If, Bwana – Breathing
Way back yonder in 1996, experimental music entity If, Bwana unleashed its third-ever CD, Breathing, which followed hot on the heels of a slew of cassettes over the previous decade and the CDs R.ISMV.1 and 33 Birds Went. After taking a big, deep breath, this album exhales three huge gusts of after-dinner minimal music that’s sure to lull you to sleep quicker than a food coma–and that’s a good thing. The title track opens up the program with a fantastic mass of smokey, acoustic drones courtesy of cello, dijeridu, oboe, tapes and effects. Second up, the nearly half-hour long “R.Ism V.2PF” adds low, rumbling piano and electronics into the mix. Although the music as a whole flows along in a similar vein as the first track, the playing of each instrument is less continuous, with pleasant little melodic tinkles audible during sparse passages. “Barump Poe” closes up shop with wind, organ and strings added to the cello and tapes, along with keening, vague vocals off in the distance. Eventually, it all coalesces into a dense web of cacophony before fading away. I highly recommend Breathing for anyone who is into minimal, acoustic instrument-led atmospheres.
Label: Pogus Catalog Number: P21010-2 Format: CD Packaging: Jewel case Tracks: 3 Total Time: 70:10 Country: United States Released: 1996 More: Bandcamp, Discogs, Official, Pogus, Soundcloud
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