ICU
Chotto Matte A Moment!
K
Another band proving quite well that a lot can be done with a little given enough creativity. ICU utilize a stand-up bass along with analog (?) keyboards and various let’s-use-this-as-an-instrument type gadgets. From what I’ve read, they’ve never had much of a budget for instruments. Their songs certainly haven’t suffered, though. Funky beats and great bass lines are just the beginning as inventive samples and soundmakers weave a very organic-sounding tapestry filled with all sorts of great ideas and parts. My favorite tracks are the ones that make you want to move, namely “Flower And Moon,” “Yopparai (A Drunkard Who Fell From Heaven),” and “Aluet,” especially when it kicks in. It’s not all dance-a-rama, though, as “Can’t You Even Remember That?” is mostly just a bass line, and “Temptation” is slower and rather haunting. Their songs do just fine either way, and there is a groove throughout. Oustanding.
K Records, P.O.Box 7154, Olympia, WA 98507
