Rothko - In the Pulse of an Artery EP
(Bella Union)
Rothko expand and explore the boundaries of the bass guitar by creating
sometimes subtle, always beautiful songs of warm drone
with a backbone of slow post rock basslines playing against each other. The
core UK trio all play bass guitar, and sometimes
add extra instrumentation with guest musicians both live and on record.
At just under 30 minutes, "In the Pulse of an Artery" showcases a couple
different sides of Rothko's unique ambience within a
short time. The songs tend toward the structured side of things, with a few
twists thrown in. The Middle Eastern "Imprint of
Leaves" showcases a sitar guitar wielding Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins) who
also adds subtle ambient singing. A piano is
also heard occasionally on "Imprint of Leaves," as well as "Open." This
song was the opening track on their most recent
full length, Forty Years to Find a Voice, and on this version, the vocals have been taken out,
giving the song more room to breathe as it wanders
across your speakers. The last track, a tribute to Harold Budd and entitled, "Harold Budd," is
a gorgeous bowed affair, which makes me hit the play button again
every time the CD ends.
This EP is lengthy and wonderful, a much better example of what makes
Rothko great than their last full length, making the import well worth
tracking down.
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