KNEBNAGÄUJE

Originally known as KNEBNAGAUJE this six piece avant band from Arizona had trouble getting a record label to sign them. Hmmm, your named KNEBNAGAUJE and your from Arizona playing avant-garde music. No audience for that? The same six piece lineup would change their name to POCKET ORCHESTRA(okay that's better) and they created a new demo tape too, but again no record label was interested. Enter MIO Records and in 2005 they released both demo tapes which is almost 79 minutes of music, and at the same time combine their two previous band names on the cover.

This is an excellent archival release of an extremely talented band. So the first four tracks are from when they were called POCKET ORCHESTRA and it's from 1983, while the final four tracks are from when they were called KNEBNAGAUJE and are from 1978/1979. Like an archival double album really, with the same players throughout. Bass, guitar, cello, keys, clarinet, sax and drums. A lot of jazzy stuff going on, along with those challenging avant moments. An adventerous recording where they change things up often. Dissonant horns and insane guitar work, but it's the compositions that elevate this release. There are three songs worth close to 14 minutes or more, allowing them to stretch out.

This was a lot of fun, and at the same time it's experimental. Highly recommended. I thought of THE MUFFINS(earlier stuff), MOVING GELATINE PLATES and SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA. These guys were the real deal.