post-rock / noise
 |  Support Merchants Of Air Check out our THISISNOTABANDSHIRT collection |
What if musical genres could get mentally ill? What if they somehow could suffer a severe trauma which alters their personality or, in this case, gives it a few extra personalities? Schizophrenia would probably be what this album is diagnosed with, or multiple personality disorder. In music-review language however, that would be translate to 'weird', 'versatile' and 'there-a-lot-going-one-here'.
French trio Hoax Hoax somehow managed to create one of the most alienating pieces of post-rock I've ever heard. One of the grittiest too, if I may add. Founded in 2012, these guys have been influenced by the likes of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Can and Shellac but I guess I'd like to add some more names into that mix. Melvins for instance, or Neurosis. Or how about Tortoise, Zu or Dead Neanderthals?
The album opens with 'Huacos', which starts out as a noise post-rock song and ends like a post-noise anthem (if that exists). Then, the level of experimentality is raised to a level of 'what???'. 'Ablution' drives on a bassline which sounds like Primus on LSD, aided in its strangeness by free jazz drums and shrieking guitars. By this time, I'm convinced that on stage these guys would be just impressive and in-your-face as Melt Banana is.
From there the album rages on with plenty of intensity, complex song structures and awe-inspiring hooks. Although these are huge tracks, the shortest one lasting for about seven minutes, they change, alter, become melodic or noisy, jazzy again in 'Cerro Torre'. Often the cohesion between the different elements seems to be completely lost but then suddenly, the whole turns into something highly immersive again.
Since we're freely throwing band names around, I have to mention Black Dice. Although the musical is totally different, both bands have this chaotic approach where harsh noises are just as welcome as melodic passages. For me, this approach to music usually doesn't work on CD but is always a blast live. I'm quite certain now that I want to see these guys at the next edition of Incubate festival.
To set the record straight, I mentioned that this music usually doesn't work on CD but in this case it certainly does. These are probably some of the most adventurous songs I've ever heard and it's great to explore all the different sounds. This music could stun, surprise and awe post-rock fans, noise-rock adepts and heavy jazz faddists alike and since I am actually all three of them, this album goes straight into my every day playlist.
Serge
French trio Hoax Hoax somehow managed to create one of the most alienating pieces of post-rock I've ever heard. One of the grittiest too, if I may add. Founded in 2012, these guys have been influenced by the likes of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Can and Shellac but I guess I'd like to add some more names into that mix. Melvins for instance, or Neurosis. Or how about Tortoise, Zu or Dead Neanderthals?
The album opens with 'Huacos', which starts out as a noise post-rock song and ends like a post-noise anthem (if that exists). Then, the level of experimentality is raised to a level of 'what???'. 'Ablution' drives on a bassline which sounds like Primus on LSD, aided in its strangeness by free jazz drums and shrieking guitars. By this time, I'm convinced that on stage these guys would be just impressive and in-your-face as Melt Banana is.
From there the album rages on with plenty of intensity, complex song structures and awe-inspiring hooks. Although these are huge tracks, the shortest one lasting for about seven minutes, they change, alter, become melodic or noisy, jazzy again in 'Cerro Torre'. Often the cohesion between the different elements seems to be completely lost but then suddenly, the whole turns into something highly immersive again.
Since we're freely throwing band names around, I have to mention Black Dice. Although the musical is totally different, both bands have this chaotic approach where harsh noises are just as welcome as melodic passages. For me, this approach to music usually doesn't work on CD but is always a blast live. I'm quite certain now that I want to see these guys at the next edition of Incubate festival.
To set the record straight, I mentioned that this music usually doesn't work on CD but in this case it certainly does. These are probably some of the most adventurous songs I've ever heard and it's great to explore all the different sounds. This music could stun, surprise and awe post-rock fans, noise-rock adepts and heavy jazz faddists alike and since I am actually all three of them, this album goes straight into my every day playlist.
Serge
