Frontier

Frontier is a Chicago-based act featuring Kevin Ireland (bass), Michael Tsoulos (drums) and Stephen Wessley (guitar). This six-track EP features one cut from the band (“Strong City,” a warm and glistening slice of trance-rock with uncredited vocals) and five tracks constructed by friends using a live recording session from earlier this year as source material. Working separately and together, Casey Rice (aka Resigned), John David Hiler, Tim Hurley and Brian Deck (who’ve all engineered for the likes of Red Red Meat, Califone and Sin Ropas) come up with an eclectic and pleasant mix of sound collages. Not having heard the piece from where the samples come, it’s hard to know what is Frontier and what is added by the remixers, but it’s interesting nonetheless. From a dubbed-up Bill Clinton speech to down-tempo breaks and foggy textures, the results are much more in the electronic music vein than the more traditional guitar-focused sound in which Frontier seem to be working. Perishable are obviously quite aware of this and have pressed up vinyl versions of this release, complete with locked groove loops not available on the CD version for use by DJs. Stay tuned for a full-length from Frontier early in 2000.