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Monday, May 20, 2013

17 Pygmies "Isabel"


Country: USA
Sub GenreElectronica, Space Rock, Art Rock
LabelTrakwerx Records
Release dateMay 20, 2013
Tracklist
  1. Isabel I - 2:48
  2. Isabel II - 3:45
  3. Isabel III - 5:32
  4. Isabel IV - 4:40
  5. Isabel V - 6:01
  6. Isabel VI - 6:34
  7. Isabel VII - 3:38
  8. Isabel VIII - 5:53
  9. Isabel IX - 3:45
10. Isabel X - 3:45
11. Isabel XI - 6:52
12. Kyrie - 3:30

Line-up
Jeff Brenneman - Guitar,Synth
Dirk Doucette - Bass,Drums,Guitar,Synth
Meg Maryatt - Vocals,Guitar,Synth
Jackson Del Rey - Synth,Guitar,Bass,Vocals
   With
Julien Imstepf: Bass on Isabel XI
Lea Reis: Background Vocals
Jean Sudbury: Violin,Viola
Erik Stein: Vocals on Kyrie
Jon Boux: Piano,Synth on Kyrie
Chris Bergstrom: Surbahar on Isabel IX

Description/Reviews
Can 17 Pygmies, a really old, terminally art-damaged band, actually follow-up on the musical and commercial success of their Celestina trilogy by releasing an album of compositions mainly dedicated to exploring the proposition that the geometric nature of flowers provides proof of intelligent design? Conceptually Isabel asks and answers that very question with a resounding, "We're not sure!"
But away from theory and onto the music, Isabel draws on some of the more attractive attributes of it’s predecessor CIII: Even Celestina Gets The Blues, namely Prog Psychedelia and Ether-Pop but adds a healthy dose of Spanish Guitar, Trip-hop and interestingly R&B backing vocals to what has already been described a musical blend "warm and yet haunting, it’s spacious and yet lush, it’s warm and yet melancholy. It’s music of contrasts and much like sweet-and-sour, it’s delicious."
Influences for Isabel include ELP, “Lamb” era Genesis, Can, Amon Duul II and John Foxx. A little less obvious, but no less important touchstones include Christopher Young (he wrote the theme to “Hellraiser” but you knew that), The 1st Movement of "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" by Henryk Górecki, Segovia and "Venus In Furs" by the Velvet Underground.
Also read the review by Zachary Nathanson

Media/Samples 
Entire album online

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