JUNE OF 44

In the Fishtank is comprised of a series of EPs that were produced by independent music distributor Konkurrent from the Netherlands. These EPs were each done by different bands that were invited to participate. The bands would record original music for these EPs and were given 2 days worth of studio time to come up with the material for each EP. Most of the EPs were either recorded by one or two individual bands. Some of the bands that were invited to participate in the project were "Tortoise", "Sonic Youth", "June of 44", "Motorpsycho", "Jaga Jazzist" and "Isis" among many others.

"In the Fishtank #6" consists of 6 tracks by the very versatile math rock band "June of 44". Even though June of 44 is not a well-known band in the archives, they are nevertheless quite well-revered. They were a collective from 1994 to 2000, lived in different cities and made music that overall was considered post/math rock, but created music that was quite experimental and delved into jazz and ambient dub music. They have been compared to "Tortoise", "Slint" and Will Oldham. One thing for certain, they are definitely an under-appreciated band, and this "In the Fishtank" album proves it.

Pregenerate - Fades in slowly with an ambient drone and shimmering guitars that become more distinct and heavy as it flows along. After a few minutes, the sound gets less noisy before the throbbing percussion comes in bringing in groaning feedback from the guitars.

Generate - The previous track ends with weird warbly effects which flows into this track which begins with a more direct beat and off-kilter funk. Airy vocals begin giving it a verse/chorus structure which makes it a bit more accessible, but by no means in a easy-listening way. The funky bass and guitar capitalize on the steady beat at first, but this soon starts to dissemble when it slows down getting a bit dreamy, but then speeds back to its original tempo and the vocals begin again. This is the only track with vocals, by the way.

Henry's Revenge - A nice, laid-back pattern is established and headed over by a mellow guitar melodic line. There is a cool organ playing softly behind it all that gives it a somewhat psychedelic feel. The electronic beat effects also add to the dreaminess of this track, but throw things off a bit to make it all just a tad uncomfortable and the sudden ending is a bit unsettling, but effective.

Modern Hereditary Dance Steps - This one goes for a heavy and uptempo style, but the guitars and effects give it all a unique feel. Repeated noises and effects swirl around the heavy guitar and the rhythm varies a bit and then finally settle in to a strong, loud and heavy groove. This is a cool mix of space and math rock styles that should appeal to listeners of both genres.

Every Free Day a Good Day - Begins with an interesting, off-kilter beat and a great bass line which drives it forward, though a bit haphazardly, which in this case, is a good thing. Wailing and whining guitars weave around the rhythm section making this quite the experimental-psycho-funk track.

Degenerate - Finally we are at the last of the loosely-joined "Generate" trio of songs and also the last track of the EP. It begins quite ambient with shimmery guitars again, but a rolling drum pattern comes in and pushes the echoing guitars forward. A nice bass line comes in later to help ground the entire thing as great guitar effects take the center stage of it all, even so much as to help accent the rhythm, but also to provide the psychedelic element to the track.

This is actually quite an enjoyable EP and one that you wish was longer. The tracks are all based around the math rock style, but there are so many elements of other styles that it is often hard to pick that out. It is experimental, but also strives to push for a degree of accessibility, which I think it pulls off quite well. There is plenty of variety here, even if all of the tracks except one are all instrumental. This "In the Fishtank" project had a way of pushing artists to see how inventive they could be in a short amount of time and June of 44 definitely proved that they could make some excellent music when under the pressure to do it in a short time period. It's also a good way for a listener to be introduced to bands without having to invest a lot of time or money. This one is highly recommended.

June of 44 is labeled as a post rock/math rock band. Their music is inspired by the band "Slint" and also has some similarity to "Tortoise" at times when they add in some experimental elements. They are originally from 4 other alternative bands, of which I have never listened to, let alone even barely heard of. They disbanded in 1999, shortly after the release of this album, which is a shame, because their music is definitely interesting. They definitely have that math/post rock sound with vocals that are very post-punk sounding. The lead vocalist plays bass, keyboards and trumpet, and yes you do hear that trumpet come in there at times, which makes for a nice change of pace from what you come to expect from this type of band.

A while back, I was introduced to the band by finding a used copy of their EP "The Anatomy of Sharks". I found the EP very interesting and intriguing and decided to check out some of their other music. What I noticed first of all on this album, is that the songs seem to have a similar mid tempo beat which is very pronounced. The vocals are a lot more punkish sounding here and a lot more prominent, but they are also less emotional than on the EP. The music is also more accessible than from what I have heard from them previously.

"Wear Two Eyes - Boom" starts out interestingly enough with an introduction that is somewhat repetitive and vocals don't start until the 2:30 minute mark. The trumpet is featured in this one, probably not as much as I would like to hear, but it keeps the interest high through the first track. However, the same basic beat continues through the next two tracks, with nothing really standing out in these tracks. The beat is solid, but starting to wear thin.

"Equators to Bi-Polar" is the 4th track, and shows more promise as it leads off with a lot of percussion. We finally start to detect some "Tortoise" influence at this point. The vocals eventually join in later, and they are more breathy than previously. This is a welcome change in this track. The trumpet that comes in later is once again a nice surprise and brings in the variety that was needed previously. "Recorded Syntax" sounds more like shoegaze, with a constant tapping beat and non-dynamic vocals. This is a boring song that goes on like this for 5 minutes. The only saving grace is the guitar interplay, but it doesn't last long enough to save this track.

Chiyoko Yoshida is guest vocalist for the next track "Southeast of Boston". She sings along with the lead singer and lends some variety to the song. Vibes are prevalent throughout and they give some personality and contrast to the song. But it continues with that shoegaze feeling and some dynamics would be useful at this point. The vocals are stronger on "Five Bucks in My Pocket", but that heavy mid tempo beat is back. At least in this track, the tempo is accentuated with a wood block at times. Later on, there is a funky keyboard sound added, which livens things up for a short time. This makes for an interesting contrast that I like. It's also more progressive as it continues. Up to this point, there is not a lot of progressiveness to the music.

The last track is also very progressive, and this is what was sorely missed on the previous tracks. Not only is the track over 15 minutes long, but it actually gives back some hope that the band still has that inventive and experimental edge. This is the only track that I would consider math or post rock. The "Slint" inspiration is finally apparent on this song. There is also some time for the track to breathe, develop and leave a lasting impression. The vocals are still without dynamics, but it doesn't matter in this case because everything else is top notch. Around the 5 minute mark, rhythm stops altogether, and things become very psychedelic as the trumpet joins in and echoing guitars flow around the brassiness. Just as you think this is turning into filler material though, things quiet down and become ambient and free floating and slowly fades out. It fades back in soon now becoming very drone-like.

I really miss the dynamics and emotions that were more prevalent in their earlier material. Except for a few highlights, this album is just too accessible, trying to bring post-punk singing into a more radio friendly sound. The last two tracks are more progressive and sound more like their adventurous music from previous albums, but it is too little too late. If the entire album was like the last two tracks, this would have easily been 4 and maybe even 5 stars. As it is though, after going through the rest of the album, you start to wonder if the last two tracks were an accident. Fortunately, having heard the band's past work, I do know that it's no accident. It's too bad that they had to lose the aspects that made their music so interesting previously on their last album. Yeah it's good, but it's just not interesting enough to be higher than 3 stars.

I cannot compare this EP with any of the bands other recordings because, quite honestly, this is the only recording of theirs that I have heard. But I must say that I was quite impressed even from the first listen. Post rock is definitely the correct subgenre for this music. There are definite leanings and inspiration from both Slint and Tortoise. What you won't hear is much to compare is with Explosions in the Sky or Red Sparrowes . In the first track the build ups are quick, the tempo changes and dynamic changes are much more often than either of those bands and sometimes they are even instant with no warning or build up. I like this because the song does not wear out it's welcome and stays interesting throughout it's 11+ minutes of playtime. There are also vocals in the first track. The vocals are a little harsh, but I think they fit the music well and don't seem out of place. The musicianship is excellent. The 2nd track is all instrumental with the percussion being the focus that carries the same basic rhythm throughout with some jazzy brass weaving throughout the beat and the bass. Very Tortoise- like to me, but they handle the style very well. The last track has a nice guitar hook and some interesting and tricky percussion. There are vocals in this track also, though they start out a little more subdued until things start getting a little more dramatic. But I never did find the vocals going overboard obnoxious for very long. Again, the dissonant vocals never seem out of place. Again in this track, there are sudden dynamic and tempo changes, but they are a little more predictable here because they almost follow a chorus/verse format.....not quite, but almost. Anyway, from this little taste of the band, I definitely think it is worth checking out their other work (whenever I get the chance). Excellent addition to any post rock lover's library mostly because they challenge the subgenre's usual formulas.