Far Rainbow is the UK based duo of Emily Mary Barnett and Bobby Barry. With this, their first release, we get a (too) short sampling of their improvised drums + electronics aesthetic that left me wanting more, much more!
I don’t know the musical history of either of these folks, but when a chance (or not) meeting happens with the intent of making a sound statement that works— i.e. takes the listener from point A to point B in a way that triggers memorable and identifiable emotions whether positive or negative, with no preconceived road map (or maybe the bare bones of one…hard to say on this release), resulting in the successful fruition of said intent…that’s a jewel that needs to be preserved.
Since everyone experiences music differently, from my very own personal headspace when I took the deep dive into these two 13 minute tracks, I was whisked along on a highly enjoyable inward pointing journey. The electronic aspect seemed to favor that of the borderline “power” variety. Loud (but not harsh), continuous and propulsive…these sounds set my skull a-hummin and my mind free falling down a charged rabbit hole of black noise. But wait, there’s the drums. At times scrappy and time-free, they also morphed into regimented…martial even…time keeping that actually grooved, hard.
As stated earlier, this meeting, chance or otherwise worked. Not only was this percussion/electronic sound pallet highly appealing from a raw sound perspective (Addictive? Maybe) but the listener gets the added bonus of a possible glimpse into a netherworld of their own making. Indeed…no medicine for that…and thankful for it.
Michael Eisenberg
Avant Music News 