“kaos_theory”
KAOS Theory
Various Artists
cottlestone pie/K
This record is worth purchasing if only for the six-minute excerpt (excerpt!) of Malaise’s “8196,” a marathon of endurance between well-phrased guitar licks and undulating looping feedback. Entrancing and hypnotizing.
KAOS is a free-form college station in Olympia, WA – those familiar with Atlanta’s WREK will instantly recognize the format. Similar to WREK’s recent CD release, this is a compilation of recordings from the station, in the form of live performances, mostly of bands I’ve never heard of, but with a couple of familiar names thrown in.
That’s about where the similarities end. I’d be hard-pressed to pick one over the other as being “better.” It is obvious that each station has a clearly different personality. High points of this disc include Madigan’s cello/xylophone/guitar ensemble, and a stupendously good live version of Cub’s “Go Fish,” Wonder Woman’s sadly abbreviated improvisation on guitar, keys and jew’s harp, and Harry Pussy’s “end of old Who concert” vibe. But of course there’s more – seventeen more unique tracks to explore. Find out what you’ll be listening to tomorrow… Cottlestone Pie, P.O. Box 11821, Olympia, WA 98508
