Infinite Number Of Sounds
Time Wants A Skeleton
INOS Recording Co.
I kept hoping these sonic patchwork quilts that make up Infinite Number Of Sounds would coalesce into songs, but they never quite did. This is music that seems to say, “We think we’re the first ones to discover that you can put records together from found sounds and such.”
I dunno, maybe it’s better with the “multimedia installation-style live performances mixing digital images live to the beat and projecting them onto a giant screen,” alluded to by the press notes. But as is, this album plays like a cross between the Art of Noise and the Friends episode where we hear Ross’s attempts at electro:
Phoebe: I loved it! It was so moving. Oh, plus it’s just, it’s so different from the stuff you usually hear.
Chandler: You mean like, music?
– Friends, “The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line,” written by Adam Chase
INOS reminds me of the electro-equivalent of a jam band such as Moe or Phish in that I can see the fun of playing it, but I don’t understand why anyone would want to listen to it for very long.
Granted, one or two of the sounds are interesting, particularly on “EmoJoe” (which also shows a dub influence) and “Rogue Jackass.” But “Tiny Spiders In My Hair” is much more indicative of Time Wants A Skeleton with its altered-pitch vocals and piano lesson instrumentation.
I feel a pronouncement coming on, so here it is: making interesting noises and making music is not the same thing. A good record can be made of either, but this is the kind of compromise between the two that leaves no one happy. And me, at the moment, I prefer music anyway.
Infinite Number of Sounds: http://infinitenumber.com/
