Cloudland Canyon
Lie in Light
Kranky Records Krank 117 (www.kranky.net)
Brooklynite Kip Uhlhorn and German Simon Wojan have released several recordings as Cloudland Canyon, but their latest full length makes their myriad influences manifest; in particular, it pays homage to Teutonic experimental groups: Can, Gong, Kraftwerk, Faust, and Einstürzende Neubaten, just to name a few likely suspects. From overt signifiers – tracks named “Krautwerk” and “Scheisse Schatzi, Auf Widersehen!” for instance – to a mélange of musical references, Cloudland Canyon revel in the rebellious and exploratory ambience of their predecessors, making stirring music along the way. Rollicking grooves populate “Krautwerk” and “You & I,” while bold drone and noise experimentation is found on “White Woman.” The title track is a rich, thickly wrought wall of ambient electronica; the CD’s closer, “Mothlight Part 1,” employs swaths vocals and heavy rock guitars to fashion a satisfyingly trippy coda.
-Christian Carey
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