THE SUMMER WE WENT WEST [AND EAST] - LIVE 2006

Ahleuchatistas (AH LOO CHA TEES TAS) were formed in 2002 by Shane Parish (guitar), Derek Poteat (bass), and Sean Dail (drums), and by the time of this recording they had already released three incredibly uncompromising and experimental albums. For the curious the name comes from two words, "Ah-leu-cha" (a Charlie Parker song) and "Zapatistas" (a revolutionary movement which started in Mexico in 1994). Cuneiform Records owner Steve Feigenbaum was blown away when he saw them play a midweek gig at the end of 2004, and soon signed them for their third release. This live album captures them at two of their shows when they were arguably at their peak, gigging hard and bouncing ideas off each other with every performance being something to behold. Just listening to this makes me feel tired, what it is like to witness them in full flight must have been incredible, let alone actually performing at this level of intensity for any length of time.

We have 34 songs, a running time more than 90 minutes, and a trio out to break your brain. This is not music to put on and relax to, or play in the background, it has the intensity and drive of punk, mixed with King Crimson at their most eclectic, Art Zoyd, Can and so much more. There is RIO, mathcore, prog metal, a refusal to conform to standard tunings, melodies, or time signatures with all that matters is the connection between the three musicians who are so in sync with each other that one can only wonder how many hours they spent together honing their craft. This is not music which will ever find a wide audience, but those who understand what is happening in front of their ears know their minds have been expanded by experiencing something which is very different indeed.

There is an intense ferocity at play, uncompromising and abrasive, with music often played staccato at pace, with little room for pleasantries as they take the ideas of Zappa and Beefheart and move them to a whole new plane. The only way to enjoy this is to leave your preconceptions of what music should sound like at the door and open your mind to something very different indeed. You need to understand that it is unlikely you will enjoy this when you play this the first time, but for those who are willing to give this the time this is something very special.