THURSTON MOORE – ROOT
(LO RECORDINGS)
For the Root
project/experiment Thurston Moore created 25 improvised one-minute guitar works
that he sent out to a number of artists from various genres to remix and
generally mess around with. Being
Thurston Moore naturally the individuals he chose to post pieces to were people
at the top of the guy and very likely to do something individual and
interesting with his pieces.
The initial limited
edition run of the CD version of Root came housed in numbered hoover bags,
which was how the original tracks were posted to their recipients.
As stated above Root
boasts a rich and varied line-up of collaborators including amusingly probably
the only time that Blur and Mogwai will ever appear on the record. In addition to these heavyweights UK indie
found itself well represented by also having Stereolab and Bruce Gilbert on the
team. From here more traditional
remixers appear in the no less gnarly propositions of Alex Empire, V/Vm, Third
Eye Foundation and Add N to (X) while further spanning the globe Moore managed
to get Merzbow from Japan on board before touching base with people closer to
home such as Derek Bailey.
It opens as if being
presented with a lecture from Bailey offering direction and sonic tutelage in a
Mark E. Smith manner. Class can begin.
Unsurprisingly Root
offers mixed emotions and a varied experience to/for the listener. Naturally it’s far from entirely enjoyable
but what else would you expect from something so abstract. Indeed often contributions are next to
unlistenable (Mark Webber I am looking at you).
Early stars of the
project arrive in Luke Vibert and Blur, the first of which reworks the pieces
into subtly string laden bouncing pieces of funk while the later indulges in a
heavy dose of creased meandering repetition before eventually breaking into a smoky
jazz finale. Here are two efforts that
appear to have travelled a long way.
Of the unknowns
Mellowtrons score highest with their driving panel and succulent groove before
later Echo Park pull off a similar trick while employing a blissful female
sample sprinkled on top. Then late on
the big beat of Twisted Science vs. Burzootie serves to thrill in the face of
so much drone and distortion.
The winner of the
piece turns out to be Cheap Glue and their version “Beaujolais Nouveau Day”
which achieves joy by employing a dumb sample of a drunk man complaining about
getting his “fucked head kicked in” while a bouncing groove inhabits
proceedings in a sedate motion that serves to operate some degree of sympathy
and humility. Then it all ends with a
cheeky Casio outro. So much to like.
At the end of the day
this is not a release I can imagine listening to on a regular basis but as an
experiment and adventure into sound Thurston Moore has done a lot worse.
Thesaurus moment:
germination.
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