Brekekekexkoaxkoax – We Used to be Such Good Friends
Brandishing a bizarre band name that sounds like Popeye’s laugh followed by the throaty call of a tropical bird, Brekekekexkoaxkoax first appeared within the space-time continuum that we call home back in 1996 around Austin, Texas, where they secreted a great bog blob of improvised music, performance art and image projection into their immediate biosphere. Led by artist / musician Josh Ronsen, the outfit, featuring a large, rotating cast of characters, finally got up the gumption to release their first album a full decade into their existence. Emblazoned with the title We Used to be Such Good Friends, the homespun artifact presents four selections of spontaneous aural treats that span the years 2000 to 2005. Kicking off the proceedings with guitar, banjo, violin, flute, clarinet, oboe, organ, snare drum and electronics, “Haifa Hi-Fi” spreads out a nearly half-hour dollop of plinky-plonk prickly peanut clatter. After starting out extremely quiet and sparse, it starts to pick up a little steam after 20 minutes. Fans of AMM would have no problem with this piece.
One of two Josh Ronsen solo works on the disc, the much shorter “Figure or Failure II” coasts out a super subtle gurgling drone via turntable, voice, electronics and computer that barely registers in your mind as you fall into a gentle slumber. You really have to crank up the volume to even kind of hear this track. Bernhard Gunter would be proud. Closing up this recordable CD is a pair of 20-minute pieces. The first, “Tuesday on Sunday,” swaps the two least popular days of the week as it begins with a simple guitar figure fingerpicked over a shrill drone, the overall effect of which is gentle, plaintive and downright moving. In fact, this section is the highlight of the whole album. Later on, as the piece picks up pace, the oboe really comes into play as it flits about all over the place. “For I.D. II” finds Josh Ronsen back in solo mode–this time on bowed bass guitar–for another round of shrill, shimmery and occasionally throbbing drones, wrapping up this fine album like a birthday present for an Egyptian mummy encased in an ancient tomb.
Label: Hushroom Records Catalog Number: hushroom4 Format: CD-R Packaging: Jewel case Tracks: 4 Total Time: 73:13 Country: United States Released: 2006 More: Discogs, Official
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