STATIC MOTION

Great new album from the Swiss minimalist rock band Sonar & their first on Cuneiform. Hopefully this will give them a broader audience particularly in North America. I struggle to fit them into a genre, which is often a good thing, as they have a pretty unique sound.

Their most obvious influences are probably Nik Bartsch's Ronin, Dawn Of Midi and Brandt Brauer Frick, all of whom show influences from Steve Reich and Phillip Glass' 20th century minimalism. Where they differ from these bands is with their rock edge. They are a two guitar, bass & drums straight setup which gives them a basic heavy edge.

All the tracks feature the locked in groove with overlapping patterns of tri-tone C & F# piling layer upon layer. This is music to disappear in as it takes you to a trance like space. Highly recommended for fans of minimalism & rock.

"...Sonar's idiosyncratic sound world...once you are in, you don't want to leave..." ? Nik Bärtsch (pianist, composer and ECM recording artist)

"Had MC Escher made music instead of drawing his famously impossible and perplexing perspectives, it would sound like Sonar." ? Sid Smith, Prog Magazine