(Independent Release) Garrett Burke is known for his drumming with groups like Art Contest, Jock Gang and Tug, but Athens is just becoming acquainted with Isaak Pancake, Burke’s five-year-old experimental electronic project. DRUMS OLO, the third Pancake full-length, is laden with dexterous, anxiety-inducing drum solos, which synchronize nicely with droning, dripping sounds to create an expressive, fluctuating album. With the use of his laptop, a MIDI pad, contact microphones, effects pedals and an inventive disposition, Burke transforms his drums into a more dynamic instrument best experienced live.
DRUMS OLO is dark, and the congruous flow between songs aids in its disorienting nature. Six-minute intro “Blind Ate” opens the album with harrowing ambience, but picks up momentum and is carried seamlessly into the next track, “Buyer.” The album’s middle is curiously aqueous, emulating a deep-sea exploration to its end, which could be an alternative score to a John Carpenter movie.
Burke’s mindful layering of dissonant sounds illustrates an emotive story, while his angular, lyric-less musicality forces listeners to formulate their own interpretations of, and navigate through, this intricate, idiosyncratic soundscape.
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