SUNROOF! Sad Frog Wind (Giardia) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Everyone is all excited about the discovery of lost sixties documents of drone, and rightfully so, with new archival releases from Tony Conrad and John Cale. But historical significance aside, the sound is not all that satisfying for the modern drone connoisseur: whiny, reedy wavering squeals. Hopefully musical archivists in 2030 will discover lost recordings of Sunroof! and lavish the same sort of praise on Sunroof!'s Matthew Bower. Doubtful.
Probably the only modern master of the organic drone (you know, played by an actual person, or a band, no laptops, no 'processing'), utilising mostly guitars, but also occasionaly reeds and other more exotic instruments, Bower has been droning since we were tots, in Skullflower, Total, and now Sunroof! Sunroof! being by far the most accessible. Bower is some how able to harness high end skree, that would normally be harsh and grating, into shimmering washes of crystalline drones. This latest lp is by far the most fully realised and breathtakingly beautiful piece of drone-music that we've heard. One side is an epic 20 minute wash of oscillating harmonics, guitars ringing and feeding back, gently tinkling chimes. Ghostly and totally captivating. Intensely powerful but somehow totally soothing and serene. The other side is a darker, more monochromatic wash of guitar hum and ground buzz, fluctuating and shifting, creating a subtle soundscape of blurred and static-y midrange.
Absolutely incredible.