Stateless
Stateless is the second full-length album of genre-hopping post-everything experimentalists Tangents. In a delectable hybrid of styles, Stateless cuts up and weaves together rich instrumental passages from the multi-talented ensemble of musicians whose collective resumé spans decent swathes of recent experimental music history: British electronic music producer Ollie Bown (Icarus, Not Applicable); Adrian Lim-Klumpes (Triosk, 3ofMillions) on piano, Rhodes, vibraphone and marimba; Peter Hollo (FourPlay String Quartet) on cello; and the duo Spartak (free improviser Evan Dorrian and singer/producer Shoeb Ahmad on drums and guitar respectively). Sparse metal-coated drum hits stumble over glistening reverse vibes, Saharan guitar licks, Fender feedback and washes of filtered piano. Moments of acoustic jazz surface, flowing into stoic upbeat anthems, drenched with multilayered patterns of glitched strings.
Tangents artfully mix acoustic instruments and electronics in pieces that combine improvisation with careful processing. At their best, they bring to mind Can, Tortoise, Four Tet, and the Necks.
Tangents are an improvisational group from Sydney, Australia who describe their approach to music-making as "post-everything," as it incorporates glitchy electronic processing, shimmering vibraphones/marimbas, guitar feedback, jazzy melodies, and numerous other elements.