Monday, March 29, 2010

Arto Lindsay - Invoke



"Arto Lindsay has made a lifelong habit of crossing both geographical and musical borders. Born in the United States and raised in Brazil during the heyday of that country's pointedly eclectic Tropicália movement of the 1960s, the multi-faceted songwriter/producer/vocalist/guitarist has forged an international reputation as an artist whose work is as seductive as it is challenging. From his late ‘70s recordings of abrasive “no wave” through his acclaimed series of solo albums beginning in the late ‘90s, Lindsay has bonded rhythms and melodies from diverse cultures and genres in provocative new ways, crafting inimitable soundscapes whose impact can range from fragile pop pleasure to sheer sonic assault."



"Seemingly far from the chaotic no wave of DNA, Arto Lindsay continues his explorations into the subtleties of Brazilian pop music. Throughout Invoke, avant-gardisms bubble just below the surface in strange loops and weird drumbeats, occasionally finding their way to the top (such as on "In the City That Reads"). Lindsay fuses the ideas of the art pop of David Byrne with the haunting samples of Soul Coughing's Mark de Gli Antoni. The result is a magical, atmospheric disc that is ambient in its effect with enough surface-level tension to keep the listener engaged. It is undoubtedly mood music. The only problem might be in finding the proper situation in which to listen to the disc. It's a bit too mellow for party listening and perhaps a bit too bright for late-night contemplation. It might be best suited for dusk on a summer evening, letting it provide the transition into darkness."

I feel like the embodiment of a Lindsay song.

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