Vibracathedral Orchestra - Tuning To the Rooster (Important)
After Julian Bradley's departure late last year from Vibracathedral Orchestra to work on solo material (get your hands on some if you can - for all of its self-deprecating exterior, it's deceptively intense) and the induction of fellow traveller Matthew Bower (Sunroof!, Hototogisu, Skullflower, et al.), my interest was piqued to see what this substitution would do to the band's sound. Bradley always seemed to me an understated perhaps even introverted presence; his low key contributions lending an air of peace to even the most monolithic swirling maelstroms. On the other hand, Bower the extrovert is instantly recognizable in almost any setting and I was really looking forward to how he would mesh his signature ringing shimmer with the rest of the band. So I must admit that I was a bit disappointed to hear that the "new" VCO release was going to be a reissue of material that had been previously issued in abbreviated formats. One listen to this gloriously reconstructed collection dispelled all of my doubts; rather than being a hastily patched together farewell to their longtime lineup, this is prime VCO the way it was meant to be heard. Majestic, expansive, and full-bodied distillations of the elements, these tracks are like eavesdropping on the eternal. Each of these pieces feel as if they were themselves cut out of a larger cloth, endless tendrils radiating out from the white hot center and disappearing to a vanishing point in the aether.
"Baptism > Bar > Blues" comes out of the gate squawking, rocking, roaring and rollicking, strangled vocals pummelled by tribal drum smack and wailing horns with an anthemic and subtly mutating guitar line hovering above it all in a chest thumping howl at the sky. This intensity level is maintained for nearly fifteen minutes but the minute variations in the repetition keep it trance- rather than sleep- inducing. Following this adrenal onslaught is my favorite piece: the gorgeous "Wearing Clothes of Ash." The wonderfully evocative title only hints at the masterful layering of wisps of piano, violins, feedback, vocal incantations, and gently tapped percussion to construct a garment of spectral gauziness that has a steely underpinning of solidity. The delicate piano work (Bridget Hayden's?) in this piece is particularly worthy of note as it picks up queues from the drones swirling around it to embroider the edges without hemming them in. Anyone who believes that drone is an insular musical form only needs to listen to this shining example to understand how much reaction and interplay is possible in experienced hands. "Stole Some Sentimental Jewelry" bursts in over "Ash"'s slowly guttering flame to sweep the listener up in what sounds like a mountain dance from Eastern Europe played by some (s)avant garde village band. Thrillingly sophisticated yet flowing utterly organically, this is the kind of globe spanning reach that VCO has up its sleeve at any moment and makes me wish they could collaborate some time with other afficianados of this region's rich musical heritage (perhaps Steven R. Smith?). The album closes with the darkly brooding "Girls with Rocks in Their Hands." The piece manages to be diffuse and focused simultaneously as if it were constantly swallowing its perimeter before it can wander too far from the center.
Even if you already own all of the long out of print original releases (you know who you are), you're going to want to pick this set up. You can be angry that VCO is fleecing you for the extra minutes they dropped from the initial releases or you can surrender yourself to the harmonious totality of Tuning To The Rooster. It's your choice really.
