1st Review

VitalWeekly, (Netherlands) no.#630

A SLOW RIP - FOR THE TIME BEING (2CD by Endgame) There is a small picture of A Slow Rip on the press text along with this double CD, which show the band as not exactly young man, but their names are new to me: Phil Turnbull, Ian Miles and Rob Laurie, who play music through means of improvisation on guitar, percussion, vocals, wind instruments, analogue synths, bass and virtual analogue synth. Everything is recorded live to the computer, where the material is edited. Over the past few years they recorded seven CDrs of which 'For The Time Being' is a best of. All three players have an extensive background in Australia's music life and play various instruments. That is something that can surely be heard on this release. CD one is apparently more synthesizer based and the tracks are pretty dark and moody, but the atmospherics are kept alive through relatively short (between three and eight minutes) pieces, which have enough to say and never fall short in variation. Things drone and hum nicely away. The second disc has more rhythmic interjections in the music, not really the techno kind, but nice, gentle rhythms that guide a music that is a bit more opened in its structure. This is the more musical side of the band, and other instruments than the synthesizer play a role. It shows indeed another side of the band, and usually I could say that two CDs is too long but in this case it rather works well. Not having heard the previous CDRs of which this is culled, but I can easily imagine these two discs form the complete picture of the band. Nice one. (FdW)

Quite a lovely review of us from someone who's never heard the stuff. I'm glad that the music manages to impart it's qualities - being so close to it I never know if it really has any impact.