The Rubber Room column is a weekly look at recent and notable releases that don’t fall into the rubric of traditional reviewed material—namely 7”’s, 12”’s, 3” CDs, EPs, cassette-only, DVDs and MP3-only releases.

Accelera Deck
Ski 3” CDr
[Scarcelight, 2004]

Accelera Deck’s Ski is a single piece for solo electric guitar. This release by Chris Jeely is in a different style than some of his other guitar releases. Instead of earbleeding noise, the sound on Ski is reminiscent of Loren MazzaCane Connors’ electric work, but shimmering with delay, reverb and distortion. The notes hazily blend into one another, but themes do repeat themselves, drifting in and out as they do. It floats along for a good thirteen minutes in its decaying, lo-fi way. If you like the idea of Loren MazzaCane Connors using The Dead C’s amps and Slowdive’s pedal-boards, this one’s for you.
[Ian Johnson]

Basteroid
Reaching Betriebstemperatur
[Areal, 2004]

If my German isn’t too rusty, the A-sides title implies that the track is reaching for an equlibrium, which makes sense given its unsettling wobbly nature. Perhaps it’s that ¾ melody trying to fit into the obviously 4/4 template. Both are unforgiving partners, angling for supremacy that’s finally, grudgingly given to the house. The B-side’s just as incredible, mining two interlocking screechy synths and a heavy snare for all they’re worth. It stutters madly along its eight minute path into discerning DJ’s bags everywhere. Two more show-stoppers from the Areal camp. Is there still time to revise those year-end singles lists?
[Todd Burns]

Hair Police/Crystal Fantasy
Split 10”
[Liquid Death/Hello Pussy Records, 2004]

Despite its recent release, the material present here is quite old. See, pressing on that heavy Czech vinyl actually does have its downside. Sadly, Hair Police’s contribution “Straps and Straps” shows its age and really isn’t that special. It’s a good, but obviously dated track and even the unfamiliar listener could hear the growth since. Crystal Fantasy, on the other hand, could never grow old. The Neon Hunk side-project/alter-ego is a musical ode to the classic sci-fi adventure tapes of yesteryear and totally nails it. Overbearing synth and reverbed narration lay out the four-part journey of the fantasy crystals in a so-good-it’s-scary meltdown. I’ve never done acid and I’ve never seen The Labyrinth but I imagine a combination of the two still wouldn’t compare to the Crystal Fantasy mind warp. The lyric “a unicorn of pure light” sums it up better than anything I’ve just said.
[Mike Shiflet]

Dialogue
Wildstreet Vibe
[Trapez, 2004]

“Rawstar” seems to adhere to the stereotypical idea of rock in the techno community as a punishing riff-tastic affair. If only most rock music got your head moving as hard or had as strange noises working in most of its songs. It’s honking good time is followed by “Rodeo”’s more Latin roots that make me long for Villalobos, instead of the lockstep rigidness displayed here. Still, the surprises throughout the track make this one a hard one to judge from mere sound samples on a web-page.
[Todd Burns]

The Body
The Body CS
[Armageddon, 2004]

Slower than Sabbath but not quite as slow as Sleep, the Body’s debut cassette is doom metal of a pleasing but not outstanding degree. Doing away entirely with pop leanings, this reminds me of Black Flag in its hopeless nihilism; lyrics are included for the three original songs, and they’re bleakness is along the lines of “The cover is “Empty”, originally by early-nineties hardcore band Suiciety. That and the fact that the record was recorded by ex-Orchid guitarist Will Killingworth point to some interesting hardcore roots, but those only shine through on the final track, closing with a thrash section.
[Ian Johnson]

Zoo Brazil
Walk Right Back
[Get Physical, 2004]

Michael F. Gill, Andrew Weatherall and this 12” are making me a believer in the possibility that we’re full blown in the middle of an electro-house revival. Which is to say that dance music will continue to eat itself and I will continue to consume it happily. Zoo Brazil’s “Walk Right Back” is perfect middle-of-the-set fare, hurtling forward without any sort of purpose outside of hammering its simple synth riff into your brain ad infinitum. “We Are”’s a bit more ambitious, unfortunately, but “Wake Us Up” does just that with its upbeat and unpredictable elements merging into a endearing mess of a track. A bit uneven, but perhaps worth it for the A-side.
[Todd Burns]