SubArachnoid Space
Endless Renovation
Release
It’s a common misconception that the term “Acid Rock” refers to heavy metal or hard guitar rock. Here’s a secret: Acid rock, as defined by artists like Jimi Hendrix and T-Rex, is “head music” – psychedelic music conducive to dropping acid. Iron Butterfly (“InaGaddavida)” and the Chambers Brothers (“Time Has Come Today”) pioneered the art of day-glow sonics with the basic organics of guitar, bass, and drums. And so it is with San Francisco’s SubArachnoid Space, who call their instrumental rock “free-form psychedelic noise drone.” Owing to their loose-grooved, almost jam-intensive structures, the six soundscapes on this EP lay wide open to interpretation. The chilling “Will You Make My House a Carnival?” is a meandering mad house of calliope organ and eerie sound effects mixed with snippets of muddled, unintelligible dialogue. The dark, multitextured ramblings of “Good Grief?” (again with the question mark) suggest a story that does not end well. “Safety in Numbers” introduces additional string instruments such as the cello, violin, hammer dulcimer and waterphone (played by Dave Wright of Not Breathing), while “Stereo Saturation” blurs the boundaries of traditional, linear song composition. Endless Renovation captures the subtle disquiet of the unknown, whether it be an uneasy dream or an anticipated chemical journey. In the absence of lyrical narrative, the haunting ambience compels one to visualize almost to the point of hallucination. Lay back, close your eyes, and let the pictures come. Relapse, P.O. Box 251, Millersville, PA 17751; http://www.relapse.com
