à rabrot, eit av landets mest spennande band om dagen, kjem i haust med tre utgivelsar pÄ Norway Rat. Den fÞrste har vore ute i eit par veker no og heiter AbsolutNegativism EP. Bandet har tatt til seg Stian Skagen (aus Ryfylke) aka [Concept.Virus], og utforskar nye territorier i drone-stÞy-knitre-metal-land. Fire lÄtar, to pÄ hhv 3:11 og 1:09, og to pÄ 13:15 og 30:21. Total speletid: 47:52. Begrepet EP er litt strukke, fÄr ein seie. Halvtimessporet nÊrmer seg monoton old school black metal ala Burzum.
Folk har vore heldige Ä fÄ sett denne konstellasjonen pÄ scene bÄde pÄ Revolver og pÄ Henie Onstad, og eg mÄ seie at det funker j****g bra. SÊrlig Inferno-gigen var kul; fÞrst spelte dei «hitlÄtane» frÄ dei tre fulllengdarane, fÞr dei bevegde seg inn i denne repetative dronetingen som satt folk heilt ut. Dritfett.
Neste utgivelse er «I Rove», ute 5. oktober.
Nokon som har trua? Nokon andre enn meg og DOH som liker dette?
Dagsavisen-intervju:
http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article428669.ece
ForÞvrig interessante kommentarar om mangelen pÄ undergrunnsmiljÞ i Oslo.
Dagsavisen-anmeldelse:
http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article428683.ece
Groove:
http://www.groove.no/html/review/58313789.html
Aftenposten:
http://oslopuls.aftenposten.no/musikk/article238068.ece
Rockeweb:
http://www.rockeweb.com/aarabrot.htm
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/arabrot
Interessant frÄ Ann Lee:
THE ABSOLUTENEGATIVISM PROJECT
Itâs no secret that lines have been drawn, and that flags and gang colors are waved in the small but rigidly divided Oslo music scene. As forward-going or radical many of these bands or âartistsâ professâthere exists for example, the Elm Street/Garage axis, loosely made of punks and lesbians, groupies and glam rockers, old-school metal heads and their foes (in shredded Motley Crue T-Shirt or faded sleeves), as well as what almost seems like a response to the notorious Satanic or black metal wave-a network of musicians shrouded in a kind of mysterious Christian routing, like Serena-Maneesh to Extol to Lionheart Brothers-to the horde of youngsters mimicking this gypsy-like aesthetic, bracelets, tambourines, eyeliner, a quasi-throwback to Seattle 1992-to the usual alcoholics, the deterrents costumed in tight fitting designer suits- the gothic art-house wannabes straggling around Spasibarâthe suave indie-kids slamming their gaseous beers down at Mono (the same people who would typically neverasmuch nod, hands crossed, if their favorite performer were on stage).
Osloâs been referred to as a âsubcultural ground zeroâ. I think there are many who blatantly deny any participation within a scene, but even less are those actually equipped with originality to do so. Of course, there is always the problem of any new form or individuality becoming immediately rigified, or scenes coming out of non-scenes. But for collaborators [concept.virus] aka Stian Skagen and Ă rabrot, their poses an even greater problem, as with this debut release that straddles the line between a desire for autonomy, the avant-garde (as many of their jazz-electro-noise counterparts follow) versus the pure physicality of rockânâroll that just wanna be adored. With this goal in mind, itâs no wonder theyâve yet to find a suitable label to call home.
One thing is for sure, however, there is nothing âhipâ or âglossyâ about this record, and any label looking to sell image over content ought to look elsewhere. This EP is risky, challenging, and in many ways tracing a musical becoming. The songs carry a distinct format throughout, one that is experienced, archaic even (think Satie, Cage), and clearly knows how to utilize difficult musical languages. But its amalgamation of sounds is less like a collage, then a tightly controlled battleground. The intro âI am driven by the flame that shaped usâ immediately signals to the listener a warning call, a hallucination of what is to comeâsomething colossal, something very material, fleshly, palpable. Thus announces Ă rabrotâs arrival, with an outcry as hot-blooded as the Birthday Partyâs sermons, as sludgy as an Unsane-riff, and as sprawling as Mayhemâs blast beats. The song segues into a long, black, landscape portrait, and after awhile is reminded of that Acid Mothersâ interlude with its unsettling tones and triggers wrapping in and against its theme. Steady, consistent, focused. Its demise finally, is not too dissimilar to a Lynchian-moment when commotion and clarity evolve toward total unanimity, and ends in an open-ended manner.
What I find most appealing in this EP is not necessarily the technicality in their musicianship or the complexity of the overall song structureâthough those elements are surely thereâbut the overlapping between what is harsh and difficult, and the pristine and subtle. Something unique arises from this operation, like driftwood, pieces ejected outta turbulent waves or troubled sailing. Unlike so many who try to transcend their audiences with smothering guitars, overproduction and make-up, [concept.virus] and the Ă rabrot team take materiality in a whole different direction, pushing what is sonically possible to its limits, stripping down its elements to become both reactionary and meaningful.
I think this EP speaks volumes about their potential as well as their vision. I am equally certain that with the necessary aid of the right parties theyâll be able to properly unleash this opus theyâve now begun. Hopefully it wonât be too long before that is the caseâOslo (and the world beyond) certainly needs to hear it. ann lee 08
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http://fysiskformat.tigernet.no/
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