|
In a town where Buffett and beach music reign, Analog Missionary doesn't shy away from something different
05/31/02
Phrases such as "ambient music" and "progressive rock" often
inspire intense reactions all by themselves. None of this has stopped the members of local band Analog Missionary from venturing into this daunting musical territory. The evidence that the group is making its case includes a skillfully self-produced new album and a growing range on the road. The album, "Transmitter," was
released this spring. Produced in the band's own studio, Mars Hill Guitarist Kevin Kaiser said he and
bassist Tony Novak first conceived of the band about 10 years ago. "It was really hard to find a singer to do this kind of stuff," said Kaiser. "We probably had a hundred singers before we met Anstrom." Aside from the one-word name, Anstrom adds something else that's a relative rarity in the genre -- a female voice, one with enough range and presence to cut clearly though the band's complicated arrangements. Along the way, the band's founders also built one of the area's more spacious and well-equipped private studios. Kaiser and Novak confessed to being diehard gearheads. "Basically, we built the studio just as a personal studio for the band," said Kaiser. "What we've found is that, in a lot of cases, you can get a pretty good piece of equipment for two hundred dollars," said Novak, "but they make a way better piece for two thousand dollars." The duo's affinity for the good stuff has paid off in that Mars Hill is capable of taking on outside projects. Novak said they advertise mainly by word of mouth, but "it keeps us pretty busy." Third-party projects recorded at the studio include "Who I Am," a standout album released this year by Adam Holt and the Blues congregation. "I've used them exclusively," Holt said of the experience. "These guys are just gearheads. They study and they know exactly what they're doing." If it seems odd that a blues player would praise the "good vibe" in a studio dedicated to music so far removed from the blues, it's worth noting that work on the two albums was distinctly different. As Novak put it, Holt's album took two days to record and another couple of sessions to master. Theirs, they spent two years on. "We did it at our leisure," said Anstrom. "We made sure it was the way we wanted." The longer time frame should come as no surprise. By its nature, ambient music depends heavily on production. The hallmark of the genre is that it ranges far afield from rock's usual linear format, in which the bassist and drummer play steadily, with a guitarist likely to insist on solo time and a singer just as prone to hog the spotlight. Ambient songs present more of a soundscape, layering sounds and moods to create an emotional picture. As instruments come and go, the listener's focus constantly shifts. Elements that might dominate the songs, such as roaring guitars or martial drumming, instead become components of a bigger whole. That's true of "Transmitter," whose songs are full of contrasts. Melody often emerges from a sheet of distorted sound, seeming all the more pure by contrast. The best songs, like "Chaser" and the nearly nine-minute epic "Satellite," run across vast swaths of territory, returning to themes without ever seeming to repeat them. When successful, the approach creates a depth that keeps listeners interested long after the songs have become familiar. "The 21st time you listen, you might go, 'Wow, I never heard that,'" said Novak of the little touches that flesh out the songs. One of the challenges before the group has been finding an audience for their music in an area where tastes run more to easygoing beach music. A recent Sunday afternoon gig at the Causeway's BlueGill Restaurant revealed its secret weapon: One of the odder, and more challenging, lists of cover songs around. Playing to late-afternoon diners, the band offered covers ranging from the Police -- whose tricky, reggae-influence rhythms seemed to present no problem -- to the Cure, Radiohead and Depeche Mode. They even presented Led Zeppelin's moody, keyboard-driven "No Quarter" to applause. Individually, the groups might not be the favorites of the fried seafood crowd.
But each
registered enough familiarity to win over the audience.
"Our list is like, strange," said Kaiser. Anstrom added that it includes
rare choices such as
Portishead, Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey.
"We've sold a lot of Portishead albums," said Kaiser. "We're trying to be as different as we can be," said Novak. "That's the comment we always get: 'Man, you guys can't be from around here.'" The group said venues where it is more in its element include the Gulf Coast Coffee Merchant in Gulf Shores. "They seem to really love music down there," said Kaiser. "And these guys knew every song we did," added Novak. The band also has a couple of novel visual elements going for it. In addition to conventional bass, Novak plays the Chapman Stick, a stringed instrument that covers the range of the guitar and the bass. Anstrom, meanwhile, plays the Theremin, an electronic device most famously used by guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Looking like a small box with two antennas, the device generates eerie, shifting tones as its operator's body movements affect its electrical field. With the album finally out, band members say they're working hard to expand
their touring
range, with their sights set on Atlanta and New Orleans. "We're really scurrying trying to get out of Mobile," said Kaiser. "Just getting our music into as many hands as possible, that's the most important thing," said Anstrom. The album is available at Satori Sound in Mobile, Bay Sound in Daphne and Dr. Music in Fairhope. It is also available through the band's Web site, www.analogmissionary.com, and at shows. Following a Thursday night appearance at Soul Kitchen, the band will play tonight and Saturday at Grand Central on Dauphin Street. Plans for the next album are already in the works, and members say they're keeping one goal in sight: To avoid the sterile quality that sometimes plagues ambient music. "In general, we're not fans of ambient music," said Kaiser, meaning that the band chooses its influences as carefully as its songs.
|