Solex + M.A.E - In theFishtank Vol. 13

Sun 17th Apr, 2005 in Music Reviews

Like I was, you may be wondering what this is all about. Essentially, In the Fishtank is a continuous project of the Dutch independent music distributor Konkurrent. The bands are given two days of studio time to go crazy with experimentation and feed off one another’s creative energy. As the liner notes put it: The Fishtank offers a space for expression and experimentation, results may vary but are always surprising. Past Fishtank sessions have included Sonic Youth and Tortoise among others, and the series is now up to its thirteenth release.

Solex is Liesbeth Esselink, who in 2003 made a piece out of arranger Maarten Altena’s classics while Altena rearranged a couple of Solex’s tunes. The ten-piece Maarten Altena Ensemble (you guessed it, M.A.E) performed with Solex at the Crossing Border festival the same year and a match made in heaven was born.

First track from the four is 5 Superstar, a controlled, tense mess of electric guitar chords, muted bongo drums and static-vocal samples. Solex provides unnervingly naïve singing, while jabs of woodwind instruments arrive erratically, and slices of piano chords chug through the almost-chorus with curiously mechanical finesse.

Go Easy On The Fun Fund is cool jazz and spoken word, backed initially by bristling, motorcycle-like synth sounds before sliding into a cleaner, soft arrangement. Cymbals ring snakily in the background, partially obscured by a layer of fuzz, while Solex sings of – art students? vanity? – it’s all rather vague, but there is a crisp, clear quality to her voice that is strangely appealing. Siren-like brass punctuates the calm confidence of the melody, which becomes slightly irritating when used so generously.

1+1=11 (it’s just over eleven minutes long, incidentally) is like an EP within itself, containing so many different sections and moods you’re often left thinking the next track has begun. It begins as a tentative murmur of the ensemble, before building into a bass-heavy, synth-assisted monster. Interesting percussion flourishes build the tension of this highly enjoyable track, and strange vocal harmonies make 1+1 sound like the soundtrack to a b-grade avant garde Japanese flick. It moves from scene to scene ungracefully, simply ceasing and initiating again unexpectedly, and as the song progresses, various instruments and techniques are thrown into the cauldron to giddying effect.

A reverberant bass drum adds a crazed paranoia feel – especially when given its own solo – and creepy cabaret choruses fill the sonic space before receding again to allow Solex to sing about book characters and pop music. Double bass and tinkling xylophone pushes the song into sinister, melodramatic grounds before countering the mood again with chirpy vocals. There’s an appealingly oriental sound to this track which ensures it doesn’t slide into self-indulgent experimental territory, and with the variety of instruments that feature, it’s as though you’re getting a personal tutorial rather than just listening to perpetual noisemaking.

Closer Birthday Superboy sounds like an ice-cream truck coming down your street while you’ve got a head full of acid. Typically, it’s a swift shift into a different mood and then back again, a continuous volley of childlike melody and vocals, strings, and the glass-like synth sound. Unlike the other tracks, Birthday Superboy graciously peters out with the pattering of drums, instead of taking a surprise detour.

The great thing about In the Fishtank 13 is the ease by which you can imagine these musicians in the studio, jamming away, drawing on the creative energy being produced. Of course, if you’re not really into dissecting sonic spaces, this may not be your thing. It’s attention-span stuff and if you’re running low on critical energy, it’s probably best left for another time. There are some beautiful sounds and innovative arrangement approaches on this record, which make it perfect for lying down with a pair of headphones, eyes closed, just enjoying the soundscape.