SUPERDENSECRUSHLOADFACTOR

I've been putting this off for a while, but finally I'm ready to give a rundown on another great Superdense record. An important caveat to note is that this is not so much a great prog indie record, like "One In The Flood" was, but a great indie record that maintains a few of the avant-prog sensibilities we've come to expect from Gabe. But, yes, it's a great one; he's tightened the already excellent lo-fi rock stylings and achieved some of the best flow between tracks he's ever had. It altogether feels like a fresh, strange, and ultimately deconstructed throwback to the kind of American indie of the '90's, especially Duster and Pavement. The production and the simplicity of instrument choice lend well to the total feeling of the album, and the playing is as ever superb. My favourite track would have to be the particularly Duster-esque "Silence", but even with the title track's guitar tones making some other listeners feel as if the idea behind that particular track falls apart, there's nothing even approaching bad. Very, very great.

Really a neat one, my love.

Thanks to my great friend and a superb solo artist Gabe BULLER for letting me know such a killa. He's a nice guy and simultaneously a magician with multiple instruments and fruitful soundscape, that would be certified by this creation.

Actually the first acoustic shot "Sleepin' All Through The Day" knocked me down completely. A cynical message against such a terribly hard world along with his inner space, this safe and sound song seems to give me. "Discoveries Made During The Flight" is an acoustic guitar-based multidimensional flight for the clear blue sky ... swift alteration of his melodic and rhythmic appearances sounds fantastic and gives me kinda comfort. Quite amazing and impressive, if SDCLF be not a solo project. "Silence", followed by a similar one "Even Though I'm Awake", is a temporarily monotone swing around some lazy atmosphere ... sounds like he's upset not to realize why such a silence around'em. In "Authentic" I can hear his resistance against the golden road, back to his "nonauthentic" guitar phrases ... why not kicking authentic away, he might say, maybe I'm wrong meh.

"Mean", another instrumental one seasoned with kaleidoscopic, randomized percussive sound tensions. Such a distorted strategy of his should be pretty appreciated definitely, and his lovely punk punctures can be heard via this short one. Also in the following stuff "Grey"or "Staring At The Moon" (where crazy warped synth footprints can be touched), he would scatter controversial sound shower and squeeze some pieces into my ears. Not simply a pure acoustician but also a critical cynical creator. "Chicken" reminds me of his mischievous and wonderful thoughts produced over there. Pleasantly fly over the green forest but suddenly stumble upon a tough real life, I imagine? Sounds like the last "Words Can't Say" might be thought as his depressive side of the mind balloon, which should be very fragile even by a poor man like me, simply with distressed guitar phrases.

Not fully innovative nor incredible, but this "nonauthentic" playful album is not bad really methinks. My love, again let me say.

A motley collection ambient pieces, synth tracks, jazz themes, and acoustic guitar work that manages to be altogether excellent. The album makes up for its disparity of styles by having great flow, as "The Beatles", "Double Nickels On The Dine", and "Corvus Stone II" taught us. The ambient tracks are calm, relaxing affairs on the warm side of the genre. The synths play nice, complex melodies and long, ethereal tones. Jazz sounds make a comeback here, for the longest time neglected by Buller. And the guitar is played like a sitar, much as Superdense did with mandolins for the longest time. The album is mainly in the light, but "Snarl Pet" and a couple other tracks go into darker territory, and with it buck the album's hi-fi production for the kind of muddy sound quality that makes darkness even darker. "Snarl Pet" also allows Buller to show off his bass skills for once. As usual for Buller, all the instruments are played great, and the composition and ideas here are well put together and executed. Just another perfect and unique record from Superdense, this should please avant prog fans.

A long, slow, strange work from Superdense, a masterwork of dark and avant garde takes on several genres. From the preceding record, "One In The Flood", the acoustic side of that avant garage was kept, but now there is plenty of use of dark ambient if not even also some post rock, and very importantly much more in the way of noise. Strikingly with the noise, a lot of it sounds like it came off of Whitehouse's "Birthdeath Experience"... Hmmm... The album is mainly the sitar sounding mandolin playing forlorn sounds, a respite from the periods of eerie isolationism calm and the strange static like that of "On Top". A bit of post rock sounding electric guitar greets us on "Research and Case Studies", but it drops in and out, ever going down in tone, in what is the really unsettling part of the work. It is also paired with distant bells, sealing the deal on the chill factor. Another great work of dark avant, Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, X-TG, and Bass Communion fans will most of all love this eerie masterpiece.

Gabe Buller pulled off a spectacular album here, and impressively this is an album that in construction is simple, but in performance comes out wonderfully complex and odd. The style he works with on this record is essentially a progressive take on the White Stripes half of the garage rock revival: pretty much working with guitar and drums only, pretty rough, loud, and lo-fi, and from the start willing to do all sorts of irregular, noisy, and strange things with the guitar. Buller mainly works with drums, acoustic and electric guitars, and a curiously played mandolin, but with his proggy and avant garde tendencies he makes a smashing piece of avant garage prog. "Stakes" opens with the closest Buller would put himself to "Icky Thump", and also includes elements of noise. Some of the vocals are quite strange and noisy here. Beyond, it's mostly prog garage's take on acoustic pieces, ever crazed and off. That curiously played mandolin is the real show stealer outside of the opening track, sounding like nothing else you've ever heard in your life, maybe closest to a sitar played by a drunken demon. Buller, push comes to shove, takes a few of the already art friendly genres and styles of indie music and makes them particularly experimental and complex. Not just recommended for avant prog fans, but also to indie kids who love The Black Keys and The Flaming Lips in equal measure.

It doesn't happen often in a one-man project, that the man is mainly a drummer. Usually one- man projects are keyboardists who make good use of sequencers or at least guitarists or bassists.

In this case we have an excellent drummer sometimes able to compose good melodies, but this is not his first purpose, with a good experimental attitude that is evident since from the first track, with an acoustic guitar (I suppose it is) played with something like a zippo, a kind of sound almost recurrent, together with the guitar strings played above the bridge and untuning the string to pick up the right note...something that a guitarist would find horrible to do.

But what has surprised me more is the fact that even between the dissonances and sometimes the noise of a heavy distorted guitar we can appreciate structures and melodies which may have granted a place for this project even in the post-rock subgenre, but the most impressive thing is the drumming. It's not the usual "play something and I'll drum on it" in which even most famous players have fell into (I think to Carl Palmer on Works). On this album the drumming is totally integrated with the other instruments and sometimes is the "zippo on guitar" which provides the rhythmic base. In particular the tracks from 3 to 7 are the core of the album and should be listened in sequence.

In brief, not an easy album as usual within Avant music, but not too challening for newbies. Just get used to the kind of sounds utilized, including the zippo, and this album will reveal itself also to whom is not much used with this kind of things.

Being a one-man band has its ups and downs. On the up side, you have total control of what comes out and how it's realized. On the down side, you actually need to come up with all the parts and be able to play them - not live, but overdubbing yourself in a manner that hopefully still sounds natural and loose. It's on this latter point that Gabe Buller, the one-man band in question, especially impresses me. While this album doesn't really sound like a live band, there's a sense of interplay between the parts that gives the impression of a band of individuals playing off each other. Each song is very tightly structured (it has to be, for a project like this), but also very unpredictable, fresh, and presents a natural flow of ideas -- each song is Going Somewhere.

That said, the opening track is a bit misleading and off-putting. "That One With Gapeworm" opens the album deceptively with a repeated, comical guitar figure that merely serves to tell the listener: "warning: this album may be a bit weird." Happily, though, the extended two-part second track, "Vandalize Stock Photos", presents Superdensecrushloadfactor in a better light. This rambling, relaxed track has such a cool sound to it. Consisting mostly of acoustic guitar and drum kit, it feels almost as if the jazzy drums are playing the melody. It reminds a little bit of the junkyard jazz sound of prime Sun City Girls.

Each succeeding track offers a slightly different take on this approach. "Subliminals Repeat Until They Become Blatant" contrasts midtempo acoustic sections with fast metallic electric guitar sections. "Key to the City" and "Progress" are both brief sung pieces, still complex but putting on just a little bit of a "pop song" sheen. "Oppressed Ones Take to the Tyrant With an Axe" (where does he get these titles?) gives the bass guitar center stage, a very oblong avant-rock piece that reminded me of some of the instrumental sections from Beefheart's "Lick My Decals off, Baby" album - listen to this piece while thinking of Rockette Morton's work on "Bellerin' Plain", for example. After a brief acoustic interlude, the album finishes with the energetic, optimistic title track, kind of a 3 minute recap of what the album is about. A nice ending.

My favorite things about this album are the rhythmic complexity (albums that are hard to count along with are always fun to try to figure out) and the way he develops the pieces in a way that makes sense yet remains unpredictable and exciting. The home-demo quality of the recording holds my overall rating back somewhat, but do realize that this is good, imaginative composition which offers no end of surprises. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 certainly. While when I first published this review I leaned towards a 3, further listenings have upped it to a 4.

Avant tranquility.

Had I not known that Superdensecrushloadfactoid were compiled of unreleased tracks, I would've assumed that it were just an EP, the next step in Superdensecrushloadfactor's (so far) short but delightful discography. Ultimately, this really does sound like a rather effective EP effort than tracks that didn't make it onto, or possibly weren't seen as good enough for, the two previous albums. Regardless, it's nice to see that these tracks now see the light of day.

Though this compilation does share the same DIY recording production as the previous two albums, the overall mood is a bit different. Personally, my absolutely favorite moments on Decease Estates were the quiet, emotional passages that felt like a more organic, authentic, and interesting version of emo heavyweights American Football. Almost as a gift from the heavens, Superdensecrushloadfactoid is a 23-minute expansion on that one sound -- not short enough to feel insignificant, but not long enough to feel one- note. The production and the effects used on the instrumentation (and overall submerged- in-water feel) remind me of the sound on Boris' beautiful droney post-rock epic, Flood. In fact, the guitar solo on "No More Ordeals" shows a similar fuzzy tone to that of Wata (Boris), and the two-part "Needles" suite uses echoed guitar loops not unlike those used by Robert Fripp.

There is a bit of a post-rock influence on this album, but, again, the songs aren't long enough to get boring but aren't short enough to seem pointless -- they're right in the middle, just perfect as little vignettes of emotionally charged composed sound.

One thing that might be missed by fans on this release is the powerful drum sound of the previous albums -- on this compilation, there are only two songs with percussion (one of which, "Fftsta", is entirely tribal solo hand percussion). "Sterile Rooms", a super- condensed mini-epic of sorts with five parts in under three minutes, is the other track with percussion and is the closest to sounding like material on previous albums. It serves as a great introduction to the album, starting off with a familiar style, before diving into the remaining tranquility. Even then, though, "Dilapidation Log" is quite a dark, atmospheric, acoustic track with a droning low note that is slightly unnerving and anxious, before the "Needles" suite lays down a dreamy soundscape. The most unnerving part of this release, however, is the "Emotional SONG", a short dissonant soundtrack to a grotesque haunted circus that nearly made me jump out of my seat, recoiling as a reflex to the potential horror which may have been set loose upon my fragile mind. Fortunately, "Sedge" works a great acoustic-based closer that fits my emotional requirements. When I hear it, my mind paints a picture of sitting on the edge of a mountain, overlooking the misty tops at dawn and the rivers below.

Despite being a short collection of unreleased tracks, this compilation works well as a tranquil EP counterpart to Superdensecrushloadfactor's previous two albums, confirming my belief that Gabe Buller is as well versed in pure emotion as he is in complex, avant-garde composition.

Superdensecrushloadfactor is a relatively new musical project brainchild of Australian multi-instrumentalist mastermind Gabe Buller, and his second album, Decease Estates, is a very bizarre and eclectic foray into avant-progressive rock composition.

Upon first hearing the rattling, slithering guitar intro "That One With Gapeworm" that basically screams of oddity and goofiness, it should become apparent that this album is going to be different, but this intro serves as a strange mask that covers up the abstract beauty and avant-gardist tinges contained on further tracks. The beauty that I speak of is most noticeable on the second track "Vandalize Stock Photos", which starts out with powerfully played controlled-yet-loose, impressionistic drumming accompanying an interesting guitar melody with hints of traditional Chinese music (whether this was intentional or not, I am unsure). After a bright and slightly dissonant solo guitar bridge section, the song becomes led by an emotionally affecting, nearly post-rock acoustic guitar melody accompanied by equally emotional drumming, and together sounds similar the '90s classic emo sound of American Football but with more sincere playing and sans- whiny vocals. This song alone is very much worth the time it takes to download this album and is one of the most beautiful progressive songs I've heard in recent memory.

And after that beauty, of course, comes a sludgy, gnarly beast of a tune -- "Subliminals Repeat Until They Become Blatant" blasts off with a barrage of sludgy avant-metal riffing and wild percussion before bright lounge-jazz guitar playing take over, which is slightly similar in flavor to some of the more difficult moments on Yes's unique Relayer album, though done more tastefully, in my opinion. But as an 11-minute long progressive monster, things don't stay the same for long, as more hard-hitting metal riffing and bright jazzy clean tones constantly change places while powerful, interesting drumming fill the peripheral spots with a considerably sharp but stylistically unique edge.

The next two tracks, "Key to the City" and "Progress", are complex avant-prog pop songs that are as catchy as they are musically intriguing, showing shades of influence from the diverse Cheer-Accident. "Oppressed Ones Take to the Tyrant With an Axe" in another progressive mini-epic that marks the return of dense, sludgy guitar and bass and dark imperialistic drumming. This 9-minute track is dark and grimy throughout and really lives up to it's sinister title. The title-track finale is a return to the off-kilter beauty displayed earlier in the album, but with enhanced with a well-deserved sense of strength and pride.

Something very noticeable about this album is the very DIY production sound, which gives Decease Estates a very earthy, organic sound that is usually only reserved for indie rock and black metal, but it works very well with this style of music. Specifically, the production on the drums sound amazing, resulting in a sound that is almost like Gabe Buller is intimately playing his kit within your physical vicinity, for you personally, and each individual drum and cymbal is distinguishable from the others. Everything just sounds so real, which is very refreshing in a time when most modern music is so overproduced and digital sounding. The musicianship on this album is also incredible -- never outwardly flashy playing, but always sonically interesting in a way that helps along each composition from start to end in sounding like finished, comprehensive pieces of modern musical art.

I'm at a loss when trying to compare Superdensecrushloadfactor's Decease Estates to other artists and albums, but the best comparisons that I can think of are like a more lo-fi version of maudlin of the Well's Bath, Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, and Cheer-Accident's Introducing Lemon, but it still stands on its own as a unique avant-garde progressive rock album that leaves me personally hungering for more. Decease Estates is a unique and innovative album, one of the best avant-styled albums in recent memory, and you'd be doing yourself a favor by checking it out.

"Decease Estates" is the latest project from Superdensecrushloadfactor, a multi instrumentalist Avant prog artist, Gabe Buller. On this followup album Gabe again composed and produced the album using a 4 track recorder. He plays drums, guitar, bass, keyboards and mandolin and all vocals are courteous of his good self. His music is atmospheric RIO jazz fusion improvised using primarily guitars. This album resonated with me as a break from all the symphonic and Heavy Prog I have been listening to lately, and as an Avant album it is refreshing that it is not focussed on disturbing the listener.

'That One With Gapeworm' begins things with a repeated guitar phrase that locks in as an estranged slide guitar is heard moaning underneath. Simple structures of music make a fun way to begin proceedings and the twanging mandolin is a nice way to merge into the next piece of weirdness.

'Vandalize Stock Photos' is a lengthy piece with some outstanding free form drumming. A melodic mandolin motif chimes in giving the listener something to latch onto that may resemble an actual tune. The Avant approach is definitely present throughout but it is still accessible due to a high emphasis on creating an atmosphere that at times feels Oriental. Once again the drums are sporadic and delightfully urgent and off kilter especially the timpani and high hat interplay. The music continues with some acoustic that almost sounds like the guitar is out of tune, but I love how it is consistent in putting together chords that should not go together naturally, but Gabe makes them feel natural.

'Subliminals Repeat Until They Become Blatant' begins with some static that reminded me of Godspeed You! Black Emperor for a moment. There is quite a dark feel with the insertion of heavy notes that are dissonant and compete with natural figures. The metrical shapes on percussion are more consistent but still rough around the edges. Later the guitars are distorted and the heavier approach is welcome after all the jangly jazz playing. The drums really crash down hard and balance off the metal riffing.

'Key to the City" is a shorter blast of dissonance with off kilter guitars and augmented with vocals that are surprising after all the instrumentation. The vocals are processed and filtered giving it an unearthly sound.

'Progress' is a real strange one with actual vocals and lyrics that are esoteric. The lead break is all over the place with a rhythm that is consistent but the guitar sound is more like The Residents. I like the twin lead guitar at the end and this actually feels more like a song and therefore wonderfully out of place. The diversity of the album is compelling as one never knows what to expect next.

On cue the next track 'Oppressed Ones Take to the Tyrant With an Axe' (great song title), returns to the dissonance with sliding guitars sounding like a bottle pressed against the strings. The rhythm is fractured and again it reminds me of The Residents sound, minus the bizarre vocals. The guitar plucking in the middle is disjointed free form and very laid back, not even keeping to a time signature. It feels improvised but still keeps to the main melody, and it takes up most of the song, but I was waiting for the axe to come down. Sure enough, eventually drums crash in without warning and blast away with hyper speed and some lead guitar licks. After this shock of sound, it again settles into a nice relaxed style to finish off before cutting off abruptly.

'Vandalise Stock Photos in Your Sleep' is a very short 52 second piece dominated by acoustic finger picking. It makes a nice transition into the title track.

'Decease Estates' is the last track and the experimental jazz feel is strong. Guitars play switching from acoustic fingering to crunches of distortion. The drumming keeps a steady tempo for a while and then the cadence speeds up considerably. The track is one of the heaviest with the crashing drums and metal distortion.

Overall this is a solid Avant jazz fusion album with enough diversity to hold the interest. It is great to see that artists are maintaining an original approach to music these days, and it should appeal to those who are into experimental Avant music with strong atmospheric resonance.