EBSK: Secret Highways
Scarcelight Recordings

In contrast to the ear-splitting experimentalism of some Scarcelight releases, this fifteen-minute 3-incher from Washington's EBSK—the name derived from bassist Eric Bruns' initials and the Casio sk1 and sk5 utilized by drummer John Rickman—showcases the label's more accessible side. As the aggressive mix of charging bass and drum clatter in “Wobbly” illustrates, EBSK's sound inhabits an inspired interzone where lo-fi electronica, kraut-, prog- and post-rock intersect. Opening with a grinding, snorting machine shuffle, “Secret Highways” is even better, its spiky bass lines propelling it into crunching Crimsonesque territory before a bright theme breaks through the smears and static to leaven the mood.

February 2005