Elettricita

You can feel the mark of minimalist composers Erik Satie, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley on Havergal, especially on his second album "Elettricita." The strength of the single note (versus the fat meaty chord) is something that Havergal has always embraced. And with unlimited tracking, the cactus-needled single notes of "Lungs for the Race" have blossomed on "Elettricita." They retain that fragile sound, but find strength in numbers – they're an army of notes so deep in number that the land they traverse becomes unrecognizable in their wake. The music meanders as the hypnotic rhythms build upon one another and change into slow beach breaks. Although Havergal is committed to making modern music beyond his personal abilities (sometimes relying on technology to multi-track parts 40 times), the music still retains a very human touch, conveying moods of the most complicated sort. With the sublime guitar and piano interplay on songs such as album opener "Drowned Men," "The Fallen Hopeless Hope," and "Burn Up the Bay," the bliss-out potential is high. The tunes are timeless, immersed in an ancient static while pulsing with a futuristic beat. And through it all is the voice of a cowboy of the most contemporary sort. For fans of Movietone, Califone, early Tangerine Dream, and Eno's "Another Green World."