Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Melted Cassettes

Hailing from Arizona, a state famous for wide open spaces and novels by Bentley Little, comes a punishing experience in 24 bit aural suffocation. This is Melted Cassettes.

Forming in 2005, the group is a two piece collaboration between David Turner (vox and effects) and Mike Warden (keyboards). Mike is a graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. He joined the band in 2007.

This band is uncompromising in its rage. There is nothing mainstream about any of their music. The intention is intensive sonic experimentalism. To call the sound processed is an understatement, as the sheer complexity of the tone colors and their almost tactile quality is astounding, even in today's timbral mad aural marketplace.

Their influences include Wolf Eyes, Big Black and other "non-weak shit"; I hear tinges of Ministry and Atari Teenage Riot in there as well. On the nonmusical front, the band lists "noises,horror films,depression,psychiatry," as being influences on the thinking of the members.

The inventiveness they display within the confines of their chosen mode of expression is indicative of their desire to engage in some serious experimentation.

"Razed from the Bottle" is a perfect example of their approach to music making. While the structure develops from a midtempo keyboard/sequencer hook, the piece flows from phrase to phrase with a high sense of liquidity; this produces a cumulative effect of impending collapse. It's one of my two favorites on the player.

A similiar experience occurs on "Sounds from Hell vol.1"; the song sputters to life on a rhythmic idea that gets spun out into this infectious three note main hook.
The simplicity of the hook is the key to its success; it's so straightforward that the musical edifice built around it is able to effectively burst through with intense amounts of energy. The approach on this song is more straightforward than on "Razed"; the overall effect is one of showcasing the "hook" and developing it in such a way that the abrupt ending comes as a real surprise.

At the other end of this particular aesthetic spectrum there is "Ataak Pak", with it's midtempo vocal effects in the rhythm section producing a sense of mechanized rage. The way that the rhythm of the lyrics is synchronized with the rhythm section is really intriguing.

In answering my usual round of questions, I was told that the band manages to realize this sound live. David's explanation of this is as follows:

"We build a wall of Pa's and random speakers that pump out the beats and bass tone sequences.loud as we can get it.Mike plays a midi keyboard with patches we build in reason and pure data.I have a zoom vocal processor that produces "demon" vocals run thru the venues PA.We have a rigged stack for guitar amplification that is part ampeg and part peavey drum machine amp.we are working on gettin' some tweeters."

In this light, I am psyched for any fans of experimental/noise/electronic avant gardeanism who reside in the Arizona area, because I can assure you that the live show this band puts on is intense, chaotic, and a hell of a lot of fun. Listen to their music and read the fans comments, and you'll be convinced as well.

The band has an e.p. out now, ("MySpace: A Place For Fiends" e.p.), and has a split with cheezface coming out in August. This will contain tracks from their upcoming full length L.P. "The "Real" Sounds From Hell." Their music is available on Liberal Squid Records (www.myspace.com/liberalsquid ), Lovetorture Records (www.myspace.com/lovetroturerecords), Sunwarped records (www.myspace.com/sunwarpedrecords), and Seattle based UF records (www.ufrecords.com)



Check out the band at:

www.myspace.com/sportslazer

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