Slint, formed by Squirrel Bait's guitarist Brian McMahan and also featuring drummer Britt Walford, bassist Ethan Buckler and guitarist David Pajo, represented a major shift in musical purpose: they were more intimidating than exciting. The mostly-instrumental music of Tweez (1989) kept the tension and the neurosis of hardcore but lost the passion and the narrative logic. It was "pointless" music. It was a stylistic black hole which sucked the history of rock music, in which the history of rock music virtually ended. It wasn't exactly acid-rock, although it indulged in similar free-form approach, it wasn't progressive-rock although it exhibited the same brainy stance, it wasn't heavy-metal, although it relied on forceful guitar work, it wasn't free-jazz or avantgarde classical music, although it shared with them a penchant for innovative structures. Spiderland (1991) was even more abstract. Its harmonic zigzags through irregular tempos, fractured melodies and discordant counterpoint were as disorienting as notes scribbled in an unknown language. Vapid moribund passages were inundated by sudden tidal waves of sound, or, better, given the glacial tone of the band's jamming, arctic quiet was shaken by icebergs cracking in the ocean. The whole album flew in a dis-organic manner, but still retained an odd sense of unity. It sounded like the stream of consciousness of a mathematician's brain as it was solving a difficult theorem.
(Translation by/ Tradotto da Eufemia Campagna)
Slint was one of the most influential groups of their time.
From the highest branch of the most complicated genealogical tree of the Squirrel Bait, Slint was formed through the
work of guitarist Brian McMahon (not to be confused with Brian McMahon of
the Electric Eels) and drummer Britt Walford, with Ethan
Buckler on base and David Pajo on second guitar. The group recorded some
sessions in 1987 with Steve Albini, which would not be
brought to light until two years later. Their sound was something completely
new. It was governed by an instrumental chemistry that was delicate,
feverish and fractured all at the same time. It melted together techniques
of acid, progressive and punk rock, as well as free-jazz and chamber music
of the avant-guard.
The album Tweez (Jennifer Hartman, 1989) is one of the most
revolutionary works in rock history. Every piece is dedicated to a parent
of the quartet (and even the dog of one of them) -- not even Robert Wyatt
had ever succeeded in composing such abstract dedications. The music is
conceptual, heavily rhythmic (often counter rhythm), nervously noisy and
mostly instrumental. It is committed to a stormy tonality and
contorted designs, completely outside its classification. The atmosphere,
at the same time ethereal and dense, continually comes back into play. It's
like listening to a much more eclectic and extravagant version of Big Black.
The instrumental score of pieces like Ron initiates the driving force
of punk rock with the improvisation of old progressive rock. The group
continually reinvents its own style, often mixing a touch of the traditional
with techniques of the avantguarde or jazz. The country and western figures
of Pat are disfigured with a dissonant digression and jazzed up by
the guitar. The instrumental Rhoda is practically entirely comprised
of the striking attack of toneless guitar pitches typical of Big Black. The
mutated blues of Kent is a refined masterpiece of dramatic
development, instrumental lacing, counterpoints and counterbalances. And
Nan Ding boasts one of the most creative guitar solos of the time.
The emotions provoked by these abstract concepts are similar to those
demonstrated by a difficult mathematical theorem than those of adolescents
in search of excitement. The burning riffs, the mechanical cadences, the
"sounds" of Charlotte and Carol, the galloping rhythms and the
deafening distortions of Warren, instead constitute the music's
darker side. At the same time the delicate atmospheres of Darlene
allow us to enter a spiral of light in a work that is a dense crowding of
innovative ideas.
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Gli Slint furono uno dei complessi piu` influenti della loro epoca.
Con loro nacque l'idea di una musica che conservava la tensione e le nevrosi
dell'hardcore ma che aveva perso del tutto non solo la sua passione ma anche
un qualsiasi cenno di logica narrativa. Quelli dei brani degli Slint erano
suoni fini a se stessi, suoni ne' eleganti ne' cerebrali ne' manieristici:
semplicemente suoni. Il gruppo suonava come un gruppo di musica rock, ma
senza che venisse rispettato uno solo dei dogmi del rock (eccetto la
strumentazione). Non era cantato, non era cadenzato, non era centrato su
una melodia. Era un buco nero in cui cadevano i "segni" del rock, in cui
idealmente finiva la storia della musica rock.
Ennesimo ramo del complicatissimo albero genealogico degli
Squirrel Bait, gli Slint si formarono
per opera del chitarrista Brian McMahon (non quello degli Electric Eels)
e del batterista Britt Walford,
con Ethan Buckler al basso e David Pajo alla seconda chitarra.
Il gruppo registro` alcune sessioni nel 1987 con
Steve Albini, che avrebbero visto la luce soltanto due anni dopo.
Il loro sound era qualcosa di completamente nuovo. Si reggeva su una
chimica strumentale al tempo stesso delicata, febbricitante e fratturata.
Fondeva tecniche dell'acid-rock, del progressive-rock e del punk-rock, se non
anche del free-jazz e della musica da camera d'avanguardia.
Ci avevano provato in pochi: il progressive-rock, la psichedelia piu` dilatata,
il kraut-rock... Ma la musica degli Slint non assomigliava a nessuno di questi.
Era figlia dell'hardcore, anche se non aveva piu` nulla in comune con l'hardcore.
L'album Tweez (Jennifer Hartman, 1989) e` uno dei lavori piu`
rivoluzionari della storia del rock.
Ogni brano e` dedicato a un genitore del quartetto (piu` il cane di uno
dei quattro), ma neppure Robert Wyatt era mai riuscito a comporre delle
dediche cosi` astratte.
La musica e` concettuale, pesantemente ritmata (spesso controtempo),
nervosamente rumorosa e prevalentemente strumentale, affidata a timbriche
buffe e a trame contorte, completamente fuori dai generi. L'atmosfera, al tempo
stesso eterea e densa, viene continuamente rimessa in discussione.
E` come ascoltare una versione molto piu` eclettica e fantasiosa dei Big Black.
Le partiture strumentali di brani come Ron accoppiano l'impeto del
punk-rock
all'improvvisazione del vecchio progressive rock.
Il gruppo reinventa continuamente il proprio stile, spesso mescolando un
accenno di genere tradizionale con tecniche di avanguardia o jazz.
Le figure country & western di Pat sono sfigurate da
divagazioni dissonanti e jazzate della chitarra.
Lo strumentale Rhoda e` praticamente composto soltanto dall'attacco
percussivo a timbri atonali della chitarra tipico dei Big Black.
Il blues mutante di Kent e` un capolavoro raffinatissimo di
svolgimento drammatico, di intrecci strumentali, di contrappunti e contrappesi.
E Nan Ding vanta uno degli assoli di chitarra piu` creativi di quegli anni.
Le emozioni provocate da queste congetture astratte sono piu` simili a quelle
del matematico che dimostra un difficile teorema piuttosto che a quelle
degli adolescenti in cerca di eccitazione.
I riff brucianti, le cadenze meccaniche, i "rumori" di Charlotte e Carol,
i ritmi galoppanti e le distorsioni assordanti di Warren, costituiscono invece
il versante piu` scuro di questa musica. Allo stesso modo le atmosfere delicate
di Darlene lasciano entrare uno spiraglio di luce in un'opera che e` un denso
agglomerato di idee innovative.
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Spiderland (Touch & Go, 1991) is a masterpieces in rock history.
Leveraging from experiments of preceding years, Slint is now completing a
more sophisticated search on rhythm and resonance, culminating in an almost
transcendental quality.
Instead of being simple abstract panels, pieces like
Breadcrumb Trail are "narration's", which no matter how complicated
and convoluted, continue a dramatic harmonic zigzag (as founded in blues).
The lattice continuously dilates and contracts. Don Aman
indulges in an avant-garde performance by playing with guitar chords such
that, if played at the correct tempo, would be melodious, but played with
longer and irregular pauses, are only a sequence of chords. The effect is
hypnotic however, much like in New Age acoustic pieces, even if confounded
with a very "rock" neurosis. Washer, with its whispered lullaby,
sickening beats, and slow development, is derived as much from "nocturnal"
blues as from the broader acid rock, which calls to mind the "slowcore" of
Codeine (and Pajo's one-note guitar solo).
For Dinner is an even more "narcotic", anemic, seething and drowsy
piece, perhaps the "romantic" zenith of the album.
Almost all the pieces among this delirium are the improvised beginnings of
hard rock. Nosferatu Man is probably the one most stricken by these
starts. The last piece, Good Morning Captain, acts as a small
resurgence of all of these lofty techniques, alternating itself with tones
of a wearied guitar, neglected percussion tempos and haunting vocals. The
effect is exactly that of erecting an iceberg for tragic suspense. It
constitutes one of the most upsetting musical narrations in the history of
modern rock.
This is what makes Spiderland a monumental work, in its capacity to
construct rock music without reconstructing the stereotypes of its genre,
without recourse to iconic sounds or prefabricated codes, that have always
constituted the principle channels of rock expression.
(The following is a revised version, published on Nude as the News).
Spiderland doesn't attenuate the experimental grasp of the Slint's sound.
Rather, it accents the Louisville band's search for rhythm and timbre.
The coarse
blues in "Kent" and "Breadcrumb Trail" feature harmonies that are just as
chaotic and interlocutory than on the group's first record. Brian McMahon
indulges in a concert of avant-garde guitar chords that, played in a normal
tempo, would be melodic. But played with such long, irregular breaks, are
only a sequence - a hypnotic effect mirrored in the acoustic passages of new
age music and ravaged by Slint's very "rock" neuroses. The slow progressions
of "Washer," with its whispers and pulsations, owe more to night-time blues
than acid-rock, giving birth to the music of future slow-core progenitors
such as Codeine. "For Dinner" is even more narcotic, anemic and drowsy.
Almost all of the passages, despite these excursions, feature sudden winces
of hard, hard rock, with "Nosferatu Man" perhaps more struck by this than any
other track. The closer, "Good Morning Captain," seems to summarize all of
these highbrow techniques, alternating between fragments of irritable guitar
and haunting vocal recitations. The effect erects an iceberg of tragic
suspense, and actually constitutes a true upsetting of modern rock history.
Spiderland expresses emotions often put aside in modern rock, bucking
stereotypes and never resorting to the prefabricated ideas of earlier sonic
icons.
Slint have achieved the nirvana of alternative rock, wedding masterful
playing, thoughtful composing and lyrical expression to a degree seldom
reached by popular music.
Raghav Gana wrote:
You only talk about the unorthodox music in your Spiderland review. The vocals and lyrics, however, are just as important: they span a wide range just like the music, ranging from whispers to screams, and the subject matter is quite varied:
- Breadcrumb Trail is about a guy at a theme park who rides a rollercoaster with a fortune teller
- Nosferatu Man is about a vampire who turns into a bat and kills his wife (in my interpretation)
- Don Aman (the best track on the album in my opinion) is a disturbing portrait of a guy with social anxiety at a party who decides to kill himself the next morning (in my interpretation)
- Washer is a love song to the suicidal narrator's lover, telling her to stay strong after he commits suicide
- Good Morning Captain is about a captain of a sunken ship who pleads for shelter at a house
The music is great, but it's ultimately the gripping stories that always bring me and many other listeners back to this record.
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Spiderland (Touch & Go, 1991) e` un altro dei capolavori della storia
del rock. Facendo leva sugli esperimenti degli anni precedenti, gli Slint
compiono ora una ricerca ancor piu` sofisticata su ritmi e timbriche,
e finiscono per pervenire a una qualita` quasi trascendente.
Invece che essere semplici pannelli astratti, brani come
Breadcrumb Trail sono "narrazioni", per quanto
complesse e convolute, il cui continuo zigzag armonico (peraltro fondato
sul blues) ha un senso drammatico.
(Scrive Lorenzo Casaccia: "Il disco si apre su uno degli incipit piu' originali del decennio: la battuta di tre armonici, pausa e due terzine di Breadcrumb Trail.")
Il lattice si dilata e si contrae in continuazione.
Don Aman indulge in un
concerto d'avanguardia per accordi di chitarra che, suonati al tempo giusto,
sarebbero melodici, ma suonati con pause piu` lunghe e irregolari, sono
soltanto una sequenza di accordi; l'effetto e` comunque ipnotico come nei
brani acustici della new age, anche se sotteso da una nevrosi molto "rock".
La cantilena bisbigliata, i battiti moribondi, le lente evoluzioni di Washer
discendono tanto dai blues piu` "notturni" quando dall'acidrock piu` "dilatato",
e anticipano lo "slowcore" dei Codeine.
For Dinner e` ancor piu` "narcotico", anemico, abulico, assonnato.
Quasi tutti i brani, nel mezzo di queste delizie, hanno improvvisi sussulti
di rock "duro", e Nosferatu Man e` forse quello piu` colpito da queste
scosse. L'ultimo, Good Morning Captain, funge un po' da riassunto di tutte
queste tecniche d'alta classe, dall'alternarsi di toni alle frasi annoiate di
chitarra, dai tempi trasandati della batteria alla recitazione thriller.
E l'effetto e` proprio quello di erigere un iceberg di suspense tragica,
che costituisce una delle narrazioni in musica piu` sconvolgenti della storia
del rock moderno.
Cio` che fa di Spiderland un lavoro monumentale e` la sua capacita`
di costruire musica rock senza rifarsi agli stereotipi dei
suoi generi, senza ricorrere alle icone sonore, ai codici prefabbricati,
che da sempre costituiscono i principali canali espressivi del rock.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Eufemia Campagna)
The group disbanded almost immediately, victim of the same instability that
occurred with Squirrel Bait.
Buckler formed King Kong,
Walford went on to join Breeders
and then formed Evergreen (1996 - Temporary Residence, 2003).
Dave Pajo became one of the most requested
musicians and will play even in Tortoise.
Brian McMahon, after a long absence from the scene, gave life to another
group of great prominence: For
Carnation
In 1994 an EP was published (Touch And Go) with two brief, previously
unpublished (and anonymous) instrumental pieces.
Brian McMahan, David Pajo and Britt Walford reformed Slint in 2005.
Slint reformed in 2005.
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Il gruppo si sciolse quasi subito, vittima della stessa instabilita` che era
stata degli Squirrel Bait.
Buckler formo` i King Kong,
Walford passo` nei Breeders e un numero imprecisato
di loro aiutarono i Palace Brothers.
Dave Pajo diventera` uno dei musicisti piu`
richiesti e suonera` anche nei Tortoise.
Brian McMahon, dopo una lunga assenza dalle scene, dara` vita a un'altra
formazione di grande rilievo, i For Carnation
Nel 1994 e` stato pubblicato (Touch And Go) un EP con due brevi inediti
(e anonimi) brani strumentali.
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