FAR WEST

Ethereal, Transformative, meditative. While it sounds like words from the mouth of a Yoga instructor, they are put to much better use in describing the new outing from Seattle's Master Musicians of Bukkake collective. Far West is a landscape that extends very far, and over all sorts of terrain during the two sides of the LP. A somewhat more refined and wise effort from the group, with a gorgeous cover by Simon Fowler that deserves to be seen in the 12" format, it starts out with static-like noise leading into a very Pink Floyd "Welcome To The Machine"-esque pulsating synth sounds with acoustic guitar parts chiming in above. The production is very good, the instruments all being easily heard and picked out in their places. The stereo effect is nice too, many things are panned to the extreme left or right, setting themselves apart amid the sometimes dense layers. This is all based on the mastering for the vinyl edition mind you.

The music is both ancient and futuristic. Sometimes sounding like middle eastern world music and other times the soundtrack to a horror film. Slow building instrumentals like "White Mountain Return" lead to songs with chant-like vocal parts, a little like that of Grizzly Bear, that are just low enough in the mix to blend in ("Gnomi"). There's a steady fuzz of electric guitar laying in the background, with acoustics coming to the forefront for their texture and ringing, natural tones, much like they've done the previous trilogy of albums, but with more finesse this time. "Arche" is more rugged and pounding, invoking the snake charmer in my dreams, while "Cave of Light: The Prima Materia" is more like clouds floating overhead ' in a sort of menacing way. You know that their movement symbolizes the passing of time, and accept this readily, but know that it eventually leads to your own demise.

The last track is almost upbeat by comparison, and makes me think they perhaps didn't want to leave the listener in too dour of a mood ("The Circular Ruins"). It is based on the story of the same name by Jorge Louis Borges from 1940, that fittingly enough, deals with immortality. I have a feeling this Western adventure is only beginning.

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