ating: 4.5/5
I'm not sure if I'm more intrigued by Larsen's music, or the fact that they have such an amazing story surrounding the release of their debut effort, Rever. Over the course of a year, the band sent numerous felt-wrapped CDR's to the United States for retired Swans front man, Michael Gira, to review. At the end of this time, Gira was offered a substantial chunk of money, a round trip ticket to Italy, and a letter with a request to produce Larsen's dark and dissonant debut album.
Upon arriving in Torino, Italy, he finally came in contact with what I can only assume was a strange and unusual situation. Larsen, headstrong on keeping their identities undisclosed, would not allow Gira to interact with them as they set out to record their album. Instead, they played behind a screen that allowed zero face-to-face contact. The only form of interaction he had was via a selection of "assistants" that were provided to translate and speak for the band when needed. In the end, about ten hours of experimental improvisation was captured and edited down to conveniently fit on one single disc.
One of the unusual things about this album is the track listing. The songs don't appear to be in any type of order. In fact, the titles themselves seem to be out of place as far as a cohesive album would be concerned. The first track, "Impro #2," leads right into the band's improvisational performance. Lyrics are unrecognizable and repetitive, yet get their point across. This song, like all others, is obviously music that has been edited to highlight certain moments of the performances. "Radial," the second track on the album finds the band at their most experimental. Coming in at just under twelve minutes, it's easy to see the level of intensity in which Larsen is capable of reaching. Discordant accordions and drones flourish throughout the entire twelve minutes. It's really quite mental if you allow yourself to dig down into the sounds.
Other tracks, like "Mentre," give some minor relief in the sense that this is where you'll hear some of the most harmonious moments; the same can be said for "Intermezzo." "Akin" is another one of the longer tracks on the album, which also happens to be the best overall song. Female Italian vocals permeate the prog-like canvas with dark and messy color. Like Garlands-era Cocteau Twins, I could care less what these ladies are singing about. The lyrics are pretty much irrelevant due to the fact that they are simply used to act as an instrument in themselves. Furthermore, Rever is an album that you simply have to surrender to. There is absolutely no need to analyze this music any further. Use of headphones would be recommended if you really want to hear all the intricate layers of abstraction that have been dispersed through this album.
1. Impro #2
2. Radial
3. Mentre
4. Finger Number Six
5. Intermezzo
6. Akin
7. Intro
8. Maya
9. Impro #1
More about: Larsen
