Text Of Light
First track, 5/22/02,
begins in ambient pastoral realms before embarking for a corruscating maelstrom
dense with guitar squalls and big groaning slabs of magisterially proportioned
feedback, occasionally pierced by the needle cry of Krieger’s sax. There’s
no pause, however as the improvisation shapeshifts a gear into drum’n’turntable
stutter duets, then into sparser eastern-sounding lands and further and farther
on for another 25 minutes. Each of the album’s three tracks features
a different configuration, from trio to quintet, playing at a different venue
and time. As a consequence each piece is very different, although the twin
guitars of Licht and Sonic Youth’s Ranaldo feature throughout. The group
take their name from a 1974 film by Stan Brakhage, the American experimental
filmmaker and their music is stated to be inspired by his work. Text Of Light
satisfyingly defies categorisation, but if pushed it might just be filed under
‘Freely Improvised Psychedelic Noise’.
Colin Buttimer
July 2004