Freight Elevator Quartet
Becoming Transparent
Caipirinha
Artists that can create a work that is both intelligent and inviting are getting harder and harder to come by. The Freight Elevator Quartet is so remarkable because they make music of depth and subtlety that’s presented within a palatable format. Their collaboration last year with DJ Spooky, File Under Futurism was a dense, powerful drum n’ bass odyssey. Compared to that, Becoming Transparent is a pop album, but a multilayered, moody, and textured pop album at that.
Pop in only the grandest sense of the word though. Moody strings (real strings, not synth presets) draw forth pulling melodies over shuffling beats and deep layers of texture. There are a number of moods evoked, from melancholic to cyberpunk. Wire rims don’t make you inherently over serious. Eventually, when you listen to it for a while, the technique disappears and you’re left with pure feeling. Like the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, the songs are technical masterpieces, but what is more important is the deep-seated sentiment behind the music. Something for everyone.
Caipirinha Productions, 510 La Guardia Pl., Suite 5, New York, NY 10012; http://www.caipirinha.com
