So how many
bands do you know in which a hammered dulcimer is the lead instrument?
Do you even know what a hammered dulcimer
is? Neither do I. There’s probably a picture of one on the
internet somewhere, though I can sort of imagine what it is from its
sound. In my mind, it’s a kind of cross
between a harpsichord and a big boy’s xylophone (edit: GIS shows that
this seems to have been an amazingly accurate guess). It is, in any
case, a distinctive sound and
it lends this album and this band a very unique feel. It would, of
course, be just a gimmick if the
rest of the album wasn’t good, and fortunately that is not the case.
The music is all instrumental, and most of it, with some major exceptions, has a similar tone. Dark, a little bit menacing, and a little bit groove-based. “Chiaroscuro” and “Vendetta,” the two first tracks, are good examples of this. A relatively slow tempo set by a nonetheless powerful and precise drummer, some real basic bass work, a dirty-sounding guitar going all over the place quite well, and of course our favorite, the hammered dulcimer augmenting the beat and adding that signature sound. It’s all a bit Tortoise-y, I suppose, but they say that about pretty much everything. Imagine driving through Montana at night with a body in your trunk – this is what’s on the radio. Maybe there are some horses there... and a thunderstorm? When you hear a track you’ll know what I mean. It’s good, anyway.
So the exceptions to this rule are also good. The first is the title track. It’s a more spacey affair, with galloping guitars phased out of existence but turned up real high and a another wailing guitar setting up wallpaper. The dulcimer mirrors the first guitar and there are no drums – its like the same scene in Montana, except now you’re totally twisted and entering bat country (Rest in Peace Hunter). The second exception is “The Devil Changes Colors.” I don’t know how this track ended up on this album, cause it’s obviously a joint cowboy-indian dirge from the 1820’s. Basically for about 9 minutes there are waves crashing, a horn fading in and out with some kind of haunting melody, and the dulcimer and guitar providing that galloping rhythm from “No Wake” – you’ll know what I mean when you hear it, it’s like they timed their instruments to horse hooves. It comes and goes in little spurts as short as 5 or 6 seconds long, with variations and such. My best guess is they found a great key to play in and improvised, and were so gone on hashish that they didn’t realize they were still going 9 minutes later, or even that they had been channeling Ennio Morricone.
Basically Tulsa Drone has established a
great and interesting sound on this record, and it’s good for driving around or
whatnot, not too intrusive and since there’s no words you don’t have to think
too hard, though you might think you’re going insane during the title track.
Here's "Chiaroscuro"
and here's the title track from Tulsa Drone's No Wake.
(from the archives - updated with mp3 download)
dude.
DUDE!
Posted by: miko | 2006.04.23 at 11:36 PM
This is very interesting. I’m going to try it. I’ve always been interested in the right-hard/left-brain thing. Oddly enough, I am right-handed, but don’t really feel right-handed. I do not instinctively know my right hand, do not feel comfortable with my right-handedness. I’m not left-handed either, though. So I’ve dubbed my condition nomba-dexterous. Anyone else out there feel the way I do?
Posted by: ugg sko | 2011.11.16 at 01:55 AM