Backnee Horn – III (2012) review
Backnee Horn “III” (Self-released, 2012)
Holy shit, Batman, what the hell is this? Two hours of
brain-rattling hypnosis spread across three slabs of vinyl, all the way from
Israel. Not particularly known for a vibrant psych scene (if you exclude the
inexplicably popular Goa trance movement which seems to go on forever, Israeli
psychedelia seems to have begun and ended nearly 50 years ago with The
Churchills), Backnee Horn fall closer to the communal insanity of Amon Düül,
Pärson Sound/International Harvester, and even The Mothers. Musical accompaniment
almost sounds like an afterthought to these spaced cadets, as many of the
extremely long tracks (half are over 13 minutes, with several approaching 20)
pair percussive effects and gurgling electronics with crazed howling and
chanting that suggests an hallucinogenic overload from too many, er, trips to
the spiked Kool Aid! The band describe their sound as “crazy extreme avant
garde gibberish.” On that, I cannot improve!
brain-rattling hypnosis spread across three slabs of vinyl, all the way from
Israel. Not particularly known for a vibrant psych scene (if you exclude the
inexplicably popular Goa trance movement which seems to go on forever, Israeli
psychedelia seems to have begun and ended nearly 50 years ago with The
Churchills), Backnee Horn fall closer to the communal insanity of Amon Düül,
Pärson Sound/International Harvester, and even The Mothers. Musical accompaniment
almost sounds like an afterthought to these spaced cadets, as many of the
extremely long tracks (half are over 13 minutes, with several approaching 20)
pair percussive effects and gurgling electronics with crazed howling and
chanting that suggests an hallucinogenic overload from too many, er, trips to
the spiked Kool Aid! The band describe their sound as “crazy extreme avant
garde gibberish.” On that, I cannot improve!
Alex
Furman’s synths, samples, effects, and noises are at the heart of the embryonic
journey to inner space that is ‘G or Go’, featuring Rudi J. on vocals,
harmonica and drums – a feat that gives new meaning to the term ambidextrous.
If you’ve ever seen Fantastic Voyage, you have an idea what it’s like to
journey through the bloodstream – now you know what it sounds like, although 20
minutes of this is an endurance test even the most patient listener may have
trouble conquering!
Furman’s synths, samples, effects, and noises are at the heart of the embryonic
journey to inner space that is ‘G or Go’, featuring Rudi J. on vocals,
harmonica and drums – a feat that gives new meaning to the term ambidextrous.
If you’ve ever seen Fantastic Voyage, you have an idea what it’s like to
journey through the bloodstream – now you know what it sounds like, although 20
minutes of this is an endurance test even the most patient listener may have
trouble conquering!
The
trio’s arsenal of sound effects, muffled (and backward) voices, tape loops, and
other paraphernalia is used to full effect on ‘Jaw Chic’, another exercise in
improvised mayhem that might give Faust and Einstürzende Neubauten fans a hard
on, but others should approach cautiously. ‘Votive’ sounds like it would sit
nicely on one of John Carpenter’s Halloween soundtracks – it’s spooky as hell
and best not appreciated alone in the dark, while ‘Fix Doodle’ is an exercise
in controlled patience, taking almost four minutes to erupt from a nearly
silent beginning to a stalking, hulking monstrous explosion – sort of like
floating in a sensory deprivation tank or in the middle of the universe before
blasting into hyperdrive in a burst of Tangerine Dreamish electronics. On the
other end of the musical spectrum, ‘Lit Bone’ is a relaxing respite that floats
along with a sense of suspended animation that suggests maybe the guys took the
title a little too seriously and decided to light up a few bones to steady
their nerves for the rest of the trip!
trio’s arsenal of sound effects, muffled (and backward) voices, tape loops, and
other paraphernalia is used to full effect on ‘Jaw Chic’, another exercise in
improvised mayhem that might give Faust and Einstürzende Neubauten fans a hard
on, but others should approach cautiously. ‘Votive’ sounds like it would sit
nicely on one of John Carpenter’s Halloween soundtracks – it’s spooky as hell
and best not appreciated alone in the dark, while ‘Fix Doodle’ is an exercise
in controlled patience, taking almost four minutes to erupt from a nearly
silent beginning to a stalking, hulking monstrous explosion – sort of like
floating in a sensory deprivation tank or in the middle of the universe before
blasting into hyperdrive in a burst of Tangerine Dreamish electronics. On the
other end of the musical spectrum, ‘Lit Bone’ is a relaxing respite that floats
along with a sense of suspended animation that suggests maybe the guys took the
title a little too seriously and decided to light up a few bones to steady
their nerves for the rest of the trip!
Rest
assured, you will not hear another release like this in a long time (and it’s
already two years old and has been superseded by their latest, a split LP with
German krautrockers Das Raumpiloten). It will definitely take some adjustment
of your linear notion of music, but can reward the more adventurous listener
eager to experience music, the likes of which they’ve rarely heard before. And
in this world of cookie cutter pop bands and retro-everything, that’s saying
something indeed!
assured, you will not hear another release like this in a long time (and it’s
already two years old and has been superseded by their latest, a split LP with
German krautrockers Das Raumpiloten). It will definitely take some adjustment
of your linear notion of music, but can reward the more adventurous listener
eager to experience music, the likes of which they’ve rarely heard before. And
in this world of cookie cutter pop bands and retro-everything, that’s saying
something indeed!
Review made by Jeff Penczak/2014
© Copyright http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2014
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