Label: Racing Junior Format: CD
Salvatore popped down to Marrakesh from their Nowegian home to record Fresh, and from the opening twang of “Get The Kids On The Street, It’s A Party” things take on an electronic groove dimension which can only have been aided by the atmosphere of Morocco. “Get The Kids…” holds all the Motorik cards, dealing out chord chugs and twirling synths on a rhythmic base held in precise tension through the crisp sound of the brushing drums and the clanking sound of brand new bass strings. The title is just about right too, as it’s a perfect number for getting things going in a bouncy style.
It’s no real surprise that Salvatore are going to work on their next album with John McEntire either, as there is much to Fresh which relates to the expansive sound of early Tortoise, but without the descent into Jazziness and consequent flaccidity either. The band were obviously having a high time in old Marrakesh, as their is a feeling of bright warmth to “Chant Of The No No’s” with its sampled voice musing unitelligibly but quite happily to itself on the cruising groove. “Medina Drive” shimmers with hazy chiming guitar and cloudy electronics, scraping the air with all the fulsome intensity it can manage while the bass keeps treble-Dub time. “Stork” holds calmer stretches, backing up the pocket trumpet melody with cycles of fuzz and bringing the mood to a gentler, but still well out there, pass, while “100 Camels In The Courtyard” drifts in ambient Kosmische directions on a big bass carpet before revving into a twangy melody.
“The Seven Colours Of Gnaff” chugs along merrily to the drone and chime of guitars and that rising Germanic rhythm which Salvatore have perfected, choppy chords bringing the headlong motion into full-focus clarity; “Disco Farah” positively rollicks on warm low end and the sussurus of an analogue sea. The knowledge that Fresh was recorded in what were obviously very pleasant surroundings ooozes out into the album’s atmospherics, making for a release which is entirely good-natured and enveloping, as the liquid bass, snazzy drums and twinkling semi-melodies of “First Red Then Nothing”, and “Vogel” with its so-relaxed beatless approach demonstrate. The twitter of birdsong on “Alte K�n” accompany further motorik meanders which segue into the the concusion when it comes in the shape of “Dune”. A wash of mildly scorching fuzz rising over into the electronic hums, lazy echoing strums and delayed feedback soon brings about a suitably psychedelic come down to what has turned out to be a very assured slice of escapist instrumental pleasantry.
-Tango-Mango-
