Any large metropolitan city has always been a hotbed for creativity, moreover art & music. In the Sixties, New York saw Andy Warhol’s Factory an inspiration to both art and music, with bands like The Velvet Underground going on to become an inspiration to many. The Ramones did the same in the Seventies, with their short stabbing numbers that can still be heard in today’s groups. Sonic Youth was/is such a band, who, in the 80s inspired scenes like grunge and Riot Grrrl among others.
Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo has been centre stage in much more of my musical & artistic diet than I had at first realised, and is now working with Greek artists Lakis and Aris Ionas. Brothers, who are not only responsible for working in forms of canvas and film, but as can be heard here, have a musical leaning also. So their band, The Callas, have produced this album, Trouble & Desire, with the aforementioned Ranaldo, on Dirty Water Records.
Far more than just an album in the conventional sense, Trouble & Desire spans 14 tracks, which put quite simply can be broken down into 3 parts. Starting out with ‘Octopus No. 1‘, this number embarks on a brief 1’14” journey into an odd, almost satanic chanting (rather than lyric), under what is a rhythmic pattern, of a few notes played into a metaphorical musical pool of agitated water, drifting as it does in this uneasy environment. Octopus comprises 7 intervals, which like the first have a similar weighting, comprising unnerving qualities and ghostly spoken word – these should not be considered more than just the ‘glue’ that holds the album together. Never once sitting side-by-side, with the final & penultimate track on the album, ‘Octopus No.7‘, having far more in common with a number taken from Propaganda’s debut album.
So onto the album as a work and we embark on the first of the tracks, ‘The Magic Fruit Of Strangeness‘, which seems to bear a very European quality (this being the second of the album’s trio of parts). From here we continue into the first of 3 tracks titled in Greek (and sung as such), rhythmical and almost Soviet in both musical and vocal presentation.
It’s not until track 6, the awesome ‘Trouble & Desire‘, that the album really takes off, in a track where Ranaldo’s influence is clearly evident, possessing qualities that might be taken from a life living Sonic Youth as a major constituent. After a break comprising ‘Octopus No.4‘, ‘Mirror‘ comprises a mammoth chorus amid European verse, with heavy bassline and cutting guitar. A further 2 breaks comprising ‘Octopus No.5‘ and ‘No.6‘, are separated by another former Soviet flavoured number, penned in Greek. Then ‘Acid Books‘, a fast guitar laden punk slice, in a hurry to make its point. ‘Octopus No.7‘ follows, then the album’s closing number; fittingly this is another Greek penned tune (sadly I don’t have the fonts with which to illustrate), a number containing a defined bass motif and augmented guitar, providing an unease, whilst adding an addictive quality to a number that, although in an alien tongue, like an opiate cries to be understood.
Not an easy listening experience it has to be said, even with Ranaldo’s involvement, but I would recommend you persevere, and be open to fully immersing yourself in this album.
Trouble & Desire is out now on Dirty Water Records.
