Indian Jewelry
http://www.monitorrecords.com

styles: synths, straight bass-drum rhythms, CB radio vocals = the neu darkwave
others: Suicide, Throbbing Gristle, "Born Slippy" in slow motion, Disco Inferno

Invasive Exotics
Monitor, 2006
rating: 4/5
reviewer: grantpurdumthegumshoe

Sometimes the sound of a machine sputtering is much more fascinating than the purr-whirr of a smoothly oiled mechanism. Indian Jewelry champion their outsider synth art with just this idea in mind. The randomness of their eccentricities mirror the sort of crackling spontaneity you might find when you feed a giant log into a wood chipper: lots of roaring, churning noises, an uneven distribution of fallout, and the possibility of getting one's eye poked out by the flying debris.

The only elements of consistency are the lower register key lines pinning the album down in the midst of several sandstorms. Effects may fly by and synths might swoop in and out like birds of prey, but a simple root progression is always-always-ALWAYS there to keep the listener airborne. It might seem like a negligible trait among a horde of clashing colors, but without these foundations, Exotics would crash and burn fairly early.

And so it goes: a living, breathing coke-wrap of songs you'll find yourself heading to the bathroom to chop up in secret. Why the seclusion? Most aren't going to give a tart about this record, a grim, scaled-back affair that seems to push technological advances in music recording back at least 10 – if not 20 – years. Opener "Lesser Snake" goes up the nostril first, soaking the sinuses with a fours-up bass drum beat, reckless swatches of guitar and megaphone half-shouts. From there snort "Powwow"; a time-warped sludge stomp will be just what you need to prepare you for the nearly 10 shrieking minutes of "Going South," a technically awful track that doesn't sound so bad if you consider that it must have been recorded underwater.

Just know this: From here you'll be exposed to euphoria ("Lost My Sight," sure to cause Martin Rev and Alan Vega to call their lawyers like the rest of this delightful mess), a paranoid comedown worthy of Michael Irvin on a Saturday night ("Lying on the Floor") and a slow, lovely climb back to full consciousness (the gentle guitar jingle of appropriately titled "Health and Wellbeing"). An all-out sound binge, Invasive Exotics will either be your coffee-table favorite or a bad trip.

1. Lesser Snake
2. Powwow
3. Dirty Hands
4. Ratnoise
5. Come Closer
6. Going South
7. Health and Wellbeing
8. Partying with Jandek
9. Lying on the Floor
10. Lost My Sight