While the cassette has long remained a prominent medium in various music subcultures, 2010 saw the release format rising once again in popularity. Between the increasing supersaturation of blogs and the shifting aesthetics of culture consumers, cassette decks haven’t been this worn out since 1989. But with this renewed interest, many have questioned the efficacy of the cassette. Although there are many arguments to be made for cassettes versus, say, CD-Rs, it’s all about the sound experience, particularly for drone aficionados. Despite convention telling us that drone should be of high fidelity, the extra hiss added by the cassette can in fact transform even the laziest of synth jammers into a hazy trip, during which substances aren’t needed in order to transcend sobriety.
To me, no one else in 2010 better (ab)used the format than Sundrips. By my count, the Montreal-based duo of Ryan Connolly and Nick Maturo blazed out seven solo cassettes and several split joints last year, all of which could be found on any informed best-of-2010 drone list. Atop this heap of simmering electronics is their late-2010 entry Arrays on Fadeway Tapes, Sundrips’ own imprint.
There’s an immense warmth to the four guitar and synthesizer improvisations that comprise this cassette, each equally capable of cutting through the iciest of winters. It opens with the radiant “Early On” and its summer-day heatwave of a guitar hum. While it sizzles, a synth glistens, occasionally interrupted by a solar flare of noise to form an organic combination. Amazingly, the track’s successor, “Silver Breeze,” manages to top this opening statement. Here, the duo hover around a small handful of tones that somehow manage to signify unification, harmony, a worldly scope, where repeated listens and headphone immersion are essential for maximum impact. The final two tracks may not be as stunning as their predecessors, but they still adeptly round out the cassette in Sundrips fashion.
While experimental music in 2010 was in part marked by an influx of cassette releases, it was also abundant with synthesizer-based sounds. Often taking cues from so-called Kosmische musik, many of the more well-known acts felt derivative and compromised, having renounced long-form drones for tighter song-based interstellar transmissions. Sundrips, however, sound earnest, fresh, and adventurous, despite being much younger than some of the bigger contemporary droners. And even after wading through their enormous 2010 discography, I’m left eagerly awaiting every limited CSxx Ryan and Nick have in store for this year.
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