I
actually saw Hotel 2 on Bandcamp before I knew that Hotel 1 existed. I try to check the new releases for cassettes
every day on Bandcamp, but I somehow missed this one until I saw the second
come out. As this was still available,
I quickly ordered them both because I so enjoyed the Consumer cassette put out
by SadoDaMascus Records. The one funny thing about this though is that
Hotel 1 is a split cassette and so I would have assumed they’d all be splits if
I didn’t know that Hotel 2 is not.
Kind of strange how things like that can work out, but otherwise the
music remains because I still listened to this one first.
This
is a live improvised one take session and I do enjoy those types of sessions
perhaps the most. Monochromacy starts
us off with quiet, ambient drone. It
has the feel of a long sunrise and I realize saying that somehow makes it sound
more uplifting (or me more positive) since I didn’t say sunset. There is a little bit of melody, a little
bit of distortion. Throughout the first side, which is all
Monochromacy, the static, distortion and wind maintain, only ever changing
slightly. It ends on some quiet tones
as well.
On
Side B, Steve Flato brings out some crackling sounds with a slight
rattling. It is the drone of the
buzz/hum that both separates this and makes it similar to Side A. Slicing synth gives way to glitchy static
which makes me think of a Ghost in the Machine type of scenario. A high, sharp Masters of the Universe keytar
type of sound cuts in and out.
Ultimately, this is just that perfect mix of static and sharp drone
noises that reminds me of JML, Breakdancing Ronald Reagan, etc.
So
as far as splits go, this is amongst the best kind: two artists who are similar
enough to be related yet distinguishable enough in their own rights. The
fact that it was all recorded in one take with improvisation key just makes it
that much better.
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