Artist: Avey Tare/David Grubbs
Title: Split #16
Format: 12" Single
Label: Fat Cat Records
Catalogue Number: 12FAT46
Year of Release: 2003
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Tracklisting
David Grubbs
A1 The World Brushed Aside 10:01
A2 Theme from "Horizontal Technicolor" 4:02
Avey Tare
B1 Crumbling Land 2:03
B2 Misused Barber 3:01
B3 Abyss Song (Abby's Song) 13:37
This is lumped in with the Animal Collective stuff, because when I bought it I had no idea who this David Grubbs chap was. It turns out he used to work with Jim O'Rourke as Gastr Del Sol, so I was expecting something quite good from his side of the record. What I got instead was 10 minutes of solo piano, similar to things I have played at parties, and four minutes of heavily effected organ parps.
The most interesting sections of side are the beginning, middle and end of track one, which comprise mostly of a chord hit with a long decay time. In between these short sections are two overlong and needlessly dramatic swirls of over-layed notes that, in the early section, sound too much like guitar solos transcribed, and in the second section speed up with a "look at me, I can play three notes dead fast, me" feel to them. And I should know, as I've done that at parties.
I'm glad I gave Side B more of a chance. I wasn't hoping for much, because as part of Terrestrial Tones I've not been that impressed with Avey Tare's work outside of the AC. Crumbling Land though, starts with percussion like a lighter version of Aphex's Bucephalus Bouncing Ball, and acquires a lovely slow rhythm, then some very twisted vocals. It gets hard to distinguish the backing and main vocals, and both are pitch-shifted all over the place. A most odd song, that ends with a high cry of, "Feeling like a werewolf", naturally.
Misused Barber would have been accused of misusing a great track title, had it been a dud. As it is, the rhythm is more like those other electronic oddballs Pan Sonic this time, and the vocals are breathy and low. Each syllable is delivered individually, with a breath inbetween each one, and a quiet siren haunts the background. Worrying.
Final track Abyss Song (Abby's Song) is a much happier affair, with samples of waterfalls and children playing. A warm synth throb is brought in about 3 minutes in to the track, and carries us slowly towards the end 10 minutes later. Avey's vocals and laughter and the noises of other people are cut up and arranged over the top, here's a sample:
The clouds have come inside
I keep passing through
There are dream cupboards there
Near my yellow shoes
Judging from that I think he's had quite enough clouds inside him for one day, but it's nice to hear a song in the happier Syd Barrett vein.
