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My review of the illtet's self titled debut could be summed up in one word: defiant. The music contained in their six track album simply slips through the firm grip of definition. However, this review would fail without some kind of description of their music.
After I picked up this little EP release I was pleasantly surprised. Since the illtet are a St. Louis based band, and being a St. Louis native, I have had the opportunity to hear them live. To hear them in a studio brings a whole new dynamic to the band. The jams in songs like “op de hoek” become meticulously composed in the studio. Phrases like 'control of sound' and 'an astute use of noise' come to mind while listening to the new illtet disc.
With only six tracks, the four-piece band creates a composition perfect for driving, or reading, or just plain old thinking. In particular, the third track titled “op de hoek”-which means “off the hook” in Dutch (composed while touring/practicing in Colorado) displays the control the illtet have over their sound. Like an exquisite black and white photo, “op de hoek” captures the essence of the illtet’s music with crisp sounds and a heavy electronic influence. You can also hear this same sound on the fourth and more hard-hitting track “a scag ply pup tent.”
The only accurate way to actually describe the illtet’s sound is to imagine if Brian Eno produced progressive rock outfit Tortoise’s Standards. Sterile electronic stimuli encased in a creative, yet semi-traditional rock formula of guitar and drums set the illtet apart from many of today’s performing bands. The album moves into a more organic sound as it progresses to the final track, a beautiful composition that mirrors the sense of relief felt in the recording studio upon the completion of the session. Listening to this “Enoesque” outro can be an emotional experience.
It’s tempting to say that the music makes thought unnecessary but that would be terribly inaccurate. With this EP the illtet have composed songs worth listening to for both their simplicity and thought provoking intricacy, a dichotomy of effortlessness and vital animal drive. Hints of the band’s musical influences such as The Slip, Tortoise, and a vast array of electronica can be found throughout the six tracks; consisting of keys, electronic devices, guitar, bass, and drums, the illtet have transformed a basic rock-band formulation into a wonderful extension of electro-fusion. Using absolute prudence, notes are placed where they belong and only where they belong, a unique approach in the jam band scene. Staying true to the desire for originality that brought the four Washington University students together, the illtet’s music sounds familiar, but you can’t ever pin down from where. This is one of the most appealing aspects of the album and gives it a necessary place in the evolution of modern music. One can only hope for the next record to be this satisfying.
Mark Chaney
JamBase | World Wide
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