Medina/Walsh – Four Compositions
9.16.20 by Ryan Masteller
Tabs Out | Medina/Walsh – Four Compositions
Medina/Walsh – Four Compositions
9.16.20 by Ryan Masteller
You’re supposed to see stuff with “Four Compositions.” That’s right, it’s music for the eyes – each of these four untitled pieces was conceived with a multimedia experience in mind: “for film,” “for media,” “for stage,” “for installation.” But no matter how hard anyone tries (and trust me, Medina/Walsh REALLY tried), you can’t get a tape deck to project any video, so we’re just going to listen to this stuff instead. That OK with you?
It should be. Medina/Walsh is Josh Medina and Paurl [sic] Walsh, whose “Vault of Angels” LP on Debacle Records is spectacular. “Four Compositions” is a sonic assault of blistering ambience – no lazy, relaxed atmospheres here. The duo presents a challenging improvised and manipulated four-track set, the guitars and electronics impossible to differentiate from each other. It’s all an onrush of mood, a modern classical exploration of whatever the heck I was intended to see. What was I intended to see??
Instead, I’ll have to use the back of my eyelids as the screen and allow the duo to shoot me off into the space behind them. From here I can project my own visuals, and despite my distinct lack of imagination, I can absolutely see colors and lights along with this. In fact, as the final synth score ebbs and flows across almost twenty minutes, I’m plopped in the middle of science fiction – not a science-fiction film, mind you, but the literal concept of science fiction, where structures are smooth and functional and energy is 100 percent sustainable. It’s like the future we wish we were living in (maybe, depending on your take on sterile environments), only suggested in sound form.
This one just dropped on brand spanking new label (run by Josh Medina) Obscure and Terrible on August 17, so get your hands on it before some collector puke starts sniffing around the Bandcamp and starts scooping up all the copies for resale on Discogs.
Tabs Out | Bridle – Forward Motion Plus Volume Three
Bridle – Forward Motion Plus Volume Three
9.14.20 by Ryan Masteller
I’ll tell you one thing about this Bridle fella – when he makes a tape, you know EXACTLY what you’re listening to. There will never be any confusion. So even if somehow you smash your Norelco case to bits and accidentally drop the lovely transparent j-card into a paper shredder and scratch off the adhesive label from the face of the tape with whatever machete-type instrument you have at hand, as long as the tape itself is still playable you’ll hear the following at the beginning of “Current Collector” opening up side A: “Bridle, Forward Motion Plus Volume Three.” How’s that for forefronting your brand? It’s right there at the beginning of track 1! (And track 3.) (And track 6.)
You might also simply recognize Bridle from the music – this is volume three after all, and if you’ve got volumes and two at hand, you’ll be prepared for the action of this new entry into the series. The Texas electronic artist specializes in downtempo, the chilled atmosphere of the “Forward Motions” perfect for laid-back evenings spent with a glass of hand-cut and mulled sangria, an ornate pipe filled with exotic tobacco blends, and an old-timey newspaper filled with articles about mustaches and bicycles. Well, that’s what I do with my time anyway, and Bridle works for that. You might be doing something else, but there’s a lot of activities this can cover.
What really matters is that “Forward Motion Plus Volume Three” is easy on the ears, an immensely enjoyable minimal techno ice skipper with goth melodies and a healthy sense of self-doubt, perfect for everybody who’s erected thick emotional walls and wants nothing to do with their classmates. Nostalgia meets future/present in the tunes, and my recommendation is that everybody should grab a copy of this tape to help them center – in a groovy way – every once in a while. Too bad it’s sold out. Discogs, here I come! (Oh wait, it’s not on there yet either. Jamie? …)
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