steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion


Coin Gutter

"Truth Lifting Up Its Head Above Scandals" CDR

Vanity Records

Genres: minimal, noise, ambient

e-mail the band

Sep 9 - 15 2002

GYBE!-esque album title + minimal cover art = pretentious bastards?

Hmm... perhaps. If it's possible for music itself to be pretentious, then this CD is it, but that isn't to say it's bad.

Truth Lifting... is, in fact, a very well-done release. Comprised of one long track, the album's sound never remains the same, continuously evolving into different shapes and sizes. We start with a high-pitched tone, jump into abrasive noise, go into ambient electronics, hit a few minutes of a light, repetitive beat, enter an atmosphere of dark, mechanical ambience, and so on and so forth. While this style may get tiresome at times, and will often beg the question "why not separate the different parts into different tracks??", it is still a mighty fine listen. It's like the GYBE! of minimalist sound-art - long, epic bouts of sound and mood. Likewise, it demands your full attention, which you may or may not be willing to give to a thirty six and a half minutes of noise and drones.

Parts of this sound like they belong on Raster-Noton, others would fit onto Extreme, and yet others could slip seamlessly into Mille Plateaux, so this really is a mixed minimal affair.  Those looking for a melodic or beat-oriented affair should stay away, but atmospheric ambient fans would be well-advised to lend an ear to Coin Gutter.

85%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 36 min 35 sec; 1 track; distributed by the label; released 2002]