012/ FEATURED ARTICLES/
PIA FRAUS Chromatic Nights
12" rmx EP
Twoblock Metronome
Pia Fraus: Chromatic Nights EP
One of my favorite bands out of the so-called “nu-gaze” movement has to be Estonia’s Pia Fraus. Unlike most of the new crowd, they manage to stand out not because their sound is entirely original — it’s safe to say they’re a cross between the pitch-bending noise of My Bloody Valentine and the uber-smart pop of Stereolab — but because they write songs that are immediate enough to catch your ear at first, and layered enough that repeated listens reveal the true beauty that this band has to offer. And — unlike a LOT of bands — Pia Fraus’ sound really lends itself to remixing. They usually feature two or three remixes on an album, but their songs are transformed so well that you don’t notice it might be a retake on the song you heard before it.
On the eve of the release of their third full-length Nature Heart Software comes this 12" teaser of sorts called Chromatic Nights EP. The title is very apropos as all but one track is some variation on the title cut. “Chromatic Nights” is a showcase for the band’s slmple but confident pop melodies, chugging along at a mid-pace showing the guitars bending even more narcotically than on previous releases. Vocalist Eve Komp is less pleasantly blasé than former lead singer Kristel Loide, but she has a chirpy, pleasant feel to her voice that suits the band well. Bill Wells’ rendition of this track follows, starting out with some tasty piano clusters and the vocal track from CN, then turns into a loungy, lush bossanova affair. Very breezy, airy, and quite cool.
The other “original” Pia Fraus track here is also taken from the upcoming album, this one titled “You Know There Are People Living In The Country.” This track is totally blissed out with plentiful and warm guitar drones, effortlessly interwoven clarinet accents, and semi-punky stabs on the downbeat.
Pastacas hands in a gospel-electronica sort of take on the title track, with acoustic guitar musings, gospel-style handclaps and excellent male vocal harmonies added to the original line. The feel of the remix reminds me of a hippie campfire — not the nicest image, but, in this case, it works remarkably well.
Galaktlan, who did a remix of the Fraus track “Obnoxious” on their 2001 debut, Wonder What It’s Like that nearly rivaled the original, returns with his treatment of “Chromatic Nights.” And yet again, his version gives the original a run for its money. The Galaktlan trademark of swirling electronic pop atmospheres complement the riffs and vocals of Pia Fraus perfectly. I say if Pia Fraus insist on adding a remix to their upcoming album, it should be handled by this guy.
Ending the EP is a “To The Forest” mix by Mondii. It’s all about atmosphere here — using only a few sentence fragments from the original, looping them into an almost Rephlex Records-era Seefeel sound, with more emphasis on natural timbres (meaning environmental “found sound”). Excellent way to end a surprisingly eclectic and pleasant series of variations on a theme. Chromatic Nights EP is only available as a 12" and in a limited run. so get it while you can!
http://www.twoblock.net/metronome/?p=28
Gonzo Circus
Pia Fraus
Chromatic Nights
(KOHVIRECORDS)
Het Estse collectief Pia Fraus bestaan uit zes kunstschoolstudenten die sinds 1998 op dezelfde wolk zitten. Een wolk mierzoete zweverige popmuziek waar mijn tenen van gaan krullen, te mooi, te mistig, te zweverig. Dat was alleszins het idee van hun vorige platen die uitkwamen op het Amerikaanse Clairrecords, bij ondergetekende vooral synoniem voor saaie shoegazer. Hun nieuwe vinyl 12inch bevat twee eigen nummers en vier remixen. De eerste eigen track ‘Chromatic Nights’ weet niet meteen te overtuigen. Gelukkig wordt het nummer meteen gevolgd door een sterke remix door Bill Wells (bekend van platen op Leaf en Domino), een jazz-interpretatie waar de vocalen veel beter tot hun recht komen dan bij het origineel. Op de B-kant vinden we remixen uit de Kohvi stal. Pastacas zet de zang naar zijn hand en vormt de song om tot folktronica. Taavi Laatsit (Galaktlan) creëert een warm bubbelbad waarin hij de vocalen een totaal andere, zuiver klankgerichte, rol laat spelen. Verder nog een remix van Mondii, het soloproject van de Japanner Nao Sugimoto, die het Plop label runt en soloplaten maakte voor labels als Lo Recordings en Hefty. Zijn remix is eigenlijk een op zich staande soundscape waar we niet veel van het origineel meer in terugvinden. Al bij al geen echt slechte plaat, maar de remixen overklassen het eigen materiaal, wat wellicht niet de bedoeling zal geweest zijn.
