Random Touch - "A Box And A Word" (Token Boy Records 2008, TBR53892)
Random Touch - "Duologue" (Token Boy Records 2008, TBR53812)
Random Touch - "A Box And A Word" (Token Boy Records 2008, TBR53892)
Random Touch - "Duologue" (Token Boy Records 2008, TBR53812)
From Aural Innovations #40 (September 2008)
In the world of the experimental improvisation, anything goes, and Random Touch are not afraid to step out of the music and into the experimental as it were. They are a total improvisation band, and they venture into this improvised noise world without concern or apology. No overdubs, no writing or reworking, what you hear is total one take stuff, and if I was honest, I find the whole thing dull, boring and lifeless.
I love improvisation. I love noise and atmosphere, but Random Touch are not what I would term as earthy or journeying at all, it is all rather one paced with not a lot of difference in the improvisation. You tinkle that and I'll pluck this while you hit that. Its all a bit boring for me, because I'm a space head and I figure that a quality synthesizer and the right drugs may help with the energy and the spirit of the compositions, as we have all improvised, but sometimes we did not feel that it was worthy of tormenting others with, so its lying around somewhere, rather than being released as a CD.
I have reviewed many bands doing similar things and I know it's a love hate thing. I don't hate it, I just find it boring, and when the majority of atmospheres and noises are a bit flat, and as I've never rated Alesis and Kurzweil in the quality sound department, I think that I know where my gripe is. I don't like the keyboard sounds at all. Sort of kills that off really… I would have loved something spacier I suppose… Never mind, at least they are doing it and enjoying it, after all that is the main thing, right!
Track 1 of Duologue - Nestle - is a hell of a lot better and spacier than all of A Box and A Word was. No keyboard player I see, guitars and drums it is then, and that is what you get. The journey starts at the beginning, and this is what I wanted from A Box and A Word. The atmosphere is an atmosphere, a bit of something to sink ones teeth into, and a bit of something to feed my head. I can see it starting to form in Nestle, take it to Somewhere, please…
Oh! Nail the coffin shut why don't you… Somewhere is the end, what of this can I not digest. All of it, please it's not clever, nor entertaining. I skipped it, sorry… Chit Chat, better, but still just noodling really, passing the time it seems, rather dull in fact, bad jamming. Next…. Much of the same…
I find that guitar and drums can make interesting collaborations and sometimes-fantastic spacey stuff is created from out of the ether. Sometimes even a drone can show one the light, but I'm afraid that Random Touch is just all too random for me. The riffs are poor to me, and it sounds like a guitar and drums tuning up and sound checking. Some out there will love this abstract improvisation stuff but I can only find one good improvisation out of the nine on offer here, and that my friends does not favor well with me. At least I found one, another of their CD's I found none. Strange thing is life…
For more information you can visit the Random Touch web site at: http://www.randomtouch.com
Email at: randomtouch@aol.com
Reviewed by Albert Pollard