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Exclusivo ad absurdum: Stream Instrumental (Adj.)’s New EP

Australia’s musical scene seems to know no bounds, and, thanks to the talents and efforts of people like Lachlan of Art as Catharsis, they are spread to the outside

6 years ago

Australia’s musical scene seems to know no bounds, and, thanks to the talents and efforts of people like Lachlan of Art as Catharsis, they are spread to the outside world. Case in point: I have the pleasure of introducing you to the entirety of Reductio ad absurdum, the upcoming EP from Sydney trio Instrumental (Adj.). The three have made quite a few waves on the Internet when they released their surprising and fresh debut A Series of Disagreements. It was short, but it overflowed with clever musical ideas and precise execution. It was jazzy, progressive, aggressive, mathematical, and, most of all, I couldn’t get enough of listening to it.

Almost two years and a half later comes its little sibling, Reductio ad absurdum. The hard work of Chris and the two Simons has finally paid off, and a condensed extract of just under 20 minutes is now available for everyone! The frequently mentioned influences and effluences are King Crimson, Animals as Leaders, John Zorn, and Spastic Ink, so you’ve got here quite a selection of intricate, challenging, but interesting music for comparison!

You already know the single “Yours” by now, the 13/16 oddity that foretold the release of this EP, but did you know that all of the compositions on Reductio ad absurdum follow a similar structure? Each song is comprised of two parts: the introduction of the theme(s) and their reduction to absurdity. That is, expanding and stretching the themes until they reach their breaking point.

That’s something that completely baffled me. At first, I was wondering if Instrumental (Adj.) “sold out” and started making mainstream music, but I quickly found out that what they were doing is build a sand castle only to destroy it in the most cathartic manner possible. The consecutive self-titled song and “Panopticon” each have their own interesting take on the broader concept of the EP, which is bought to life by the impressive musicianship of the members of the band.

Reductio ad absurdum releases March 13, and you can already pre-order the album on bandcamp or buy a t-shirt, if you want to support the project and the musicians that bring it to life!

Dave Tremblay

Published 6 years ago