Other songs are less soothing. "Archaic Practices" can set a more ominous mood akin to Lars Van Trier movie soundtracks. Fife whistle even reminds me of the creepy drug hallucination scenes from Akira. These moments of style on the cassette play is less innovative than his subtly more melodic songs, but they are still effective and complex; tranquil yet unsettling. Vangelis at his most atmospheric also comes to mind.
I had to sit down with this cassette to fully appreciate it. It's not instant gratification rock/roll music. Instead of emulating mechanical, mathematical movement changes, the melodic and thematic electronic noise transitions ooze like evolving, primordial slime. Distant drums and snake slithering are mysteriously lurking through these songs.
Yet at other times, If I had a flying car and I wanted to show my girlfriend that flying car, I would play something like "Archaic Practices" in that flying car.
On a side note, the cassette album artwork is minimal yet well crafted, colored and designed. An illustration of a light purple silhouetted human figure eaten by oversized tape worms is a fitting image for how this music "decomposes" and recreates itself.
Read trippy literature to this cassette. It's not great for action-painting because it is more relaxing and meditative than seizure inducing metal, but due to its slow evolution between major and minor chords, gongs, static and ghost moans, it begins to become mind expanding. Great tape, just be patient with it.
http://www.discogs.com/Jake-Blanchard-Archaic-Practice/release/4314255
--Jack Turnbull
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