Review: Kriss Gaynes Album, Monument River Offers Awesome Element to Electro Pop Genre: Depth
By Jeremy St.Martin
It’s a cold Tuesday and I’m going through my usual Tuesday ritual: Make sure I have my music folders ready, gas the car, liquid ash coffee buffered with milk and sugar, and yelling at the ancient bastards on the roads to my first rehearsal. It’s cold and I’m crabby as per Tuesday’s guidelines. Until I put in Monument River.
I always try to do a little research about any genre with which I am unfamiliar before I see a show/do a review, and this is no exception. But unlike my prior reviews of jazz and folk (the former of which I have decent experience and the latter at least a small grasp), the world of Electronica and it’s many scintillating and moody sub genres are (almost) completely foreign to me. I admit my initial impression of electronic pop was enormously obtuse: blippy bloop blip, add vocals, thank you--drive thru.
Electronic music isn’t a new thing. Some of my favorite modern classical composers have incorporated elements of electronic music in their writings. One of the most resounding examples for me is Steve Reich’s City Life in which he fuses classical music, in the form of a small chamber ensemble, with the pre recorded sounds of an urban environment (tires screeching, pile drivers, street vendors and protestors to name a few) exploring pitch and rhythm within an environmental soundscape. It’s hypnotic electronic minimalism that inspires me and gives me a feeling of epicness.
Which leads me back to the first track of Monument River, Disclosure Event. The track starts with a minimalist feel, layering each electronic element with intensity and purpose. The chorus kicks in with a fantastic ‘I can conquer this drive to the edge of the universe’ 6/8 feel that made me want to plug in my SNES and dominate the arcade scrolling shooters (i.e. Gradius). It’s a perfect example of a modern American soundtrack.
The depth of the album came truly comes alive in the 5th track, Horrordome. It was in this track my notions of electro pop were blown away. There was a genuine vibe of unrequited emotion that felt adult (as opposed to teenage romanticism) and contemplative. It was moody, but by no means pretentious.
And that’s what I adore about this album. I talked to John Duffy about the process of making this album and he was genuinely thrilled about it. You can tell he and Aaron Saul have put a lot of heart and thought into making this disc. It has appealed to me on an emotional level and on a level of a musician. It’s not always a straight up pop beat with some of the songs. There are measures of fast triplets (example above) and there are irregular meters of 5 or 7 that mold nicely into a straight 4 with the entrance of percussion.
The gentlemen refer to their project, Kriss Gaynes, as a Video Band, using their music as part of a mix media (example given below) performance. They fuse their music with avant-garde films and create a rawness that is at times bizarre, fun, moody, but above all, entertaining. Although, I believe the music on Monument River works best with the eclectic performance art, the album works just as well as a stand alone tribute to Electronic pop. John and Aaron are truly sonic magicians who have created a smart album with a ton of heart. Throw out your coffee (it was crappy anyway) and listen to a clean, intelligent blend in Monument River. And let me borrow a copy of Gradius 3 if you have it.
Below is a video giving an example of the visual performance aspect of Kriss Gaynes,
https://vimeo.com/123904939
You can learn more about the band and the album visiting the links below:
http://krissgaynes.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/krissgaynes?_rdr
http://thisdeadlyhouse.com
Their record release is this Friday at 7 Brothers in Hamtramck
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