What do you need today? Whatever it might be, it should transport you to a different space, hopefully one you can get lost in and relax a bit since this world sure ain’t offering much of that these days. For you, this escape might be ambient, a swirling of fog that transports you away. Or maybe something ultra-heavy, reminding you by contrast that things might be worse. For me, for the last few weeks at least, it has been Arcing Wires Prime, an energetic, bright, engaging piece of prog fusion that’s a delight to the ears. Prime is the first full release for these Sydney based guys, seeing release on November 6th through, who else, the mighty Art as Catharsis. We’re proud to bring you this album in full, right here today! It’s chock full of brass instruments, tasty guitar licks, odd time signatures, and a just a whole heap of fun. Head on down below to get your taste!
Let’s talk about “The Lizard”, shall we? This opening track does a perfect job of setting the tone for the rest of the album. It opens with this chug-tastic first riff, diving in and out of those guitar leads in the back, before the brass ushers in the track proper. That’s where the real fun begins, with the drums taking on a more scattered approach to rhythm, leading the track in and out of the main riff alongside the moving accompaniment. Pay special attention to that cymbal work and how it accentuates the transitions in and amongst the main idea of the track. Later on down the line things get even wilder; multiple brass instruments, chief among them the saxophone, start trading wild ideas, whipping themselves up into a jazzy frenzy. The rest of it, those drums included, follow suit and everything comes to a bewildering head before falling away, leaving space for the outro to carry us away.
Oh boy, what a ride! The rest of the album has plenty more where that came from, deftly ducking out of pleasant ambience and head first into bedazzling instrumentals. Prime also manages to do all of this without becoming too much to bear, always making sure to keep the music accessible and communicable. That’s what complete the package here; you’re not just being bombarded by technically impressive music, you’re also being talked to, escorted to this plane where Arcing Wires are just doing their thing. Hey, and we haven’t even mentioned the great acapella on “Catacuastic” or the funky Hammonds and bass combo on “Serotonin”. And so much more!
Prime, as mentioned above, releases on November 6th. Head on over to that Bandcamp to pre-order it, why don’t you, and support bold, independent artists and labels. Alright, good talk. Time to jazz.