Floorian - "What The Buzzing"
(Drigh Records 2002)
Floorian - "What The Buzzing"
(Drigh Records 2002)
From Aural Innovations #21 (October 2002)
Music from all over the world shows up almost daily in my mailbox, but only rarely do I hear from anyone in my own backyard of Columbus, Ohio. So it was a thrill to find out that in addition to Quarkspace I've got another cosmic ensemble occupying my galaxy. Floorian has been active since 1997, the constants being guitarist Todd Fisher and John Godshalk on bass, keyboards and vocals. Phillip Park is the lead guitarist on all the quartet tracks and Rob Jarrett and Keith Hanlon handle drum duties on all except the last track which introduces us to relative newcomer Larry Durica, now part of the current Floorian trio lineup.
I noticed some reviews at Floorian's web site listing My Bloody Valentine and Brian Jonestown Massacre as analogies though I'm a bit challenged having not heard much of those bands. But in my corner of the musical universe band like Pink Floyd, King Black Acid, Porcupine Tree, and even Amon Düül II come to mind. The album opens with "Or So They Say". This is the most accessible "song" on the album, but the dual guitars of Fisher and Park are mucho cosmic and give the music a beautifully full "wall of sound". "Heavium" has a gorgeously trippy Eastern flavor but is also embellished by strained whining guitar lines that tease the listeners senses, threatening to pierce the eardrum but never quite reaching damaging levels. I dig the looped efx at the end.
"In Slow Motion", "Symptoms Alone", and "Alt.11" are among the most powerful tracks on the album. These songs remind me a lot of King Black Acid with a dose of Pink Floyd thrown into the mix. They have that majestic full sound that envelops and caresses the listener and I like the combination of aggressive chords and trip guitars. The guitarists excel at psychedelic passion in slow solos that will wrap themselves around your brain with snake-like grace. "Symptoms Alone", at 10 minutes, is a particularly potent tune that stretches out into space with cosmic abandon. The guitar solos, like the best of Pink Floyd, are slow and delectably tasteful. And once again the band find that perfect combination of grating feedback and floaty drifting bliss.
"Lenka" and "Somic" are both duo tracks by Fisher and Godshalk. "Lenka" is one of the pieces that brought to mind an old tripped out Amon Düül II jam. The totally spaced music builds tension slowly, chords and notes working together in an exploratory but precise style that is mind-bending and hypnotic. "Somic" opens with very cool keyboards, an acidic guitar line, and a background throb that abruptly shifts into mellow drifting psychedelic music that once again has that King Black Acid/Pink Floyd sound. Fans of Porcupine Tree's Sky Moves Sideways album will especially find plenty to drool over with this mesmerizing tune.
Finally, "Auravine" is the closing track and the one with drummer Durica. It's probably the most abstract music on the disc with low drones, freaky loops, and lots of slowly rumbling and whining guitars. Darkly thematic and very intense stuff that nicely contrasts with the rest of the album.
In summary, Floorian beautifully mix old time sounds we love like Pink Floyd and a little Amon Düül II with more modern sounds like King Black Acid and Porcupine Tree. You'll love the combination of trippy raga guitars and crunchier heavy guitars. Recommended.
For more information you can visit the Floorian web site at: http://www.floorian.com.
Contact via snail mail c/o Drigh Records; PO Box 20611; Columbus, OH 43220.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz