Sonic Youth/I.C.P./the Ex

An ongoing series, In The Fishtank (from the Netherlands) allows a certain touring artist visiting the region to record whatever they wish within the constraints of two days to record. Sometimes solo, sometimes collaboration, this series is a way to give a listener a direct or complementary view of an artist's craft and skills. And for the latest release, featuring members of Sonic Youth (including Jim O'Rourke), Dutch jazz institution (in many ways) I.C.P. and a couple members of legends the Ex, experimental ground is dug up and paved over and dug up again continuously with a dose of nihilism and pleasure. The music within certainly does not obey any rules whatsoever, yet it makes sense; it is as if one has taken a linear jazz record, smashed it to pieces, chaotically put it back together out of order and melted it together. Time smears happen continuously, guitars wail and whine (in early Sonic Youth glory), bizarre and unknown electrical gasps sting, and horns try to police everything into place, successfully and unsuccessfully, which is the underlying beauty of this challenging musique concrete listen. This is a soundtrack of being under duress, and a perfect way to turn 30 minutes of your afternoon into three hours of cerebral sanity.