Sad Rockets - Transition
(Matador)

This album would be the perfect soundtrack to a James Bond film in which all the characters are robots. Imagine opening credits set to "Senio Junior." Scantily clad shebots grind to the electronic beats while organ/space/computer noise swirls around them like curls of cigarette smoke. Imagine Robot Bond, with his space laser, blasting a gang of enemy robots to scrap metal with the harsh beats, electronic violins, and 60s-ish keyboards of "Heavy Meta," in the background. Now, imagine Robot Bond in a smoky cafe, a blonde shebot in a lovely blue evening dress at his side, grooving to the beatnic-jazz drums, keyboard, harp, violin, and bongo drums of "Extra Medium." If you can imagine all that, you have a good idea of what much of this album is like.

I pictured spy robots as I listened to Transition because in many songs, there is a 60s-ish, funky, wobbly organ that somehow reminds me of a spy movie. The organ is usually mixed with electronic beats and noises, hence my imagined robotic James Bond soundtrack. Every song is an eclectic, yet harmonious mix of music from many genres. Throughout the album, there are hints of blues, jazz, techno, hip hop, funk, heavy metal, easy listening, and country. This mix of genres and the interweaving sounds, beats, and melodies is my favorite thing about Transition . Mr. Pekler is adept at creating dynamic and complex melodies and beats with just about any sound.

Two songs I particularly enjoy are "Wrongs of Fall" and "Sad Rocket's Rock Steady.' The main instrument in "Wrongs of Fall" is always changing, from violins to xylophone to keyboards to drums. And the beat also changes, from sparse and electronic to full and traditional. "Sad Rocket's Rock Steady" has a nice bluesy, reggae sounding horn sample set to a hip hop beat, and topped with jazzy guitar strums. This song isn't as spacey or electronic sounding as others, but it is catchy, fun, and groovy.

I confess I like these songs because the main focus isn't on the organ. I do enjoy the organ, like on "Twenty-Six," but sometimes, the organ, the baseline, the beats, and the space sounds make songs that are too similar, and by the end of the album, they kind of work my nerves. Don't worry, though. Songs such as "Winter's Over," which features a simple acoustic guitar accompanied by brushed drums, quiet symbols, and delicious bongos, break the tension every once in a while.

Although too much of the fun, spacey funk can be tiresome, and the organ gets old sometimes, I liked the mix of genres, the fun, spacey funk, the use of interweaving sounds, and the layers of beats. You know, the more I listen to this CD, the more I want to listen to it, and that's great! I think you will feel the same way!

scarlett lindsay 2000 dec 20