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By: Scott Caffrey
For head Apple Robert Schneider, mathematics provided the creative juice for his newest endeavor - The Apples in Stereo's latest and best - New Magnetic Wonder (a joint release from Elephant 6, Yep Roc and Elijah Wood's Simian Records). It's a dense album in every imaginable way with sounds that explode like aural shrapnel, not unlike the cacophonic cover art collage.
Matter of fact, Schneider sounds downright giddy. Roundabout the time of making Wonder, he invented the "Non-Pythagorean Music Scale" and put it to use creating linking tracks between Wonder's songs. Turns out they're way more than average filler, with lots of room to grow (like "Droplet" and "Crimson"). While Schneider still lives the DIY code, Wonder shows only a few signs of the rough-hewn Elephant 6 production sensibilities. It also serves as the last album for longtime drummer/vocalist, Hilarie Sidney.
Enter indie-ace producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Sebadoh, Phish), who served as a guru to Schneider and his Apples for reaching their nerd nirvana. In the process, they chew up all available airspace, starting with the opening burst of "Can You Feel It?"
Goggin was only too happy to oblige Schneider's algorithmic bent with his laidback wizardry. That is, once he got past Schneider's ProTools-frying demands. Schneider added up to 96 separate tracks of instrumentation on the excellent Brian Wilson-via-Stevie Wonder piano pop tune "Same Old Drag." For such a great song, it hardly feels like overkill. The biggest challenge, however, was Wonder's magnum opus, "Beautiful Machine, Parts 1-4," which Frankensteined four songs into a lush suite. "Beautiful" was so technically taxing that it not only threatened Schneider's sanity but the album's completion.
All the struggle and strife was worth it. New Magnetic Wonder demands repeat listens. And just when you think you've had enough, chop it up for your next mix and riddle its tracks all over your iPod. Just in time for summer, it's the album that keeps on giving.
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