As the title of the disc indicates, this is a set of five disparate, drone-guitar oriented pieces recorded during the past decade, four of which have been previously released in various formats.
"Intimidator", with Anthony Pateras on prepared piano, is a fine, somber exploration of low, resonant tones and throbs, interspersed with soft metal clangs, evoking a ritualistic, darkly ceremonial aspect. Next up is a remix of a song by Paul Duncan, "Parasail", which begins in primo Ambarchi territory, all rich drones. It's rather startling when Duncan's voice emerges but it works quite well, the plaintive vocal, perhaps recalling a grainier David Sylvian, blending perfectly well with the massed hums and scattered bells.
The remaining three cuts are all solo tracks. 2005's "Moving Violation" is a wonderful mélange of low hums (dozens of them, it sounds like) with accompanying blips and clicks that wells up into a massive slab of sound before being abruptly sliced off. It's quite a contrast to "The Stroumal Number", from 2000, an exceedingly delicate set of ringing tones peppered with small explosions as of distant fireworks...or bombs. The collection closes with "A Final Kiss on Poisoned Cheeks", a live recording from 2007, rougher than the previous tracks, beginning on staticky ground though soon entering a nest of drones and backward tape before it swells to almost Branca-esque proportions, eventually subsiding into an eddy of cymbals and bells.
Happily, there's really nothing of a grab-bag feel here, the pieces sounding quite solid on their own as well as feeding into one another just fine. To the extent it offers a few glimpses from different angles into Ambarchi's world, it could easily serve as an excellent introduction, though seasoned fans will want to hear it as well.
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Brian Olewnick 2010-02-17
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