Barely a few months after the release of the critically
acclaimed After
All album, 310 sees their first two outputs
finally getting a proper release, thanks to the Leaf
Label. Aug 56 and Snorkelhouse, originally
released on the band’s own small imprint in 1997 and
1998 respectively, have been collected on one double
album.
With these two albums, Joseph Dierker and Tim Donovan
were to establish the basis of the 310 sound. Built
on remains of stripped down hip-hop structures, Aug
56 explodes in found sounds, arranged with surgical
precision, and appears progressively tenebrous and viscous,
as tracks morph into each other. Bits of disjointed
conversations are swallowed by the magmatic ambience,
creating a constant feeling of discomfort. If we are
far from the minimalist darkness of isolationism, a
truly similar spirit inhabits the album. Waves of earthy
sounds seem to regenerate themselves indefinitely as
they slowly mutate. Only here, 310 apply intricate melodies
and meticulous beats to these hermetic environments,
in an effort to relieve the tension slightly.
Snorklehouse, album that got 310 noticed by
The Leaf Label, pulls similar strings as it lays the
foundations for The Dirty Rope, third album
from the duo. Here, the pair still plays with intricate
ambiences, although, for this album, Dierker and Donovan
dig deeper in their hip-hop influences, and present
a more channelled work, with heavier beat sections,
starting with Fresh 24, a rather upbeat piece
of urban allegiance, set between post rock and dirty
dancefield. Perhaps even more than on Aug 56,
the recurring inspiration behind Snorklehouse
is the city. Using hectic New York life as a backdrop
for their compositions, the pair injects some intense
sonic structures into pretty innocent songs, creating
dense atmospheric patterns as they smash any residue
of rock, electro, dub, jazz or folk into pieces, and
patiently reassemble them as they wish. This gives Snorklehouse
an even more mature and defined sound than its predecessor,
and convinces more than ever about the incredible potential
of 310.
After four albums, Joseph Dierker and Tim Donovan still
sound like nothing else around, and, as they continue
to explore their own piece of musical land, this long
overdue re-release is a refreshing look at early 310
work. This is sound regeneration at its best.
5/5 |
