Photoelectric Effect - Cumulonimbus

'Photoelectric Effect' surfaced from Karachi sometime ago, with the release of an EP titled 'Cumulonimbus'. It's an ambitious effort, to say the least. Whereas a little more scrutiny on the mixing/mastering processes for a couple of the tunes could've greatly enhanced the overall sound of the offering, I'm not complaining. The minimalist/orchestral/piano based Post-Rock tunes composed by Asad Hussain and Ehsn Suri are indulgent, and border on the ethereal at times. Some of them revel in the musical possibilities brought on about using samples, which is always something to be appreciated. The tune that's featured here is also called 'Cumulonimbus', and has been described by the composers to be a 'journey through a storm cloud.' Subverting the duo's overt obsession with nubulous vapours, it comes across as a symbiosis between an organic creative process and a synthetic usage of instruments. The vacsillation between the calm/urgent dichotomy perhaps reflects the theme of the tune, which still manages to present itself as firmly situated under the auspices of 'Post-Rock' (Or, the variant of the genre touched upon by the likes of the brilliant Japanese instrumental trio Mouse on the Keys, at any rate).

6LA8 - The Future Doesn't Care for You

This blog entry is about a duo who call themselves 6LA8, and is way overdue. The rate at which these guys produce music is mind-boggling: a quick glance at their bandcamp page reveals around twelve compilations, including collaborations and recordings of improvisation sessions. I remember talking to someone once who was vehemently asserting that this band has been very 'honest' when it comes to composing music, and hasn't shied away from experimentation. That is perhaps true. With an oeuvre that might be difficult to digest for many, the band has meddled with everything from experimental drone/ambient to post-rock.

This tune is called 'The Future Doesn't Care for You', and is taken from 'Chaos/Solipsism/Self-Projection', a joint release with 'Aus Rine'. The composition is drawn out flat, and different elements make their entry one after another. The ambient keys eventually morph into a beautiful wall of sound that engulfs everything within itself.

Basheer & The Pied Pipers - Mallet

A lot has probably already been said about this duo. I'll skip directly to the tune in question. 'Mallet', from 'Basheer' is a coalescing of sorts. A coming together of chopped samples that seem to stretch on forever, subtle delayed guitar phrases, reverberating mallets, and perhaps most importantly, a bassline that demands to be heard. Almost a plea by the 2.50 timemark, the tune explodes at around 3.18.