March 2002 • Rockbites Alternative Daily
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Xiu Xiu get rather strange on Knife Play 6 March 2002
The pair had previously piloted Ibopa and Ten In The Swear Jar—experimental bands that were mostly live projects, releasing only a 7" here or a 10" there. For Xiu Xiu, Stewart and McCulloch brought on board Lauren Andrews (piano, synths, bells) and Yvonne Chen (harmonium, synths, gongs). Don Dias, formerly in Ten In The Swear Jar, joined the band briefly but has now left. Xiu Xiu continue Stewart’s and McCulloch’s radical experimentation, completely ignoring current music charts and fashion while retaining an identifiable—but loose and tenuous—connection to rock. The result is a set of very, very strange songs, and the first full length from the pair. It’s called, ominously, Knife Play. Olympia, Washington’s 5 Rue Christine label released it on 19 February. Like an evocative science fiction novel, the music and presentation on Knife Play create a wholly alien world, with its own peculiar quality of daylight, its own confusing spectrum of emotions, and landscapes so strange that they metamorphose as you watch and your eyes try to understand what they’re looking at. Knife Play’s strong suit is the strangeness. If you dig alien strangeness, well, here you go. At the same time, there’s hollowness and pain running as an ever-present undercurrent from the first bell chimes to the final, slightly detuned piano chord. It is not energizing, fun, danceable, warm, or hummable, nor does it try to be. It is, however, somewhat disturbing and very fucking strange. Yes, that it most certainly is. One might even characterize it as just a bit psychotomimetic, as much as a little plastic CD could be, anyway. Guest musicians on the album include, among others, Jason Albertini (guitar, from Duster), Greg Saunier (drums, from Deerhoof), Ches Smith (drums, from Mr. Bungle), Don Dias (bass accordian, ex Ten In The Swear Jar), and Kurt Stumbaugh (baritone saxophone, also ex Ten In The Swear Jar). Three bites out of five. Rockbites ratings 5: life changing, 4: stunning, 3: captivating, 2: amusing, 1: annoying. Xiu Xiu embark tonight on their first major US tour along with (on various dates) label mates Deerhoof, Godzik Pink, Hella, Seconds, Semiautomatic, and Slimmoonsolo. It’s dubbed the 5RC Jamboree Tour, and continues through 20 April. Xiu Xiu continue on the road themselves through 25 May. Check our link for dates. | Xiu Xiu (includes tour dates) | | Xiu Xiu on 5RC | | I Broke Up (full length MP3) | | 5RC Jamboree tour dates | | top of page | |
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