Mahjongg
Kontpab- K. Records
Rating: 4/10
The first word that comes to mind when I think of the Chicago-based electronic band Mahjongg is “chameleon.” The band is in a constant state of change; tweaking their sound and altering their live shows to create new experiences for listeners. But alas, as all too many performers have learned, experimenting too much can often get in the way of creating good music.
Pontiac, the opening track on Kontpab begins in pretty standard Mahjongg fashion; with multiple percussion instruments banging away in unison creating an electronica-tribal kind of sound. Pontiac, while certainly an easy song to swallow, takes far too long to get to the point; the almost entirely instrumental track drones on for more than four minutes before reaching a “climactic conclusion”-why the quotes? that features a chorus occupied by what can only be described as three-piece combination of chanting, singing and mumbling. The next song, Problems, is far more appealing; the song’s foundation beat is both exquisite and dynamic. After weathering through a few minor hiccups in the middle of the song, Problems finishes off strongly with a brilliant synthesizer switch-up near the end of the track.
The fourth track on Kontpab is by far the most abstract. Tell the Police the Truth, which supposedly evokes the brutal realities of dealing with law enforcement, is one of the most laughable tracks on the album. Unlike the album’s first three songs, Tell the Police the Truth is really hard to listen to, as it contains an annoying stop-start rhythm, a Peter Frampton-like robot voice and, almost predictably, laser sound effects.
Leading off the second half of the album is Those Birds are Bats. When listened to outside the confines of Kontpab, Those Birds are Bats is incredibly vexing. However, when played in the context of the album, the track seems to carry more of a purpose. While the track is predominantly experimental, it heavily channels indie rock icons Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, specifically it taking notes from the song Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away.
Kontpab continues on through the next few tracks switching off between standard indie rock and extreme experimental sounds. One final thing worth noting about Kontpab is that the album does manage to establish some interesting symmetry between its nine tracks. The most prominent example of the album’s symmetric elements can be found at the beginning and end of Kontpab as the flow of the opening track, Pontiac, and that of the album’s closer Rise Rice match each other perfectly. While Kontpab lacks consistency and flow it does nothing to sacrifice the artistic integrity of Mahjongg. With a few minor exceptions, Kontpab is filled top to bottom with completely original and perhaps even ground-breaking material. But even though Kontpab is heavily infused with creativity, all the background static, robot voices, chanting, mumbling, and screaming prove to be just a little too chaotic for my taste.
Kontpab- K. Records
Rating: 4/10
The first word that comes to mind when I think of the Chicago-based electronic band Mahjongg is “chameleon.” The band is in a constant state of change; tweaking their sound and altering their live shows to create new experiences for listeners. But alas, as all too many performers have learned, experimenting too much can often get in the way of creating good music.
Pontiac, the opening track on Kontpab begins in pretty standard Mahjongg fashion; with multiple percussion instruments banging away in unison creating an electronica-tribal kind of sound. Pontiac, while certainly an easy song to swallow, takes far too long to get to the point; the almost entirely instrumental track drones on for more than four minutes before reaching a “climactic conclusion”-why the quotes? that features a chorus occupied by what can only be described as three-piece combination of chanting, singing and mumbling. The next song, Problems, is far more appealing; the song’s foundation beat is both exquisite and dynamic. After weathering through a few minor hiccups in the middle of the song, Problems finishes off strongly with a brilliant synthesizer switch-up near the end of the track.
The fourth track on Kontpab is by far the most abstract. Tell the Police the Truth, which supposedly evokes the brutal realities of dealing with law enforcement, is one of the most laughable tracks on the album. Unlike the album’s first three songs, Tell the Police the Truth is really hard to listen to, as it contains an annoying stop-start rhythm, a Peter Frampton-like robot voice and, almost predictably, laser sound effects.
Leading off the second half of the album is Those Birds are Bats. When listened to outside the confines of Kontpab, Those Birds are Bats is incredibly vexing. However, when played in the context of the album, the track seems to carry more of a purpose. While the track is predominantly experimental, it heavily channels indie rock icons Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, specifically it taking notes from the song Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away.
Kontpab continues on through the next few tracks switching off between standard indie rock and extreme experimental sounds. One final thing worth noting about Kontpab is that the album does manage to establish some interesting symmetry between its nine tracks. The most prominent example of the album’s symmetric elements can be found at the beginning and end of Kontpab as the flow of the opening track, Pontiac, and that of the album’s closer Rise Rice match each other perfectly. While Kontpab lacks consistency and flow it does nothing to sacrifice the artistic integrity of Mahjongg. With a few minor exceptions, Kontpab is filled top to bottom with completely original and perhaps even ground-breaking material. But even though Kontpab is heavily infused with creativity, all the background static, robot voices, chanting, mumbling, and screaming prove to be just a little too chaotic for my taste.
4 comments:
you are a fucking idiot
you seem stupid
Ah, the joys of anonymous comments.
you still seem really stupid, even though it's anon.
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