As stalwarts of the 1990s indie rock scene, Bardo Pond were a largely anomalous presence. However, this is not to say that they were at all unwelcome. Live and on album, they offered layers of intoxicatingly hazy music that could easily span from delicately beautiful to shatteringly noisy within a single track. Taking their name from a mystical watering hole in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, they embraced the more, dare I say, hippie (and druggy) side of noise rock. As a marketing strategy in an era where the neohippies were happily grilling kind veggie burritos in the parking lot of various civic auditoriums hosting Phish's brand of novelty psychedelia, this may be construed as poor judgment, but consequently, their blatant disregard for any compromise with their music or presentation made them heroes to many music fans looking for something with unquestionable integrity.
Now, Cypher Documents I offers fans a first entry into a series of albums meant to give fans access to the band's vast backlog of non officially-released recordings, in this case tracks that were recorded in 1999-2000 between Set and Setting and Dilate. True to their range, there are acid-soaked transcendent rockers like "Living Testament," quiet, introspective acoustic meditations like "Quiet Tristin," and of course, clocking in at just over a half hour, an unapologetically lengthy jam, replete with flute, entitled "From the Sky." However, for those unfamiliar with Bardo Pond, this would not be a recommended point of entry (for them I would suggest the more cohesive albums, Lapsed or Dilate). So, while not the unearthing of a neglected gem, Cypher Documents I at lease gives the converted something else to put in their pipe while awaiting the next great release along the band's horizon.
As stalwarts of the 1990s indie rock scene, Bardo Pond were a largely anomalous presence. However, this is not to say that they were at all unwelcome. Live and on album, they offered layers of intoxicatingly hazy music that could easily span from delicately beautiful to shatteringly noisy within a single track. Taking their name from a mystical watering hole in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, they embraced the more, dare I say, hippie (and druggy) side of noise rock. As a marketing strategy in an era where the neohippies were happily grilling kind veggie burritos in the parking lot of various civic auditoriums hosting Phish's brand of novelty psychedelia, this may be construed as poor judgment, but consequently, their blatant disregard for any compromise with their music or presentation made them heroes to many music fans looking for something with unquestionable integrity.
Now, Cypher Documents I offers fans a first entry into a series of albums meant to give fans access to the band's vast backlog of non officially-released recordings, in this case tracks that were recorded in 1999-2000 between Set and Setting and Dilate. True to their range, there are acid-soaked transcendent rockers like "Living Testament," quiet, introspective acoustic meditations like "Quiet Tristin," and of course, clocking in at just over a half hour, an unapologetically lengthy jam, replete with flute, entitled "From the Sky." However, for those unfamiliar with Bardo Pond, this would not be a recommended point of entry (for them I would suggest the more cohesive albums, Lapsed or Dilate). So, while not the unearthing of a neglected gem, Cypher Documents I at lease gives the converted something else to put in their pipe while awaiting the next great release along the band's horizon.
1. Living Testament
2. Slag
3. Nomad
4. Quiet Tristin
5. YaYaYaYa
6. Black Turban
7. From the Sky
More about: Bardo Pond
