8 ARMED MONKEY

A difficult and burdensome effort from Pat Mastelotto's experimental quartet which features the accordion as a lead instrument, KTU's '8 Armed Monkey' will try the patience of many. It may also challenge, enthrall and surprise. That depends on the listener, but there's certainly no lack of commitment on these five cuts averaging 9 minutes each. The whole affair is rather moody, emotionally deceptive and even playful, often giving us something we don't necessarily need to be hearing. The terribly gradual 'Sumu' or the disturbed orator in 'Optikus', with Samuli Kosminen's bizarre voice samples and accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen's tortured yelling. But when paid closer attention there is something worthy here, something musical at least. At times the recording swallows us not unlike the atmospherics of Kayo Dot, Mogwai, even the post-Discipline Crims, though KTU is rarely as compelling. 'Sineen' with its quasi-industrialism and Tortoise-like layers of noise, rock drive of 'Absinthe' when Mastelotto's skills finally break through and we get a killer performance from Trey Gunn on WG, and slow snakecharming in 'Keho' where the soft pulse of the earth generates some very strange things. Should this one go on your list? Probably not, but I give it points for at least trying to be a good collection of soundscapes and explorations of how music interacts with emotion.