Various

Pro Bono Publico

BY I. KhiderPublished Dec 1, 2002

Exercises in minimalism explored through the medium of instrumental post-rock, with all the artists on this compilation, including notables like Pan American, allotted three tracks each, with the works of four artists being featured in total. This approach works well in helping the listener better assess the musical merits of the contributors, rather than a one-off that often only marginally represents the artist. Firstly, the music of Pan American is definitely the sparsest and most delicate here, as the frail acoustic guitar piece on "Settling Dust" or the keyboards sprinkled with percussion and dimly wailing lap steel with dub echoes on "Two Streams" demonstrates. Yet it is Kim Hiorthoy's works that are the most upbeat, incorporating the marimba and thumb piano on "Moblera Rum" and using a keyboard and drum track on "Evil House, Evil Day," also spirited, despite the suggestive title. And it is the IS068 works are the most surprisingly varied; "Engel Korrigiert" is a glitch and static noise piece coupled with percussion and piano, and "Here/There" uses skittering abstract loops with keyboards. Yet when IS068's "Est Plus" is played there is the startling contrast of a bass, drums and piano that shimmers like morning sunlight off a cottage lake. However, it is the music of Corker/Conboy that is the most accomplished and the catchiest of all the artists featured here. "Kite," "Akka" and "And Five" are drum, electric and acoustic guitar and bass pieces that are well-crafted musical gems.
(Ideal)

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