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review by Dene Bebbington It's not often I get to hear something which is quirky but also fun to listen to, so Placebo Merchant took me a little by surprise though the CD cover gives a definite hint that here is an unusual album. It's the third album by duo Greg Waltzer and James Lacey, their website describes Greg as the driving force (the vector) and James as the mutant element. Their music is improvisational in nature and what I can only describe as somewhat deranged but also organised chaos! The sonic landscape created by this album is varied like a musical kaleidoscope; some tracks such as "Centipede" are best described as a controlled cacophony, some tracks are surprisingly melodic (the first track "Nebula" comes to mind), while others like "Ura Hay" are more peculiar with bizarre voice samples. In several places, the sounds made me think of old fairground steam organs; I'm not sure if there is a similarity in some of the sounds or if my mind is playing tricks on me! If you let yourself get past the initial oddity of the music it's possible to conjure up strange and amusing images to go with the sounds. After hearing the piece "Centipede" a few times I couldn't but help think of a drunken centipede with all its legs trying to walk along a precraious stick. In my experience, experimental music can be rather hit and miss but Placebo Merchant manages, most of the time, to stay on the edge of listenability. If it wasn't for the fact that the quirkiness can make one smile, then this album could well be too much work to listen to. Instead, it has a weird charm that will draw the listener back for more than one playing. |
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