The Bark Haze

Nanaimo, BC native Andrew MacGregor’s recent fecundity has found him rubbing elbows with some key players in the esoteric fringes of the North American music scene. Gown, his trance-inducing guitar/vocal solo project, has achieved a sort of cult-like following amongst the beard-scratching rascals that dwell in the sub-underground. In a scene that spawns collaborative efforts, Gown has been embraced. The Bark Haze finds MacGregor duelling it out with the insanely prolific Thurston Moore in a guitars-only meeting of the minds. Two long-form "punch lines” comprise Total Joke Era, the duo’s first legitimate release. Moore’s unusually subdued playing is a fitting accompaniment to that of MacGregor’s. There’s nary a frenetic passage to be found, as the duo lackadaisically weave warm tapestries of subtle guitar resonance. Contemplative, engaging moments leave room for the imagination. On the second track, eventually individual plucks and strums become indiscernible amongst an ever-expanding wall of buzzing drone. On Total Joke Era, MacGregor helps Moore cast aside his typical brand of cacophony to embrace a world of enlightened repose. (Important)