Ed Drury & Mental Anguish - Electronic American

Ed Drury & Mental Anguish's new CD Electronic American is a culmination of the off & on collaborative efforts of the two over the last year.11 tracks of spacey hybrid electronics,wild experiments combined with native instruments.A well rounded piece of work.

Track Listing/order :
1 - Sun Dried
2 - Electronic American
3 -Vapor
4 - OooAaah
5 - Star Machine
6 - Confusing Dreams
7 - A Terrible Mistake
8 - October Madness
9 - Mysterious Plateau
10 - Level Slope
11 - Bon Sejour

Sun Dried - 3:40

Vapor - 4:52

Star Machine - 5:40

A Terrible Mistake - 6:44

October Madness - 4:23

Mysterious Plateau - 5:51

Bon Sejour - 5:27

Reviews:

ED DRURY & MENTAL ANGUISH: Electronic American (CD on Harsh Reality Music)

This release from 2005 features 53 minutes of frantic tuneage.

These electronics frolic with playful abandon and artificial rhythms snicker away with hyperactive tempos. Those rhythms are generated by electronic effects that pummel the listener with such velocity that they approximate beats urging along the versatile melodies. While one track employs moaning didgeridoo and frantic Middle Eastern strings to establish a multi-geographic sentiment, the title piece conveys an Appalachian mood that hints at home-made stills and wide-brimmed hats. This unpredictability persists throughout the tracks, as flutes and choral voices take the audience wandering into a strange church, then visit a launch pad where grinding mechanics merge with whirling effects to capture a state of high technology in constant flux. All the while, crisp electronics embellish the tuneage with emphatic eeriness, enhancing the plethora of global cultures found within American society.

The sheer versatility of these compositions is dazzling, but each piece exhibits a strong undercurrent theme of synthetic generation combined with a fervent pace achieved by the relentless pulsations and buzzings that serve as percussives.

This release excellently captures numerous aspects of life in America, from daily routines of survival to the overall dissatisfaction the average citizen feels with their aloof leaders. On a more fundamental level, though, the tuneage is extremely engaging, satisfying ears that yearn for catchy melodies that spurn any commercial intent while retaining a delicious peppy presence.

Review by Matt Howarth

Ed Drury & Mental Anguish - ELECTRONIC AMERICAN

One of the best things about having written this review 'zine for so many years is that I frequently get to hear "old friends" (like Chris Phinney, aka Mental Anguish) paired up with new sounds/players. I'd been admiring Ed Drury's music over at www.mixposure.com for some many months before I realized that he'd done a lot of collaborations with Chris, & (so) asked Chris to send me some of their work together. It's the title track that holds my ears most firmly... great electronique (from Chris) woven together seamlessly with Ed's flute magicks. Very, very accessible, yet with shadows of ancient rhythms & tribal rites that offer up "visions" of our past (and future). The other beauty of their music(s) together is that it's so unique and creative... you haven't heard music like this before, & unless you keep on spinning this CD, you're unlikely to. "Terrible Mistake" is my favorite cut on the album, featuring some haunting spoken-word snippets & sound byte integrations (especially the stuff from "Shrubbie" & "Adolf")... really paints a clear picture of where the revolution will come from! If you haven't found the holy (musical) grail yet this year - GET THIS... it is indeed MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Get more information via www.harshrealitymusic.com or www.rdrop.com/~mulara/

Review by Rotcod Zzaj

All Music Copyright Harsh Reality Music/Ed Drury