Rastascan Records
2006
An Inescapable Siren Within Earshot Distance Therein And Other Whereabouts
About This Album
This Moe! Staiano's Moe!kestra! album brings together two extended pieces for unusual orchestras that will appeal to fans of Lawrence "Butch" Morres or even Rhys Chatham or Glenn Branca, as the massed band sound is worked in minimalist ways that produce an overpowering effect. "Piece No. 7" is subtitled "An Inescapable Siren Within Earshot Distance Therein and Other Whereabouts," and is scored for strings (four violins and two contrabasses), percussion (seven players), six E-stringed guitars, u-bolts (eight players), wine glasses (nine players) and sirens (three). The first two-thirds of the half-hour work are extremely quiet and highly textural, with clusters of held sounds hovering uncertainly, occasionally giving a taste of what is to come. In the last third, unisons rise and fall like gigantic waves or even siren wails -- and of course the latter image is the right one, as becomes obvious when the sirens join the chorus for the last couple of minutes. Apocalyptic and incredibly powerful, the piece succeeds with few means and a lot of decibels. "Piece No. 7" was recorded live in June 2003. It is bassist Matthew Sperry's last recording (he was killed by a car while riding his bike to work two days later).
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4 and 5)

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