Vibracathedral Orchestra - Versatile Arab Chord Chart
(VHF)
About an hour after I first put on Versatile Arab Chord Chart, the CD ended. It took me about five
minutes to realize this, as I could still hear the ringing overtones that filled the entire disc. The air
around my head was still ringing and buzzing, and whenever I moved my head, the sound would
wash out like a wah-wah had been placed on it.
England's Vibracathedral Orchestra sounds not unlike a roomful of happy droneheads running
from instrument to instrument. In fact, when listening to the disc it's easy to imagine five Brits
running around inside an empty cathedral, with microphones hanging everywhere, while a tape
machine turns. I'm unsure how much of this disc is composed and how much is free improv; I'd
wager towards the latter.
While this is definitely "drone" music, Vibracathedral don't sound quite like any other artist, though
the minimal improvised soundscapes of Sunroof! are the closest approximation. Instead of slow,
spacey psychedelic drone favored by artists like Stars of the Lid, Vibracathedral Orchestra play
active, chaotic music that practically jumps out of the speakers at you. It's never dissonant or
harsh; instead the drones are clean and pure.
Versatile Arab Chord Chart flows together very well, to the point where the 9 lengthy tracks feel
like movements of one or two long compostions. The swirling, alien sounds of "Aeolian Cistern"
eventually build to a slow drum beat, turning into "Catching Loners with Blank Arms".
Vibracathedral Orchestra actually "rocks" here, though they are far from a rock band; their music
has some structure, but each musician is clearly improvising.
"Still Leaking/Breaking" finds the group going into heavy trance mode--a loud pulse runs
throughout the piece, with a violing teasing the listener. "Ordinary Babies" bursts out somewhat
awkwardly as the next track, which is still trancey but more intense. It works almost as an
introduction to "Japan Banjo," the centerpiece of the record. Over 15 minutes, the Orchestra
builds up on a subtle rhythm and goes between heavy, burning tones and raucous skiffle band
fun.
I'm not sure exactly what instrumentation is used, though guitars and stringed instruments are
most evident, both strummed and bowed. There is lots of crazy, active percussion--things
clattering and jangling around, and lots of ringing sounds. A violin is definitely in the mix, and
possibly an organ. The recording is very much a "room sound," and although it's difficult to
distinguish all of the instruments at times, the music really jumps off the tape anyway. The
overtones just become so intense that it's really hard to tell what is producing what, but it doesn't
really matter.
This is the second Vibracathedral Orchestra album, and the first widely available one. If you are
looking for a new record that is clearly influenced by minimalism, you might want to check out the
Vibracathedral Orchestra. They aren't exactly Philip Glass, but maybe what Philip Glass would
do if he was genetically hybridized with AMM.
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