Stick Men – Tentacles EP Review

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:24:17 +0000

With King Crimson on what seems like a permanent hiatus, it’s up to the band’s former alumni to keep the forward-thinking music thing alive. The Tentacles EP does just that.

Tentacles lives up to its name with a riff that wraps around you without ever really resolving. This keeps you invested until the final soundscape coda gives you the blessed relief the preceding has denied you.

Ringtone lock steps you into a new sensation with bold power chords and an insistent note pattern not unlike eighties-era Crim. Pat Mastelotto’s percussive output is stellar and grounds the groove.

Company Of Ghosts starts with a purposive funk groove that sounds as mysterious as Mata Hari beckoning you to discover new worlds before the transportive effect of the sound collage at the tracks’ turnaround.

Danger In The Workplace finds the percussive sound of Markus Reuter’s touch guitar and Tony Levin’s Chapman stick brought to the forefront with this ominous workout. Danger indeed.

Satieday Night brings the EP to a close with a slow burn intro followed by a marauding gang of malcontent notes that seesaw between contentment and a contrivance to leave you wanting more.

So many ideas via so few tunes.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/moonjunerecords2/

Stick Men + – Midori Album Review

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 22:29:38 +0000

In the mad rush to the digital age, one thing that has gotten almost entirely lost is the anticipation of new release music. Days of past reveal that almost indescribable desire for new music from a favourite band or artist. With zeros and ones almost completely trumping the act of driving to and waiting for the physical manifestation of new work, too many new and great albums get lost in the shuffle.

A resent wait for a CD copy of Stick Men + was a case in point. Being a huge King Crimson fan, the appetite was already piqued by the impressive line up of Crimson alumni that make up the band. Every day the walk to the post box was a long one until that bundle of bubble wrapped goodness arrived.

The band, Tony Levin (the mighty Crim, Peter Gabriel and too many more to mention), Pat Mastelotto (K.C., Mr. Mister), Markus Reuter (centrozoon, Tuner) and guest David Cross (K. C., Radius) have a unique instrumental make up and sound. Levin plays the stick (a string instrument where the strings are touched – not plucked) Reuter, a touch guitar and keys, Cross, a violin and keys and Mastelotto, all things percussive. Together they stretch out over two discs and indulge in all manner of tone poems, songs and sonic sketches. They even tackle the odd Crimson tune or two.

The music contained in those two live discs was sublime (being both beautiful and challenging) and the wait for its arrival only made the initial experience that much sweeter. With the recent revival of a medium that never really went away, the vinyl record, it seems there are people that still want something physical to have and hold while listening to music. Thank goodness for that!

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/stickmenofficial

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Stick Men – Tentacles EP Review

Stick Men + – Midori Album Review