Primordial Undermind - Loss of Affect
SKU
SAAH044
Wild, spacey rock performed on guitar, electronics, reeds/electric kalimba/hammer dulcimer, bass and drums. Has that wild, exploratory Strange Attractors sound! "Eric Arn and his Primordial Undermind have tirelessly mined the nether regions of avant psych-rock for the past 15 years, resulting in a sonically fertile body of work. Arn cut his teeth in the legendary Crystallized Movements throughout the 1980's, the Twisted Village flagship band which, in its wake, also spawned Magic Hour and Major Stars (Wayne Rogers & Kate Village). With a wealth of 7" singles and a number of compilation appearances throughout the 1990's, plus albums for September Gurls, Camera Obscura and Emperor Jones, the Primordial Undermind trajectory has grown and evolved with each outing. A rotating membership came to typify the band, and a restlessness to stay put in one sound form denotes a steady progression from distorted, psychedelic Nuggets-esque overload as found on You and Me and The Continuum (Camera Obscura, 1997) to full blown free instrumental rock exemplified on Beings of Game P-U (starring Tom Carter of Charalambides; Camera Obscura, 2001), and everything in between (Thin Shells of Revolution, Emperor Jones, 2003). Just before relocating from Austin, Texas to Vienna, Austria in late 2004, Arn engaged in a furious series of studio sessions with his Austin crew. The results have been honed down to a fantastic new album entitled Loss of Affect, the most outré document of the Primordial Undermind sound to date. Even with a history of taking left turns, it is evident from the get-go that Loss of Affect is a departure for Primordial Undermind. Oozing into consciousness with "Intercessor", the band bellows forth a full collective cosmic ethno-drone mantra, utilizing space and interplay to coax ritualistic swirls of sound, reminiscent of what Ghost achieved on Temple Stone. Flowing into "Breathe Deep", a solo avant acoustic excursion exploring odd tunings and tonal colors, shifting and heaving as it winds ever forward. From here, the band unleashes the volume and Loss of Affect continues further out, as full-blown, free acid-rock magma surges in molten explosions, intertwined with an expanded palate of instrumentation that includes bass clarinet and various other woodwinds, shakers, electronics and who knows what else. All disparate sounds are tethered to a common point, synthesized with stunning results."