SPOORS

THE SCIENCE GROUP released two albums including their debut "Mere Coincidence" from 1999 and the followup "Spoors" from 2003. The core trio are back including band leader and composer Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer who plays keyboards and uses a sampler. We get Chris Cutler on drums, Bob Drake on bass while Mike Johnson from THINKING PLAGUE replaces Fred Frith on guitars. Drake by the way adds some guitar and drums like he did on the debut plus organ here. There is a guest credited with drums on the opening track named Bos Cutke and that is actually Bob Drake. Apparently Cutler wasn't into playing the standard main section on that opener so Bob did that while Chris is on the hi-hat.

This is some complex and difficult music people! Even Mike Johnson mentioned it was one of the more difficult albums he's played on. Bob Drake engineered, mixed and mastered this recording. The music is divided into four sections each with a sub-title. It's all instrumental unlike the debut which had a female vocalist and someone playing bass clarinet, so a six piece. I'm leaning to the debut as my favourite but both are solid 4 star records in my avant world. I love that they are called THE SCIENCE GROUP with Stevan going into his lab and creating all of this stuff then bringing in some like-minded musicians to help him deliver it.

I have a top five and of the three tracks on the opening section called "Timelines" I like "Timeline 5" the best. I'm not big on Tickmayer playing his piano like a drum set like on the opening track but overall this is a top five song. I like the organ and guitar on this one and Bob digs deep with that rickenbaker 4001 bass of his. The next section is called "New Indents" and "Dance Of The Arguments" makes my top five out of that. I like the tempo changes the most on this one.

I have no top five songs on the next section but that last one called "Old And New Paths" I have three so it does end very well in my opinion. That three track run that includes "Niska Banja", "Tractate" and "The Garden Of Forking Paths". Just over ten minutes of music in total and I did think of THINKING PLAGUE on the last of those three tunes. The closer is the longest at 8 1/2 minutes and just outside of my top five but a good one where Cutler impresses.

Not one I will return to often but man what an album! Just sit back and listen to some of the most difficult music around. I know I would value this more if it had no piano or at least Fender Rhodes.