KEENE – the river and the fence

(CD, poeta negra)

The three members of Keene come from a background of visual arts and you can hear it, because their tracks are worked out a movie or an installation would be in many ways, for instance the way they gain dynamics from static movements or the gentle flow and many layers of sounds, rhythms and the interconnection of the two. In other words, if the composition of classical music is analogue to architecture, then the composition of the tracks on “the river and the fence” is analogue to the construction of an audio- visual installation. It could be interesting to talk to Dimitris Mitsiopoulos, Kostas Giaslaz and Haris Martis about architecture and the influence constructed structures have on the psyche, because it seems as if these questions touch the same points that their way of experimenting with sounds and structures do.

Sounds flow gently and freely yet seemingly under control. Like the river danube running through the city of Vienna, which is a soothing and pleasant sight of a quite large river running peacefully. But all the dams and constructions, the whole danube channel and the large retention areas visible in the vicinity and all throughout the city are a reminder that in fact the river has been a danger to life and lifestock for centuries. The tracks of Keene nurture the same thought; they are pleasant and there is not the faintest smell of something evil lurking underneath or behind something somewhere, yet the sense prevails, that this peacefulness is maintained by diligent construction work and inspection. Maybe it is just the pristinely clear production that makes me feel this way.

As far as emotional instrumental music goes “the river and the fence” connects both to the micro-programmed electronica of, for instance, Fennesz or Greg Headly, but also to handmade, straight from the heart intelligence of for instance some smaller bands on Constellation label like Fly Pan Am. Only with more care for construction, an exchange of detail towards minimalism and long curves of attention, but not yet Krautrock. There are more fluttering and fragile tracks, some that twinkle and wink like little flowers and – my favorites – tracks that could almost be filed under modern composition. Especially the final track, “the fence” with its addition of a cello and some other instruments stands out by producing power by gentleness and attraction by keeping a low profile. Like a Brahms-concert in some ways and like minimal music in other ways. Another stand out track is “The River”, also with the cello and a slowly stomping rhythm, industrial noises and especially a guitar feedbacking in lower frequency ranges as a contrast to the cello. Sounds terrible, but works out really fine, especially when the guitar changes from droning noise to a blues infested lick after half of the song and the violin changes its role at the same time.

Sometimes nothing happens and still you are impressed by an influx of energy and ideas and an enormous, constant stream of the sense of being right here and now. In times like ours, where something constantly has to happen, where 20 seconds without a new fun or joke impulse are deemed boring by the masses, where attention spans have been reduced to less than the duration of a tv-spot and kids say that they prefer to listen to ringtones because they are shorter than songs (!) music like Keene are very welcome by me. Maybe I am old fashioned, but time is no ressource or non-monetary capital that has to be used up efficiently. This kind of superficiality will kill us all sooner or later, I am sure of it. “The river and the fence” might keep us alive for a few more days.