Altered States - "ROG" (Self Released) CS

Picked this one up at Strange Maine a couple of days ago. Bumped it for the late night drive home just now. Really solid stuff. My tape player was freaky fried and not letting the full sound of the synth through - but that didn't even matter. The deep groove conjured by April Camlin and Albert Schatz rang out far above technical difficulties (almost seemed like it was made for it) and well beyond the delineated song structures that they lay their sweeping fuzz on to.

There is very little that I could find about this tape on the internet. I guess Albert is/was a member of the Chicago group Bird Names which sound like more of a clattery, foot stomping, folk pile experience than this particular affair. I can't say that I've given a thorough listen to Bird Names though, so I'm not the one to draw any real comparisons. That aside, on "ROG", the Altered States duo deliver tight, driving popular-twinged songs that have been injected with a sweet, sweet psych wave long-time. We can dance to this. Sounds are split into drums, vox and synths; some that sound like glitter, and some that sound like Lightning Bolt bass. A thick grounded pound-it keeps pace throughout the recording. The drums snap tightish and journey like you want, and the envelops abound on the horizontal axis, as a nice range (sputter-to-gutter) of electronic sounds make the landscape appear and then disappear again.

An intriguing mix of bedroom intimacy and lush expansiveness. Delicate strength manifests with indecipherable lyrics about darkness and time. With the first song on Side A - "Now Eye Can See" - he gets high and she goes deep for some folky harmonies and Eno (Taking Tiger Mountain) weaving before the whole thing ends too soon - . Camlin delivers more than your run of the mill beats here. She plays the tone of the membrane. Definite glimmers of the BYG Actuel catalog, if not a little on the mathy side of things. ...And then some.

Second tune starts with a spaced intro. It could easily feel like dabbling, but it manages a nice focused burn-a-clearing prep for the intricate haunt that quickly follows. Complex percussion pushes and pulls and the half-hearted spook groove trips away for a jaunt and a half. Come back to me ballad. Side B is where the duo really hit their stride. The last song, aptly named "Paradox" perseveres and kicks us back to the 80's with a kind of Kraftwerk robo funk. An old chant with a totally new kind of syllabic emphasis offers these words of wisdom:

The Sun is a reflection of Earth

Death is just another kind of birth

Perception defies reality

See whatever you want to see

Okay I figured it out. They are jamming like they are Joe Zawinul U.S. Mapling Watermelon Man (and with all the guts) but it's only the two of them - in nowheresville. Big moves are made on small scapes. Less twisted, more zoned. By far some of the most on beat, off-beat stuff I have heard in a long time. Pretty much pretty killer. What can I say? Got me home quick and safe and with enough mojo to spit this out at 3:00 A.M.

Yup. That pretty much sums it up. Instant chart-topping funky fresh freedom psych travel jams from the great lakes region. No idea how many of these are out there. No idea where to get a copy. Other than here. Keep an eye out for these guys - seriously!