Various Artists - Pieces of a Utopian Puzzle
(Priapus)
An audacious triple LP from a label in Kansas, Pieces of a Utopian Puzzle
is a compilation in the style of the now-classic Harmony of the Spheres;
each artist is given an entire side to work with. This set features some lesser
known but remarkable artists each presenting a piece of the puzzle: Meisha,
Spaceheads, Hopewell, Accelera Deck, Your Team Ring, and Planetarium.
Half of this set flows in an organic guitar-based way: the Hopewell track is a
lovely psychedelic outing that's pop-based but not as song-oriented as their
other material. Planetarium's track is splendid, recalling Stars of the Lid but
with a much darker outlook. The Meisha piece, "On a Clear Day You Can See
Forever" is a groundbreaking work, combining the field recordings of fireworks
on July 4 with a composition that showcases the recent direction Meisha has
been writing. All sixteen minutes of this are captivating, and it's the side
that I listened to the most.
The other half of this set leans more toward beat-oriented electronic artists.
Accelera Deck is a skittery, Autechre-esque piece in two parts. Spaceheads'
track is nearly club music, but incredible fun and layered with the gorgeous
trumpet textures that they are characteristic of. The final puzzle piece is
Your Team Ring, a zany, schizophrenic work entitled "Film Score to Future
Symphonies" that is totally all over the place. In some places it resembles the
musique concrete work of Pierre Henry, while in others it seems like psychedelic
pop. Either the work of a genius or a madman, the Your Team Ring track resides
in an inaccessible yet rewarding corner of Utopia.
I'm dismayed to find that this set hasn't received very much publicity. Nicely
packaged in a black LP jacket, the cost is quite affordable (I purchased this
set at a Planetarium/Hopewell show for $15), and it showcases some incredible
talent. Like the Harmony of the Spheres box, this is available only on
vinyl (for now) which pleases the vinyl connoisseur like myself. Utopia for
under $20 is a pretty good deal.
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