Sement #2 by Various Artists (Review)
Osito Records has really been doing it for me lately. First off, they delivered a rough, yet wonderful EP from Magic Pillows, and now there’s this compilation. Released in conjunction with the 2nd annual Sement music festival (hence the name), this comp serves as a way for Osito founder Bjørn Torjus Hansen to spotlight various artists from a wide range of style. As Osito’s first release, it reveals a label intent on putting out solid music from a wide range of genres.
From the ragged guitar chords and loose drumming that kicks off Chloroform’s “Go1,” I was expecting some lo-fi psych-rock to come barreling down from the speakers. Instead, the song takes a delightfully unexpected twist, diving headfirst into the sort of kitschy, lighthearted electronic pastiche one would normally expect from Japan’s Shibuya-kei pop scene (Pizzicato 5, Cibo Matto). In fact, I half-expected to hear P5’s Maki Nomiya come cooing in over the bells, big band brass hits, and shuffling rhythms.
American Suitcase’s “Master James” takes the comp in a completely different direction, delivering the rock that you thought you’d get from Chloroform. The jagged guitars that kick off the song and chime in throughout its nearly 5 minutes recall the Cure’s “Seventeen Seconds,” while the band’s vocal harmonies give it a feel akin to 1960s Brit-psych/garage pop.
Emmerhoff & The Melancholy Babies (one of the more unique band names I’ve heard in awhile) continue the comp’s streak with the scorching “Viva Revenge,” which easily holds it own against similar material from groups such as The Czars and Cousteau. And Db’s “Fly & Die” gives the compilation a welcome injection of lush, downtempo beats and atmospheres immediately reminiscent of Röyksopp’s outstanding “Melody A.M.” (although the MC during the bridge does throw off the vibe somewhat).
Up until this point, the comp does a great job of remaining unpredictable, but it pulls out all of the stops with Wunderkammer’s “Detektorama.” Surf rock, spy themes, gypsy music, middle-eastern textures, and about 2 or 3 other styles I can’t quite put my finger on get crammed together in just under 3 1/2 minutes, while the band jumps between them in the blink of an eye. Amazingly, it all somehow manages to remain rather cohesive and completely exhilarating.
The second half of the album continues the variety, from Magnetic Tapes’ take on cinematic noir a la The Tindersticks and Nick Cave to Bogus Blimp’s moody electronics and Athome Project’s drum n’ bass-tinged downtempo. However, after a stunning first half, the remainder of the disc does contain a few flaws.
While the music of Magnetic Tapes is quite lovely, especially its haunting string arrangements, the vocals become rather heavy-handed and portentous. The same goes for the narrative that pops up occasionally on the album’s final track. It feels a bit silly and unnecessary, and I don’t think the song would suffer one bit if it were missing. And besides, it’s supposed to be instrumental, right?
Those small quibbles aside, there really are no inferior tracks anywhere on this compilation (although some definitely do stand out a bit more than others). With Sement #2, Osito has done the hard task of balancing variety with quality, and somehow manages to excel at both. Between this and the Magic Pillows’ release, I’d say that Hansen’s little label is off to a fine start.