Instrument
21 July 2014
City Slang
3.5 stars out of 5
Berlin-based palindromic post-rock trio To Rococo Rot have
released their ninth proper LP, Instrument,
featuring the vocal and/or guitar stylings of the legendary experimental no
wave figure Arto Lindsay on three tracks. As the second decade of the band’s
existence nears an end, it’s apparent that they have lost none of the
exploratory creative spirit that first brought them to international attention
with their well-received first couple of records, To Rococo Rot and Veiculo.
The band’s predominantly instrumental post-rock sound blends
traditional rock instruments—drums, bass, guitar—with an approach to
composition and arrangement that at first superficially may seem almost
jazz-like. This impression is quickly tossed aside, however, by the band’s use
of extreme repetition and subtle variation on intentionally limited themes. The
focus of creativity here is not on flashy virtuosity, but on exploring the
variations promised by minute changes in timing and volume. One feels at times
that attack, decay, sustain, and release levels are written into the band’s
sheet music (provided that such written instructions existed—it’s doubtful that
they do). Most of the flashy improvisation within TRR’s songs comes from the
direction of the keyboard: not just for background texture and filling up
space, the often bizarre and abrasive sounds of the keyboard offer an unhinged,
unpredictable element to the music.
As for Lindsay’s contribution, his prepared guitar playing
on “Longest Escalator in the World” is the highlight, offering a very
disorienting counterpart to his carefully controlled Ralf Hütter-like singing. As
a whole, Instrument is a worthy
addition to the band’s catalogue, although unlikely to win them any new fans
beyond the usual post-rock base.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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