To: idm-reviews-owner@techno.Stanford.EDU
From: jrarmstrong@uccs.edu
Subject: Rappoon's "Raising Earthly Spirits"
Well, thanks to my being essentially exiled from alt.rave (thanks
in big part to a friend of mine who basically posted a message telling every=
one to "fuck off and die
I've relegated myself to this list! Now you all can savor my writing talents
to their fullest. :) Anyway..
Rappoon "Raising Earthly Spirits" (Staalplaat)
(1) Alchiva (2) Ochre (3) Djang (4) Awi (5) Snake Belly
(6) Akkurra (7) Sky Heroes
Rappoon seems to be the current project of ex-Zoviet Francer (?)
Robin Storey. At any rate, Staalplaat's reputation for bizarre packaging
is furthered with this release - a silkscreened balsa wood CD case?! It
sure is nice, even though it won't fit in my CD rack.
Contrary to what the song titles might suggest, this isn't really
another excursion into the currently ever-so-popular techno meets world
dub/drone music genre. Sure, there are quite a few ghitams and tablas to
be found here, but they aren't really the focus of the songs.
This is one of those releases that is *very* hard to describe as
it doesn't fit in with any widely known musical genre. To those familiar
with Zoviet France, comparisons might be drawn: loops that you listen to
for an entire song with realizing they are loops, and sounds, laden with
effects, that drift in and out. You have no idea whether it's a chopped
up FX'ed out guitar, synth, or an alien bird call culled from another galaxy.
All of the sounds are _very_ earthy, even though they really bear no resem=
blance to anything you've ever heard before.
Like all drone music, this stuff is extremely involving yet almost
boring at the same time. To me, there are some groups (notably the Hafler
Trio) who make sound unsuitable for any sort of utilitarian purpose: You
can't dance to it, read to it, or zone out on drugs to it. All you can
do is pay attention. For those of us into sounds, I can't think of a better
addition to your CD collection.. but if you're the type who thinks Seefeel
or MBV is just "endless repetitive noise" you'll probably be bored senseless..