar making floats over the rumbling, ready-to-pounce bass and creeping drums. No, this isn't typical Ex material and, without a doubt, it's not Tortoise's main fare, but it's also not a far cry from either outfit. Part manic noise, part manic depth, part manic ambiance, it's an intense, demanding session. --Andrew Bartlett
Album Description
1999 CDEP recorded for the 'In The Fishtank' series, features the joint forces of Tortoise & The Ex creating six tracks of undeniable strangeness and charm. Standard jewel case.