++ALBUM++ review by Daniel Ross
When Sonic Youth release something on their SYR label, you can bet it's gonna be pretty damn weird. Daniel Ross reviews the latest such episode: a live improvisation recorded at 2005's Roskilde Festival....
Whether you’re one of those Sonic Youth fans that thinks they’re at their crunchy, confident best when craftily crowbarring choruses into chaotic pop songs or whether you’re a real purist, pleased to see them pummelling their way through musical purgatory... you’re going to be confused by this live recording.
A document of their now-legendary ‘progressive’ shows (in which Kim Gordon shrieks a lot and honks terribly on a trumpet), this release sees our favourite avant-urers collaborate with notable sonic pioneers Mats Gustafsson and Merzbow in an experimental show at Roskilde 2005. The set up is simple; each member of this ad hoc ensemble enters and leaves the sonic arena one by one until only Merzbow remains, probably crying onto his laptop.
"they’re still as strong as they were when Moore was throwing shit at Glenn Branca’s guitar strings..."
On paper, it sounds fucking wicked. And if you were there witnessing the whole shebang it’s probably safe to say it was fucking wicked too. The rub, then, is that the supposed energy, the instinctive musical nods and progressions are monumentally numbed when you can’t actually see them happening.
Indeed, there are advances to be heard: musique concrete influences start to fly around at the 25 minute mark and there are some nice increases in energy at key moments. But the fact that you’re only perceiving half of what you could be - and that's frustrating.
When, at certain points, it all gels and you feel like you’ve actually earned a musical reward, it is unlike anything else composed by popular artists. But in turn, you wonder just what you’re missing. Is Thurston Moore actually sawing something? Has Lee Ranaldo fallen off the stage? Who’s doing that to a saxophone? Do they look like hired hands or are they really enjoying themselves? It’s very difficult to evaluate.
All in all, though, it is a reasonably satisfying piece with all the skronk you could ever need. If anything, it’s a reminder that Sonic Youth are the most popular progressive act in the world, and they’re still going as strong as they were when Moore was throwing shit at Glenn Branca’s guitar strings. Confusing, but pretty good.
++ Daniel Ross ++
Artrocker rating: 3
The newest sounds as heard in the Artrocker Office and our Resonance FM podcast.
++ full details ++
