4 out of 5

Label: Self-released?

Producer: Kenny Johnson (recorded by)

This is the second album I’m listening to by improv group Liquid Brick, and though it has the same copyright date as the previous one I checked out – 2003 – ‘Two Dimensional’  is way beyond that (which I did enjoy, mind you) in terms of compositional strength.  Their other album struck me mostly as sketches that only work when turned up loud and listened to on a loop – like it takes a while to work – but 2D just draws you in to its world of pitter-patter drum beats and static and ambient noise.  And it’s captured at a distance, mostly, the low-end occasionally rumbling to the front, so it feels like you’re privvy to a recording from space or something… it’s a creepy effect that I dunno whether or not is purposeful, but grounds the tracks in a way the more scattered sound of the previous (or later…?) recording didn’t achieve.

Also present is a further sense of the whole group fiddling with things here.  Previously, on that OTHER album (Meathammers, btw), I couldn’t say it sounded like THE 6-person ensemble it supposedly was, though I did acknowledge that the tracks did gave the impression of coming from several writers melded together… But 2D is believable as being more than just a couple guys or a laptop, again offering that multi-tiered writing dynamic but the actual elements slotting in with a JOMF sound of many peops in a room, finding an organic groove as they moog or bang on percussion or whatever.  JOMF’s a good touchpoint, actually, but maybe toss in some Skullflower-ish noise as the tracks build.  YEAH?

Beyond that I can’t say much, sorry.  No excessive blabs from me this time out.