Press [archives]

INDIEROCKMAG.COM
Restiform Bodies dans la lorgnette
30/9/08
By RabbitInYourHeadlights
(Translate)

On savait depuis l’an dernier le trio d’Anticon réactivé et Telephone Jim Jesus au travail avec ses camarades Bomarr et Passage sur la suite du premier album éponyme de Restiform Bodies paru en 2001, lequel tout comme le CR-R Sun Hop Flat distribué la même année avait pas mal intrigué à l’époque les amateurs de post-punk atmosphérique en injectant dans l’héritage de Joy Division une bonne dose d’électro et d’abstract hip-hop.

Entre-temps, TJJ avait fait son petit bout de chemin avec deux albums d’électronica/abstract parmi les plus passionnants et foisonnants de ces dernières années, A Point Too Far The Astronaut... et Anywhere Out Of The Everything. Bomarr, également échappé en solo à deux reprises mais jamais bien loin, en avait co-signé quelques-unes des productions cosmiques et schizophrènes tandis que Passage avait mis la main à la patte en 2005 sur le premier album longtemps attendu de Pedestrian, au côté de la crème du label à la fourmi (Why ?, Alias ou Sole pour ne citer que ceux dont le rayonnement a commencé à traverser l’Atlantique), après avoir lui-même livré en 2004 un Forcefield Kids de très belle facture, quelque part entre la pop déviante et saturée du deuxième cLOUDDEAD et les expérimentations synthétiques de Subtle.

Mais assez de name-dropping sauvage, contentons-nous de souligner l’impatience et la curiosité avec lesquelles on attendait ce TV Loves You Back (voir le tracklisting), une attente qui ne sera plus très longue pour les amateurs puisque l’album sort aujourd’hui... pour la première fois chez Anticon, son prédécesseur étant paru à l’époque sur Pointless Recordings : un étrange paradoxe pour ce groupe basé à Oakland et qui fut l’un des tout premiers à porter haut la bannière du label.

Toujours pas grand chose par contre à se glisser dans le creux de l’oreille à part le prometteur Bobby Trendy Addendum rappé par Passage, déjà connu depuis pas mal de temps via myspace, premier extrait résolument barré et angoissé quelque part entre hip-hop crunchy et synth-pop gothique. On vous propose donc pour patienter encore un peu cette vidéo du schizophrénique Pick It Up, Drop It en répétition par Passage et Bomarr... voilà qui augure du meilleur pour les chanceux américains qui les découvrent actuellement en première partie de la tournée de Why ? [...]

HOUSTONPRESS.COM
Restiform Bodies - Consumer Culture Wave
By Ray Cummings
07/8/08

Restiform Bodies, "Consumer Culture Wave": Kick your Internet/iPod/iPhone addiction by having as much sex as possible. That's what this chart-rap-­mocking "banger" advocates, but this reuniting trio of Anticon undie-heads pull it off with a lot more panache than I did.

BETTERPROPAGANDA.COM
Restiform Bodies
Bobby Trendy Addendum
04/8/08

You could call "Bobby Trendy Addendum" 75% hip hop and 25% slick, nasty electro, and I'd give you a free pass for coming up with a quick-and-dirty song pitch. But I'd hate to leave it at such a stunted summation - truth is, Restiform Bodies deserve another couple hundred percentage points to encapsulate all the crazy shit that's going on here. It flips between slivers of sarcasm, pathos and keen insight, spinning like a roulette wheel, sometimes so fast that you can't tell the blacks and reds apart: "Give us just enough language to become instantly famous / and a pony every birthday, regardless of our behavior." Toss in disorienting elevator bings, woodblocks, near-chiptone glitches and two different decomposing bridges into and out of the chorus - you come out with a track that's as intricate as it is catchy.

MISSINGTHUMBS.BLOGSPOT.COM
Restiform Bodies
Bobby Trendy Addendum
By Tom
18/7/2008

Restiform Bodies strike back after a seven year absence with the brightness turned up to 11.
Their classic self titled album and it's successor 'Sun Hop Flat' were sonic assaults that took influences from all over. As at ease with epic ambient oddness than with 80's electro wigged out rap work outs, their distinct attack on music saw the albums being picked up by Anticon's (now defunct) '6Months' Distribution and later led to all three members (Bomarr, Passage, Telephone Jim Jesus) releasing solo projects for the label.

This track is a first taste of their long anticipated first album for Anticon and it doesn't disappoint. The beat bursts out with a serious bounce that gets progressively more fucked up as the seconds pass. Passage's raps snarl and drawl over the track, he sounds confident with his disgust and the chorus recalls an amateur dramatics lament for consumer culture.

'T.V Loves You Back' is released 30th September and I can't wait to hear it.

HIPHOPCORE.NET
Restiform Bodies
Prenez et écoutez, ceci est mon corps...
By Newton
16/7/08
(Translate)

Sept ans après l'inauguration de leur discographie via un étrange premier album qui transcende les genres, le trio originaire de New Hampshire Restiform Bodies refait surface le 16 septembre prochain pour une seconde mouture intitulée "TV Loves You Back" à paraître chez Anticon. Une pochette formée de brics et de brocs, d'un enchevêtrement d'étranges dessins aux couleurs vives qui témoigne de la multiplicité d'expériences pour chaque membre de ce corps à nouveau uni et recomposé.

Depuis 2001, pour The Bomarr Monk, Passage et Telephone Jim Jesus, mener sa barque en solitaire a constitué l'unique chemin à emprunter avant de se retrouver en 2008. Pour le premier d'entre eux, architecte de la production, un chapelet d'albums à mettre à son actif parmi lesquels "Freedom From Frightened Air" et "Scraps" sortis l'année passée, un entrelacs d'instrus personnelles et de remixes d'artistes divers et variés. Entre temps, la voix particulière de Passage s'est quand à elle distinguée sur "The Forcefield Kids" en 2004 pour le compte du label à la fourmi. A leurs côtés, Telephone Jim Jesus est apparu comme le membre le plus en vue puisqu'il compte déjà deux albums à son actif, "A Point Too Far To Astronaut" en 2004 suivi du très plaisant "Anywhere Out Of The Everything" 3 ans après.

'Bobby Trend Addendum', premier extrait disponible, est en écoute sur la page Myspace du trio.
[...]

XLR8R.COM
Restiform Bodies
Bobby Trendy Addendum
16/7/08

Seven years, numerous solo projects, and a lot of music has happened since we last saw a release from Resitorm Bodies, whose self-titled debut album dropped in 2001. Now, Bomarr, Telephone Jim Jesus, and Passage have reunited as a collective and are unleashing TV Loves You Back, their first proper release since hiatus and their debut record for Oakland, CA-based imprint anticon. Equal parts hip-hop, pop, and new wave, the new album carries a distinctly dark feel to it, with heavy, ghettotech-style bass and lyrics spit over the mic at an aggressive pace. "Bobby Trendy Addendum" takes a bitter stab at impulse buying and nightly, fear-mongering news programs (which, according to this track, are somehow linked), and is a good introduction to this cult group's sound.

MVREMIX.COM
Restiform Bodies to release long-awaited official Anticon debut
14/7/08

Seven years later, the beast stirs. In the gap that followed Restiform Bodies’ genre-crushing self-titled LP (and companion piece, SunHopFlat), much did happen, and several records of those times were made. Bomarr holed up in Oakland, mastering his hypno-bounce sound (Freedom From Frightened Air, 2007). Telephone Jim Jesus roamed Europe, collecting etherea previously unexcavated (Anywhere Out Of The Everything, 2007). Passage went solo (The Forcefield Kids, 2004), and then to hell and back. In 2008, the three-headed post-mod monster called Restiform Bodies is whole once again. And, at long last, the RBs drop their official Anticon debut like a sack of analog televisions onto the fractured landscape of modern urban forms.

TV Loves You Back is a dark and dense, art-twisted, New Wave-inflected hip-pop marvel born of our overstimulated era. Musically, it stands alone, which is to say it fits perfectly within the Anticon oeuvre. Strains of ghettotech, crunk, and hyphy twirp and twirl with Eno-like atmospherics and buoyant bass swells, while rapper/songbird Passage warps his vocals over blistering synth. Likewise, the lyrics gallop at a ferocious clip. Like electron shots from a cathode ray tube, they combine to form a deliciously sardonic image of modern living, and break down into constituents that are metaphysically hopeful, socially relevant, poetic, and playful.

Fittingly, opener “Black Friday” begins with 30 seconds of ominous Top 40 rap bluster (crowd cheers and wonky, reverbed “uhhs”), forcing the Restiform tongue through its cheek before launching into a track that traverses burbling synth bounce, doubletime drum ‘n’ bass, and free-floating atmosphere. Passage forges the vocals to match-laidback rap, unlikely falsettos, rapid-fire couplets, a chorus of bent melodies-while tempering his words into a poignant evocation of the mind of a mall shooter hitting his prime.

Our narrator too is in top form, next styling over the wamping, squirilly club beat of “Foul,” then navigating the chopped white noise and guitar of “A Pimp-like God.” And when “Panic Shopper” creeps in like a vintage horrorcore tune, painting a QVC-inspired nightmare in stream-of-consciousness strokes (”Look at you vibrating, bent-necked, bowed-head/PS3 building-jumping panic shopper/Launch off
the parking garage/In a Tony Robbins murder-suicide with infomercial knives…”), it’s clear that Restiform Bodies have made something as enjoyable as it is topically thick.

“Consumer Culture Wave” details a crux theme: the supplantation of sexual urge with purchasing power. And on “Bobby Trendy Addendum,” Passage adopts a Brooklyn sneer to bang out bitter satire atop a lo-bit mélange. He connects impulse buying to nightly news fear-mongering here, then traces our need to be placated by prizes to a childhood pastime in “Pick It Up, Drop It.” “Interactive Halloween Bear” is classic Restiform-surging synths, crystalline overtones, bassy blips, snapping drums-overrun by a rich imagery that seems to portend societal collapse onto the living-room couch.

But before all descends into chaos, TV Loves You Back hits back with the sixminute-long climax, “Opulent Soul.” Passage burns through a Gary Numan-esque laissez faire croon, cocksure rhymes, and a distorted Knife-like nastiness while the music intensifies like a thunderstorm of seething digitalia. He crescendos with a 32- bar rap rife with quips (”When Ty says ‘move that bus’/It just cleans my ducts”) and affecting observation (”Round and round goes the collection plate/And ain’t defeat a wicked virus, how it lives to repeat?”), and by song’s end, our hero reclaims his humanity from the bottom of circuit pile.

TV Loves You Back comes to a quiet close with “Ameriscan,” a bittersweet lullaby about cancer recognition technology. It’s an ending that only Restiform Bodies could pull off, but it’s also perfectly apropos for an album so focused on the comforts that bring chaos into our daily lives.

Restiform Bodies
Restiform Bodies - TV Loves You Back (Anticon)
Street Date: Sept. 30, 2008

01 Black Friday
02 Foul
03 A Pimp-like God
04 Panic Shopper
05 Consumer Culture Wave
06 Bobby Trendy Addendum
07 Pick it up, Drop it
08 Interactive Halloween Bear
09 Opulent Soul
10 Ameriscan

PITCHFORKMEDIA.COM
Premiere: Restiform Bodies: "Bobby Trendy Addendum" [MP3/Stream]
By Nate Patrin
14/7/08

Don't hold me to this, but this new track from anticon oddities Restiform Bodies is about modern spoiled American rich-twit privilege. I think. Evocative, sometimes inventive phrases jump out-- "Fendi bag and an icy chalice," "Pony every birthday regardless of our behavior," "Appetites lashed to the hood of the Bentley"-- and even the parts that are hard to follow, pauseless strings of ideas that keep canceling out each preceding phrase at a rate of something like two per second, are more attention-grabbing than bewildering. But if they connect to each other in any distinctly narrative way, it's kind of hard to figure out exactly how. That could be part of the appeal, or at least whatever appeal there is that doesn't otherwise rely on the beat-- a constantly-mutating slab of yowling, pounding synthesized clamor that does a good enough job invoking the kind of ugliness you'd want from an abstract rap track about moneyed arrogance. That super-tongue-in-cheek 1980s Euro-pop chorus is crazier still.

STEREOGUM.COM
Telephone Jim Jesus "Things"
February 13, 2008

Oakland's George Chadwick, aka Telephone Jim Jesus, grew up in New London, New Hampshire. The folks at anticon call the place "snowy," and you could say the same for his lovely, Baudelaire-riffing sophomore solo album Anywhere Out Of The Everything. The record includes cameos from Pedestrian, Why?, Bomarr, Alias, Odd Nosdam and Doseone, among others, but is also peopled with the ghosts of a longterm relationship: Amidst the beats, guest voices, and lush forward momentum, the fuzzy transmissions rattle with a melancholic underpin. On non-album track "Things," Chadwick stitches together a Gothic-leaning instrumental, a gorgeous, spectral tune that opens in near silence and debuts with this Drop.

Can you give us a little background on "Things"?
"Things" was made during an emotional period in early 2005, shortly after a break up from an eight-year relationship. I used sounds from a children's music education record where they played single notes on instruments to identify the sounds. I sampled several instruments and created my own little orchestration. I felt like it was a strong expression of the sadness and rollercoaster emotions that I was experiencing at the time. It was originally going to be on the album, but then seemed too long and slow to fit the pace. It was created about the same time as "Featherfall"* on the album and could be a sister song, from a period when I was making more orchestral music and focusing on melodies more than other things.

2001-2007

Restiform Bodies

UKHH.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
Review by Duncan A. Dionne
2001

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Humms, rummaging through 80's pop rubbish, clubish fits, dub hits, dumb numbing genius, heterogeneous, polished metroneopolitian politics ... all of it the advent of "AVANT GARDE HIPHOP"? Or is that another example of "assigning genre names to all the bands that I don't know"? I don't know. And I don't know this band despite listening to this for a few months trying to figure out what to say about it. First a question. Do you hate Anticon? Does Dose One trigger that angry "this isn't hiphop" reaction? Then expect to be challenged further by the beats of Bomarr Monk and Agent 6 and the beats and lyrics of Telephone Jim Jesus and Passage. And perhaps don't call this album "hiphop" if that is what it takes to actually get you to give it a chance to listen to it.
The first thing one notices is the exceptional production, this is honestly original (and I know saying that isn't original). You will probably find on this record a sample of every type of music you've been exposed to at some point in your life: electronic techno, drum n bass, melodic guitars, a lot of 80's synths, Indian vocals, strings, this listing is getting boring, etc., etc., eccentric. And better yet the beats keep on changing, not simple loops, with simple drops, but unexpected change ups, appearances of amazing samples for too short periods of time. Yet it all fuses into a synthetic-organic unity called hiphop. Second, one notices that the entire album isn't composed of "songs" in the traditional sense. Many of the track numbers are blended together with one or two or three other track numbers into a well-blended extended piece. These super-songs, so to speak, mesh together musical and lyrical themes in bewildering yet consistent ways, providing the listener with a feeling of wholeness that is missing from most hiphop albums these days.
To the lyrics. Most of the work on this end is picked up by Passage. This emcee is remarkable. His words flutter by with various images and gnomic wisdom (ex. "working shitty jobs to support movie critics") that hit the listener like a machine gun - catching one person here, another here, and doing so with different lines each time. Incoherent would be a negative way of putting it, but that ignores the fact that one can't help but feel a unity lying behind it (check "Weather Balloon" or "3rd Reel Judy Garland" for example). A common criticism, like that of the above-mentioned Dose One, is the obvious lack of rhymes. Yet Passage is often tricking us, hiding rhymes inside untraditional structures. Not putting single rhymes on the end of a beat but in the middle, using assonance, and then breaking out in a complex rhyme structure just to show that the absence of traditional rhyme-styles isn't due to a lack of skill or ability but to conscious choice. Their favourite free-verse structure allows for use of cadence, tempo changes, and subject matter that might not be tapped if he stuck to dictatorial formulas. Besides this their voices are unique, flow melodic, and most importantly, their insight and descriptions of the modern condition unparalleled.
All I know is that when this CD is played for friends who aren't particularly into hiphop they are amazed by it. "I've never heard anything like this before in my life - What is it?" "HIP-HOP," I answer. It is good to see hiphop truly experimenting again. »

DAILYVANGUARD.COM
« Pointless Recordings »
By Ritchie Young
10/4/01

Well folks, I'm a stupid, little, white boy (so what do I know?), but I have grown puke tired of top 40 booty rap. "Dolla dolla bill," "back that ass up" and so on, so forth. "Ritchie, this is totally new. It's like nothing I've ever heard," said PSU student Joel Holly, as he handed me Pointless Recordings new Re$tiform Bod1es.
The artwork on this album is totally cool, so I had a good feeling about it, you know? Well I didn't want to judge a book by its cover, so I threw it in, sat back and gave her a go.

It's like a breath of fresh air from the get go. I love it. It's an extremely intelligent, well-crafted, groundbreaking hip-hop album. Re$tiform Bod1es does something that very few hip-hop groups do.

They do some serious experimenting and they do it very well. It's not sampled crap from a bad '80s song with some contrived, self-indulgent, recycled rhymes slapped on top. Re$tiform has given us all a gift to cherish, a new start!

The shame is that this indie hip-hop group doesn't have (and probably detests) major label help, dirty money, lawyers, hype machines, and$3 million "MTV" video budgets, so 99 percent of (so-called hip-hop) fans will never hear it. I very much doubt these guys are going to be doing any "shout outs" at MTV's spring break frat-a-thon. My problem with top 40 hip-hop is that they (evil major labels) take a piece of crap filled with pieces of corn off the side off the toilet, shine it up by way-over-producing it, put it in a shiny "hip" box and people buy it up like sheep. Meanwhile actual diamonds in the rough like this go unnoticed by the masses.

It's probably for the best. I wouldn't want to hear this album being blasted out of any frat house anyway. It would make me sad. Well, take a break from your studies and your drankerin' and check this album out. It opened my eyes. The blind can now see. Even blind, little, white boys like me.

THE CHRONICLE
« Cerebral Experimentation »
By Chas Reynolds
09/7/2001

There can only be one reason why no one is screaming about how many Grammys the group Restiform Bodies will be raking in next year--no one really knows what genre to place them in. Granted, this album sits tucked away in the hip-hop section of the record store, since it was released on the subterranean--a.k.a. way, way underground--hip hop label 6Months Distribution, but that's probably only because the guy at the record store didn't have any extra dividers to make a new section labeled "Other."
6Months serves as a distributor and parent label for the smaller Anticon label, which many credit with breathing new life into underground hip-hop, previously on the verge of stagnation. On their self-titled CD, these art-house b-boys--with names like Passage, the Bomarr Monk, Telephone Jim Jesus and Agent Six--take everything you thought you knew about hip hop, turn it on its head, flip it inside out and allow you only to look at it in a mirror. These cats have done something that is all too rare in music today--they've taken a real chance, not to mention a lot of drugs. All you need to do to see that this is not your big brother's rap is check the song titles. Ludacris doesn't have the balls to name a track "our old cheesy rap anthem that goes ry cooder duh nuh nuh nuh."

If the esoteric cover art and seemingly nonsensical song names don't scare you off and you actually spin this disc, you are sure to stop and scratch your head upon first listen. You probably won't be sure if you like it, but that's only because you haven't heard anything like it before. The first track, "principles of easy listening (parts a + b)," starts with an ambient electronic soundscape that quickly morphs into a dark sci-fi train-like beat, complete with horn and laced with rapid-fire vocals from an undeniably white, overly articulate MC. If you're trying to imagine what that might sound like, give it up. The only way to get near this music is to listen to it. Then listen to it again and again. After track one, things only get stranger--meaning better.

These postmodern fans of John Cage stick their sonic fingers into every genre, from the stripped-down old school Beasties-esque hip-hop of "funny squirty" to the Ô80s synth-pop of "teleprompter," all the while tweaking, twisting and mixing them into something fresh.

Miles Davis did it, Little Richard did it and damn if the Restiform Bodies haven't done it. Music is being pushed in a whole new direction, but most of us are blind to it because underground, progressive labels like 6Months have no marketing budget. Forget Miss Cleo--Restiform Bodies are really showing us the future.

ABCDRDUSON.COM
« Re$tiform Bod1es »
Review by Shadok
15/9/2001
(Translate)

Kitsch. C'est le premier mot qui vient à l'esprit de toute personne ayant un minimum de bon goût à la vue de la pochette de cet album. J'avoue avoir une certaine attirance pour les pochettes décalées, mais sur ce coup là "Re$tiform Bod1es" a dépassé toutes mes espérances. Evidemment, un barbu quadragénaire (avec des lunettes disproportionnées) qui colle un pansement à un enfant sur le recto, et des femmes enceintes qui font de l'aérobique pour le verso : forcément ça laisse perplexe et ça intrigue… surtout lorsqu'il s'agit de rap. Deux options paraissent alors envisageables : soit Restiform Bodies est un groupe qui manie parfaitement l'humour décalé et le second degré, soit ils ont fait appel au service d'un créatif publicitaire défoncé aux acides pour l'atwork de leur album…

Mais non, le kitsch et la dérision semble bel est bien être un art de vie chez les Restiform Bodies. Pour ce deuxième album (après "Sun Hop Flat" et une cassette autoproduite, "Oubliette"), les quatre producteurs (Passage, Telephone Jim Jesus, The Bomarr Monk et Agent 6) ont dépoussiéré les bons vieux synthés Yamaha des années 80 pour nous sortir des nappes à faire pâlir Jean-Michel Jarre. Première chose frappante : aucune unité n'est présente sur cet album, et le souci de cohérence ne paraît pas être une priorité, et ce même si certains titres sont enchaînés. L'atmosphère oscille entre instrumentaux étranges et apaisants ('weather ballon'), et beats lourds et brutaux ('installation 2 c) rock 4 life'), sur lesquels les MCs (Passage et Telephone Jim Jesus, dans une moindre partie) se déchaînent et étalent toute leur technique. Car ce n'est pas seulement au niveau des productions que "Re$tiform Bod1es" se situe en marge de ce qui se fait habituellement en Hiphop ; que ce soit au niveau des textes ou des flows, les rappeurs se livrent à d'impressionants exercices de styles ('second floor apartment') qui ne peuvent que laisser bouche-bée à leur écoute. Autre exemple, les fins de rimes de Passage et ses chutes de vers ne tombent pas sur le temps de la caisse claire, mais en plein milieu du beat, ce qui donne une dynamique supplémentaire à des morceaux qui n'en manquent pourtant pas. Cela pourrait déstabiliser, mais noyées aux instrus, les rimes gardent néanmoins toute leur percussion.

Les instrus fleurtent souvent avec l'électro ('installation 2 a) birds'), voire même avec la musique de relaxation ou l'easy listening sur quelques fragments. Certaines nappes de deux ou trois mesures ne sont d'ailleurs pas s'en rappeller des passages de l'album éponyme de cLOUDDEAD ('principles of easy listening part a'). Les kits de batteries utilisés sont cependant relativement plus lourds (et moins ralentis), ce qui permet aux MCs de moduler davantage leur phrasé. Malgré la similarité de leur nom, aucun titre ne ressemble à un autre, ce qui provoque un effet de suprise à chaque nouveau track. Ainsi, à peine s'est-on habitué à une atmosphère, que l'on est transporté aussitôt dans un autre univers sans avoir eu le temps de s'en rendre compte ('dirty porno rug / bathroom cipher (fat)').

Il existe réellement quelque chose d'étrange et d'intrigant avec cet LP : la majorité des ambiances paraissent familières et il est possible de fredonner la mélodie au bout de quelques mesures, tant certains titres sont agréables à l'oreille et nous renvoient inconsciement dans les années 80 (installation 2 a) birds). Pourtant, les quatre producteurs n'y vont pas de mains mortes pour nous déstabiliser : effets Bontempi à gogo (sur la seconde partie de principles of easy listening part b : anthologique !), variations intrumentales, changements de rythmes, absence de beat…, mais rien n'y fait : cet album n'agresse pas. Surprend parfois, mais les sons sont si bien amenés et associés que tous les enchaînements paraissent d'une évidence enfantile.

La grande victoire de "Re$tiform Bod1es" est sans doute de faire des sons nouveaux et novateurs avec des ambiances datant d'au minimum vingt ans. L'illustration parfaite est le morceau 'Weather ballon', composé de deux parties bien distinctes : la première avec une boucle de guitare de quatres notes on ne peut plus classique et, à la moitié du track, des sons électros amènent la seconde partie du morceau, faite quant à elle de percussions et de sons arabisants. Et Passage (MC le plus présent) navigue de l'une à l'autre avec une aisance déconcertante, sans aucune variation apparente dans la voix.

Il est clair que "Re$tiform Bod1es" n'est pas un album de Hiphop dit 'traditionnel', que ce soit sur le fond ou sur la forme. Mais je ne serais pas partisan de le classer avec les autres anticoneries, les influences sont autrement plus diverses et surtout plus variées. L'approche que le groupe a de la musique est clairement Hiphop mais pour le reste… L'expérimentation est poussé au maximum du raisonnable (qu'est-ce que le raisonnable ?) et les les chemins empruntés par les producteurs sont risqués et loin d'être accessibles à tous. Et, si l'on prend du recul par rapport à ce qui s'est fait depuis la sortie de ce "Re$tiform Bod1es", il est clair qu'ils peuvent continuer à jouer les explorateurs et à aller planter des drapeaux aux somments des monts du Hiphop, la majorité de leurs rivaux préférant la platitude paisible et rassurante des grandes plaines.

LIFE SUCKS DIE (LSD - ISSUE 8)
« Restiform Bodies »
By KR
Fall/Winter 2001

Make no mistake about it, this is nerd rap. Anyone wanting to contest this need look no further than their name, taken from the nerve fibers lying on either side of the medulla oblongata and connecting it with the cerebellum (more popularly referred to as your dome piece). That said, this album has some of the most refreshing production to come out of the recent boom of said nerd rap. Where most stay bogged down with simple beats to showcase their "ill mental", Restiform Bodies brings multi-layered rhythms, drawing from 80's pop synthesizers, cheap electronic voice boxes, and sluggish orchestral pieces among other things. Were this album instrumental, it would be near-flawless. But then the lyrics come in, which I could really take or leave. The rapid fire train of thought flows from Passage, Bomarr Monk, and Telephone Jim Jesus (I really don't know who's doing what as they all have equal billing in the liner notes) sometimes hit me with that sudden feeling of "that was one too many $20 words and now I'm hating you." The rhythms alone will keep me coming back though, especially at times when I'm feeling patient enough to soak up it's nearly 70 minutes. After that, it's time to listen to Slayer.

AUDIOGALAXY.COM
« Wave of Weirdness »
By David M
11/10/2001

Anticon certainly weren't the first to make completely off-the--wall hip hop. They didn't blow open the door to complete freedom of self-expression in lyrics, and they weren't the first to concoct tracks that barely sounded like hip hop. What they did do, however, was make it seem possible for anyone to accomplish these things, whether they had a fulflej studio or only the barest of bones. As cLOUDDEAD put it, "All I need is as microphone, a 4-track and Dr. Sample." In fact, the digital crunch of the Dr. Sample's lo-fi bitrate setting is becoming the equivalent of an 808 kick drum for a certain breed of underground 'head.

Restiform Bodies are sure to be on heavy rotation inside those same heads. Passage (mostly an MC),
Bomarr Monk (mostly a producer), and Telephone Jim Jesus (?) have made like cLOUDDEAD here,
constructing lo-fi psychedelia with mind-bending samples, eerie atmospheres, and some amazing
poetry. Many of the beats are great, mostly contemplative and midtempo with memorable melody lines, probably helped by the fact that a lot of the stuff comes from truly cheesy pop that Bomarr alters nicely.

But I would have to say that the lyrics are what make this album really stand out. At first listen, it's all too easy to lump Passage with other `abstract' MCs like Rob Smith of Sonic Sum, Anti-Pop Consortium or Dose One. But on tracks like "Weather Baloon" and our featured download 3rd Reel Judy Garland, repeated listens made me realize that there's something potentially new here. Rather than reeling off rhythmically enchanting nonsense on one hand, or a straight-ahead story on the other, Passage splits the difference. He drops a bit of story here, a bit of theme there, almost always obliquely. There's no one moment when you realize his intent -- what he's talking about seeps into your brain a bit at a time, like a conceptual marinade. I won't ruin the experience by explaining more, but know that this is a record you have to listen to like crazy.

HIPHOPSECTION.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
Interview by h3r4cl173
February 2002
(Translate)

1 - Premièrement, pouvez-vous dire à nos lecteurs qui vous êtes et ce que vous faites au sein de Restiform Bodies ? Qui est qui ?
Passage s'occupe des lead vocals, de la production et de la gestion de l'alcool.
Telephone Jim Jesus fait de la production, les vocaux secondaires et se charge aussi de tout ce qui est du domaine de la restauration et de la menuiserie.
The Bomarr Monk produit également, il fait de mauvais films, et s'occupe des transports ainsi que de la gestion de la morale.
Agent Six produit (…)

2 - Considérez-vous votre musique comme du hip hop ?
Non, nous la considérons comme de la ghetto-tech, prog-hop, bit pop, avant-psych r&b.

3 - Vous avez été très actifs en 2001, deux albums sont sortis ; quels sont vos projets maintenant que vous avez un arrangement avec Anticon ?
Nous n'avons aucun arrangement, nous n'avons jamais entendu parler d'Anticon. Sont-ils comme Anti-Pop ?

4 - N'êtes-vous vraiment pas en affaire avec Anticon ?
Et bien…actuellement Telephone Jim Jesus est sur le point de terminer sa formation de fermier riziculteur et son EP intrumental. Passage a été détenu à la frontière mexicaine durant les 6 dernières semaines, mais a également presque terminé son EP solo El Si No Habla Cocaino. Bien que Bommar soit mort lors d'un accident de voiture le semaine dernière, son chef-d'oeuvre post-mortem, Fiery Car Crash, doit sortir l'année prochaine, tout comme un LP de Restiform Bodies, qui ne porte pas encore de nom, ainsi qu'une collaboration entre Passage et Odd Nosdam : A Stupid You In The Twicelight : A White Thriller.

5 - A propos, Anticon possède une identité forte, où vous positionnez-vous par rapport à cela ?
Nous ne nous positionnons pas, mais ils sont sympathiques avec nous et nous ont bien aidé jusque là.

6 - J'ai écouté un de vos albums : Moods & Symptoms (NDA album commun de Passage et The Bomarr Monk), d'où vient-il ? Qui sont ses instigateurs ?
Nous ne pouvons ni confirmer, ni nier l'existence de cet album. Nous doutons que tu aies entendu quoi que ce soit.

7 - De manière générale, votre musique est fortement influencée par les années 80 et les types de sons de cette époque. D'où vous viennent ces influences ?
Des années 80 justement; juste en dehors d'Ackron, Ohio.

8 - D'un autre côté, vous utilisez des élément d"electronica, qu'apporte au groupe cette ambivalence ? Voyez-vous une continuité entre ces deux choses ?
Nous adorons la musique électronique, mais nous aimerions qu'elle ne soit pas si ambivalente.

9 - Que diriez-vous au gens qui affirment que votre musique est une version hip hop de ce que peuvent faire Sonic Youth ou Beck en pop/rock ?
Nous dirions merci, car Beck se fait des meufs et nous aimons les meufs. Tu connais des meufs françaises ? (NDA avis aux amatrices : bomarr@anticon.com, passage@anticon.com)

10 - A propos des paroles, la plupart des français ne comprennent pas l'anglais. Pensez-vous qu'ils puissent réellement apprécier votre musique ?
Passage : le truc bizarre, c'est que j'écris tout en français, je ne sais pas comment vous appréhendez la version anglaise (…) et histoire d'éviter la seconde partie de la question et de changer de sujet j'adore regarder des films en anglais sans sous-titrage, il semblerait que je les aime car les images peuvent exprimer des milliers de mots, et encore, là il n'y a pas d'images, et encore; enfin je ne voudrais pas être vague ou quoi que se soit.

11 - Croyez-vous que les paroles sont la part la plus significative du rap ? Et vous vous considérez comme des rappeurs ou plutôt comme des potes ou quelque chose de ce style ?
Les paroles sont comme du beurre, tu les étales uniformément, sans en mettre trop pour que le pain ait un bon goût. De ce fait nous utilisons du faux beurre, vous avez du pain n'est-ce pas ?

12 - Vous êtes tous plus ou moins MCs et producteurs, que préfèrez-vous ?
Bomarr : je veux tirer les choses au clair, je ne rappe PAS.
Tel.Jim.Jesus : parler devrait être proscrit, spécialement dans notre groupe.
Passage : je déteste rapper, nous dessinions des pailles (…)

13 - Vous et Internet ?
Sole a annulé les accés internet de Telephone Jim et de Passage, car ils utilisaient sa carte de crédit pour acheter des jeunes-mariées par correspondance. Bomarr va réellement sur Internet depuis une petite chambre d'Oakland, Californie. Et il est une version web de Sir Mix-A-Lot…Nous l'appelons "Sir Clix-A-Lot".

14 - Internet est-il un bon moyen de promouvoir votre musique ?
Internet peut promouvoir ce qui ne peut être promu, C'est une ressource vitale. Qui doit être utilisée avec technique et précautions…Oh regarde! Une liaison dangereuse se crée.

15 - Quelle est votre playlist en ce moment ?
Neutral Milk Hotel, B. Fleischmann, Aphex Twin, Bauhaus, Pixies, Windy & Carl, Dat Politics, Palace Brothers, Amp, Stars as Eyes, Jesus and Mary Chain, Will Oldham, Pinback, Lou Reed, Morrissey, Front 242, Depeche Mode, Björk, Stereolab, Radiohead, Black Sheep, Weezer

16 - Un commentaire pour clore cette interview ?
A quoi ressemble un Euro ? Pourrais-tu nous en envoyer quelques uns ?
Comme le dit Garth : Hum, c'est comme une nouvelle paire de sous-vêtements, tu vois? au début c'est constrictif, mais après un moment ça devient une partie de toi.

MVRREMIX.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
Interview by Logan
Mid 2002

MVRemix: Where did the individual names and group name originate from?
Restiform Bodies: Some book Tel. Jim read. Passage was one of the 150 names that stuck. Telephone Jim Jesus started as a joke and came about during the first Restiform night. The Bomarr Monk just liked the name. We prefer to go by Dave, George and Matt now.

MVRemix: You hooked up with Anticon via a Scribble Jam demo, were you all shooting for just Anticon to take interest, or did the demo get passed around and Anticon was the first to take interest?
Restiform Bodies: We made a small run of tapes and gave them out at Scribble Jam and they got it. It wasn't a demo. They loved it.

MVRemix: How did Passage and Bomarr get together?
Restiform Bodies: We were high school friends. Played in "bands" together.

MVRemix: Were Restiform bodies alive when Moods & Symptoms was recorded, and when did Telephone Jim Jesus come into the mix?
Restiform Bodies: Yes, Restiform actually formed throughout the production of moods and symptoms, and the original tape was conceived before moods and symptoms was completed. We hate moods and symptoms. Telephone Jim was already around.

MVRemix: You all just got done with an early summer tour with Sole and Kevin Bleachdum, are there any other touring plans?
Restiform Bodies: Lookout for world tour in 2003. We're slashing prices; it's our big blowout sale.

MVRemix: Whats your life like while touring?
Restiform Bodies: Fucked and great.

MVRemix: Favorite fast food places?
Restiform Bodies: Passage says McDonalds. Tel. Jim is a gourmet cook, so doesn't waste his time with fast food. Bomarr says if he had to pick, probably McDonalds.

MVRemix: Favorite movies?
Restiform Bodies: Passage - "Rushmore," "Dr. Strangelove," "Happiness," "Fear, Anxiety & Depression"
Telephone Jim Jesus - "Labyrinth, "Pi" (For 2 watches), "Earplugs," "Goodfellas," "My Dinner With Andre," "La Bamba, "The Buddy Holly Story"
Bomarr - "Goonies," "Basket Case," any b-movie horror and the occasional intelligent movie.

MVRemix: What do you think about the Anticon message board?
Restiform Bodies: Oh god. We love and appreciate Restiform fans who are online, but generally can't stand the fucking message board.

MVRemix: Passage how often do you and what inspires you to write? Any sort of tips for would be writers?
Restiform Bodies: Passage: constantly. I can't stop. I write down everything. Pictures, what people say, everything. It's terrible. It's a pigs dream. Tip - stop!

MVRemix: Passage are there any other projects in the making asides from the Odd Nosdam album coming out? And who all is putting in work on the Force Field Kids solo?
Restiform Bodies: Passage: force field kids is all me! The Restiform album will begin production in 2003. god willing.

MVRemix: Bomarr... How is the Anticon Reps idea working out?
Restiform Bodies: Bomarr: It's hard to say. It's hard to really be able to tell which reps are going to go out and actually do work. There's definitely some that do, but there's a lot of these kids that seem to just want free product and don't put in the work. They know who they are. It shows in areas that people are pushing it, and it shows in areas when people aren't pushing the music. We're going to get a better handle on it though.

MVRemix: Bomarr & Jim Jesus how long have you been making beats? And what sparked the interest?
Restiform Bodies: Bomarr: I've played drums for years, and decided to start playing around with electronic production about 3 years ago.
Tel. Jim: I've been playing guitar in bands since i was 13, throughout my adolescence. and got into electronic music production about 3 years ago. I'm not a beat maker; I just do what the music tells me to do.

MVRemix: How do the song titles usually come about? One album they're 18 word titles and the next all 1 word
Restiform Bodies: For the most part, the titles are circumstance or parody, and sometimes they're decisive and pertain to the song's content. song titles were always kind of a joke to us.

MVRemix: Whats the most recent album that you've really been feeling?
Restiform Bodies: Neutral Milk Hotel - "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" or Eminem - "The Eminem Show"

MVRemix: Hows your all's family and non-anticon involved friends view your music?
Restiform Bodies: They support and appreciate our music. They're all proud of us for reasons they don't understand.

MVRemix: Anything to leave with?
Restiform Bodies: Don't judge us by our addictions, sicknesses or disabilities. We're going to put out a really really good album someday. Thumbs up.

UGSMAG.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
Interview by David Morris
October 5, 2002

Restiform Bodies are not just a monstrously inventive trio stretching the limits of hip hop-they're also ballers, and they don't want anyone to forget it. "[We] don't play any role playing games," states The Bomarr Monk, who borrowed his stage name from an obscure background figure in a sci-fi film. "We do coke and shit . . . and we swear, too." insists Passage, who writes lyrics about Shirley Temple and hot air balloons. And as far as their recent collaborations with the girls of electro-spazz duo Blectum from Blechdom? They did it all for the nookie. "We read an article in the [San Francisco Bay] Gaurdian, and we thought one of 'em was cute, so we figured we'd call." You know how we do.

As far as beef, they might as well be ranchers. "Anti-Pop Consortium are dicks," says Passage, as blunt in person as he is elliptical on the mic. Apparently he's irked that APC rely on the tired rap vs. hiphop distinction to define their artistic goals. "It's so pretentious. It's the only thing they could come up with to distinguish between creative music and trashy music." Passages's lack of reserve is twice as surprising when you know that his group is the newest addition to the anticon crew roster, whose members have been no stranger to squabs-though they haven't always claimed decisive victories.

But those incidents, just like rap vs. hiphop, are old news, and Restiform are all about the future. They were in front of the pack with the multi-ethnic, lo-fi, phonemic polemics of their self-titled debut (2001 6months), and now they're looking to pad the lead, dropping the deadweight of unnecessary genre allegiances. "We've been moving from where we started, with a hip hop goal, and moved away from that," says Telephone Jim Jesus, who contributes vocals and production to the group. Passage agrees, and then some: "I don't really have any desire to make hip hop anymore. I just think the rap underground is trash." So instead ofbumping "Halftime", the three have been absorbing the look-ma-no-formula brilliance of Beck, Kid 606, Radiohead, and especially Elephant Six groups The Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel.

They expect their audience to be just as catholic. "People inside of hip hop don't understand that there's a billion other records out there," notes Passage. "Do you think - Do you really fucking think?- that, like, GZA's Liquid Swords is the best album that's ever come out? You gotta be kidding me." Telephone Jim refines the point: "Everyone should listen to every kind of music." To Restiform, anticon's exclusion from the underground rap world is one of those challenge-turned-opportunity things. Passage doesn't sound too broken up: "[We want] to appeal to electronica heads or indie rock people, which sounds so fucking gimmicky, but it's so important. . . Rock and roll fans and techno fans, all those kids are so much nicer than hip hop fans. They're smart and they know what they like, but they're not cuntrags."

With their musical priorities in order, Restiform are taking their time on their third album. "{The first Restiform Tape} was just two weeks in a bedroom," reminisces Telephone Jim. "And then the second album [the limited-run] Sunhopflat, was [recorded] the next year two weeks before Scribble Jam." As much as fans loved the outcome, Passage says quality was sacrificed in the rush: "It's terrible to put anything out that you know is below your abilities - it's really depressing. We're never doing that again." And what will all the hard work sound like? Telephone Jim sez: "[We're making more] songs that are pop-based, in that they have catchy melodies and catchy choruses, stuff that someone's more likely to sing along with and be able to get into, as opposed to combating somebody with a lot of really fast stuff."

Maybe the new, more accessible record, along with Passage's upcoming, self-produced solo disc, will be enough to dispense with the 'nerd rap' taunts echoing in hip hop's lunchroom. But even if not, Bomarr ain't sweatin' it: "I don't think it's so bad to be a nerd. All that means is that people are committed to what they're into, and we're certainly committed to what we're interested in." Besides, says Passage, "We have premarital sex."

BOKSON.NET
« s/t »
By Matthieu
2002
(Translate)

Restiform Bodies est un quatuor originaire du New Hampshire qui évolue dans toute la nouvelle scène hip hop expérimental menée entre autres par des labels comme Anticon ou Mush.

Les quatre compères se partagent les productions de ce premier album sur lesquelles deux MCs proches de Dose One et Sole se partagent les lyrics. Les ambiances sont en général froides et glauques sur un beat lent, décalé, et glacial mais jamais redondant. Restiform Bodies impose sa personnalité avec des incursions parfois new wave ("Teleprompter"), l'omniprésence des synthés, dans un nouvel univers musical ou les influences pop et electronica se posent délicatement sur une floppée de morceaux tous différents les uns des autres.

Impossible de rentrer plus dans les détails tant ils sont nombreux car Restiform Bodies est un projet en marge de tout ce qui peut se faire en hip hop, y compris chez Anticon.

BOKSON.NET
« Sun Hop Flat »
By Matthieu
2002
(Translate)

Après un premier album en guise de présentation, Restiform Bodies revient rapidement à la charge avec cette deuxième production qui se situe dans les mêmes ambiances que le précédent, c'est à dire froides, oppressantes, ou les nappes de synthétiseurs et l'incursion de divers bruits viennent y ajouter une touche angoissante.

On apprécie toujours autant ces chants parfois chantés et toujours bien rappés, ces beats peut être cette fois plus affirmés et complexes, qui nous poussent à nous avouer qu'il ne s'agit pas là uniquement de hip hop. Restiform Bodies propose une musique qui parait naturellement innovante, qui les préserve d'un qualificatif hâtif, qui les laisse en marge de la scène actuelle. Peut être tout simplement un retour vers le futur... Passionnant!

BOOMKAT.COM
« I Want You / Recycle America 7" »
2003

Restiform Bodies and Weapon Shaped both back in action after both being dormant for the best part of a year. Telephone Jim Jesus, Bomarr Monk and Passage turn in a typically off-centre 3? minute rant on 'I Want', over a truly thumping slowed-down beat and what sounds like strummed open piano wires. Equalling a classic Anticonesque moment that stands up against the very best material from Deep Puddle Dynamics and Them(selves). The word count is high, the nod factor higher. It's backed with a sickly yet strangely melodic avant electro excursion on 'Recycle America', as much sung as it is spat. Progressive lo-fi psyche-hop of the first order, and as with all other Weapon Shaped 45s, this is a strictly one-time pressing on fat black wax, so act fast or you‚ll never know what you‚re missing. Housed in a wicked cartoon motocross artwork sleeve with added lyric sheet and credit insert. Will-sell-out!

SENTIREASCOLTARE.COM
« Newbliette (Subversive Rec, 2004) »
Review by Daniele Follero
2004
(Translate)

Le conferme che la Anticon sarà un punto di riferimento per la scena indie dei prossimi anni cominciano ad accumularsi. Troppo sperimentale, avanguardista e indipendente per avere successo oggi, ma anche per passare inosservato domani, il sound dell’etichetta di Oakland sta diventando riconoscibile e unico sulla base (paradossalmente) di un’estrema varietà, trasformandosi in uno dei più bei collage musicali della storia della popular music. Hip hop, easy listening, electro e ambient convivono in questa sorta di isola felice della musica contemporanea, dando vita a qualcosa di incredibilmente nuovo e coerente.

In questo mare magnum dell’avant hop vengono finalmente a galla anche i Restiform Bodies, dopo anni di isolamento volontario motivato da un’attitudine estremamente indie e l’oltranzismo nell’autoproduzione (il debutto Oubliette del 2000, inizialmente pubblicato solo in cassetta). Newbliette spiazza subito chi si aspetta il solito disco hip hop, con un’intro che fa l'occhiolino ai primi Depeche Mode e ai Kraftwerk (Principles of easy listening pts. A e B) prima di precipitarsi nell’eterogeneità più inafferrabile. Arpeggi di chitarra acustica che si stagliano sullo sfondo di penetranti breakbeats (Keep looking); un rapping a valanga che gioca a creare ritmi (Nobody’s perfect e Summer); drum machine dal sapore Eighties che si fondono con una spiccata attitudine per suoni lo-fi, all’insegna di un uso non solo professionale, ma anche artistico della tecnologia (in particolare Installation II e Wet seat, per quanto questa sia la caratteristica più marcata dei Restiform Bodies). Raramente i singoli brani finiscono come sono iniziati: episodi diversi si susseguono senza soluzione di continuità, quasi fossero suite senza circolarità, indifferenti alla coerenza della forma. La sperimentazione incontra le forme più canoniche del pop e le ricrea con una persistente, anche se sottile, ironia di fondo.

Come la maggior parte dei musicisti legati alla Anticon, i Restiform Bodies hanno troppe idee per racchiuderle in un solo disco: la loro produzione non si esaurisce con Newbliette, ma continua in progetti solisti. Oltre al già pubblicato The forcefield kids (Anticon/Goodfellas, 2004) dell’MC Passage, che concede qualcosa in più a sonorità pop, senza però venirne fuori con un singolo da classifica, sono attesi per fine 2004 i debutti di Telephone Jim Jesus (A point too far to astronaut) e di Bomarr Monk, che sta preparando un collage di home movies, ritagli televisivi e video art.

Al di là di gusti e pareri personali, questo disco ci lascia con due certezze: la prima é che i dj non fanno solo ballare e sono compatibili con il concetto di arte (Dj Spooky docet); la seconda, che il sound di casa Anticon rappresenta uno dei possibili scenari della musica futura.
Rating: 7,5/10 »

EASTBAYEXPRESS.COM
« Odd Bods — Take a ride in "Dali's Car" »
By Justine Nicole
February 11, 2004

If someone told you that all the best experimental music was in Iceland, that someone was mistaken. Though it may not be a part of our mainstream media, experimental continues to grow in popularity and begs to be heard by some of the most outspoken and passionate musicians in the business. Don't call them hip-hop, don't call them R&B. The boys from Restiform Bodies don't want to be pigeonholed in any category that might constrain their creativity. After all, they are artists who use a variety of tools, instruments, and ideas to express their vision -- can sound be a vision? This esoteric audio phenomenon begs the question. Breaking rules is the name of the game, and with a posse of finely tuned friends along for the ride, Restiform's members -- passage, tel.jim.jesus, and the bomarr monk -- are out to prove that sound has no barrier. Join them in an evening of mind-bending electronic music that includes multimedia improv guru Sagan, electro rocker Alan Astor, Books on Tape from Los Angeles, and Change! -- who has been known to use everything from the delicate pelting of a dulcimer to that perennial favorite, the laptop.

With statements such as "Ultimately we feel things deeply and we want to wrench hearts, not worry, or bore" (taken from the Restiform Web site), it's hard to tell whether these guys are serious or not. But if good art is evocative and often abstruse, then it seems they're doing their job. As for the music, its poetic rantings, hardware clangings, and sparse pings somehow seem ahead of their time -- note to self: See Mozart. Perhaps not everyone is ready for this type of futuristic symphony, but rest assured that twenty years from now N'Sync fans will be taking credit for discovering this once brave new sound. (…)

MATCHDOSE.DE
« Restiform Bodies - This isn't HipHop »
By Gregor
10/5/2004
(Translate)

"Best hiphop-album for this season" tönt’s an mancher Stelle großspurig. Teilhaben darf allerdings niemand. Na ja, fast niemand. Auf 500 Exemplare limitiertes Vinyl-Only-Underground-Gebahren (lediglich 100 [!!!] für den US-Markt), kaum Spuren, weder im Netz noch in den einschlägigen Mags. Als wäre es gar nicht passiert. »Newbliette«, so der Titel der Doppel-LP, ist nahe am Nichts und ihre Schöpfer, diese eigenartige HipHop-Formation, wohnen direkt daneben. Vielleicht ist es ja auch gar kein HipHop.

Einiges weist zwar auf diese Spielart hin, vieles spricht aber auch dagegen. Restiform Bodies sehen sich selbst eigentlich in einer ganz anderen Tradition, eine, die wenig Luft lässt für eigene Interpretationen: »Restiform Bodies are a comatose electric psych ghetto r&b trio who all grow up together in the ice and rock of central New Hampshire«. Dass die Drei der Anticon-Posse angehören, ist - große Sachkenntnisse vorausgesetzt - ein weiterer Hinweis auf ihre Musik. Restiform Bodies sind dem Experiment verpflichtet. Passage, Jim Jesus & the Bomarr Monk pfeifen daher auf große Gesten. Dicke Overdubs und fett bouncende Beats sind ihr Ding nicht. »Lo-Fi Psychedelia with mind-bending samples, eerie atmosphere, and some amazing poetry« liegt als Beipackzettel der Kiste bei. Und auf ihr steht Abstract HipHop. Das Label subversiv*rec hat übrigens den Kram veröffentlicht. Kaufen, bevor es zu spät ist!

CITYPAPER.NET
« Restiform Bodies »
By Andrew Parks
03/6/2004

Keeping track of the extended Anticon. collective is like cataloging Guided By Voices box sets. Unless you're a blind fan, it takes too much time to trim the bloated and pompous from the streamlined and progressive. Restiform Bodies is one of the more promising branches of Anticon.'s rather fucked family tree. The vocals are poppy and the production surprisingly pleasant: all broken beats and electronic noise processed by eBay equipment. See recent solo record The Forcefield Kids (Anticon.) from Restiform member Passage for further recommended listening.

EXODUSTER.COM
« Passage/Restiform Bodies @ G0! Studios, Room Four, Carrboro, NC »
09/6/2004

(…) After some delay, hoping above hope that more individuals would show up, Passage/Restiform Bodies took the stage. The shear amount of electronics arrayed on the stage for the ordinary possessed three-piece was dizzying. Starting the show to an empty floor, Restiform took their electro-beat indie rap amalgam to the best of intentions. It is certainly difficult when there are only ten people watching, but they did an admirable job of performing like the place was packed. Only the arrival of a handful of drunk/stoned high schoolers seemed to throw the band off their game a bit - though a split second power outage barely did. The group is fronted by an average looking guy David (Passage) whose vocals vary between slightly off-key singing to quasi-raps all on top of some top-notch electronic instrumentals. Several of the songs from the roughly forty-five minute set were phenomenal - and these tended to be when Passage didn't overplay his hand on the vocals. You may know more about these guys then I, but I was surprised by the number of records they had for sale - where have these guys been? (…)

NEW HAMPSHIRE SUNDAY NEWS
« These Restiform Bodies aren't resting on their laurels »
By John Clayton
June 30, 2004

Rappers from New Hampshire? C'mon. There are more Eskimos from New Mexico.
All the more remark-able then, that three hip-hopping, folktron-ic, not-quite-histrionic young men from the bucolic area around Mount Sunapee are oh-so-slowly (but ever so surely) making a name for them-selves on the avant garde music scene.
Their band is called Restiform Bodies. The mebers of the band are known as Passage, Telephone Jim Jesus and The Bomarr Monk, but if you went to Kearsarge Re-gional High School in the mid-to-late 1990s, you may know them as Dave Bryant, George Chadwick and Matt Valerio.
They've been friends since middle school. Now they're in the niddle of a national tour.
There's no ritzy tour bus, mind you. They're in a van, driving their own way from city to city as they tour with another band called Broken Spindles. On Friday night, they played a gig in Los Angeles. Yesterday, they were in San Francisco. To-night, they'll be on stage at a club called the Holocene in Portland, Ore., and tomorrow, they'll be in Seattle.
Last week?
Last week, they were in The Village Voice.
The result: Instant credibility. In case you don't read it, The Village Voice bills itself as the nation's first and largest alter-native newsweekly and its ros-ter of writers has included literary giants like Norman Mailer, Ezra Pound, Henry Miller, Katherine Anne Porter, James Baldwin and the always--in-lower-case e.e. cummings.
One of the new voices at The Voice is a writer named Scott Seward, and in a funky review of Dave Bryant's newest solo re-lease called "The Forcefield Kids," he categorizes Passage - our very own home boy - as a "New Hampshire Rap Nerd."
I'd be offended. Passage was ecstatic.
"I haven't read it yet," he said over his cell phone when he was on the highway somewhere between Carrboro, N.C., and At-lanta, "but hey, it's press. A lot of indie rockers would kill for that."

What to call it
And it kills me to say this - me being a master wordsmith and all - but the music that's being produced by Passage and his Restiform Bodies buddies is pretty much indescribable. It's interesting, it's catchy, it's an-noying, it's aggravating, it's sur-prisingly harmonic at times, but in the end - bear in mind that I am a middle-aged Caucasian with lingering hipster preten-sions - I simply don't know what to call it.
I left it up to Dave.
"We regard it as ghetto-tech, prog-hop, bit-pop, avant-psych R&B," he said. "I think that's a
fair estimate of what we might sound like. I describe it as mul-ti-faceted electronic music. We use samples, keyboards and guitars at times, and we sound like what I imagined a futuristic band would sound like before I understood beats.
"I like to think of it as honest music," he added, "because we come from an honest part of the world."
That would be New London. And should the Restiform Bodies make it big, New Lon-don might become known one day as the Liverpool of New Hampshire, the crucible for musical magic.
"Hey," Dave said, "when you find three kids - one who plays drums, one who kind of knows how to play the guitar and one who wants to scream into the microphone - it's only a mat-ter of time before you form a band in New Hampshire." Forming a band is one thing.
Selling it is another challenge altogether, which is why the boys in the band are working out of the hip-hop hotbed that is Oakland, Calif.
That's where they were, um ... discovered.

The Oakland ghetto
"We put together this really, really terrible demo of me and Matt," Dave said, "We each made a few beats, and I rapped on it, and we gave it to some friends who gave it to ADM. He's a rapper from Keene. He was a Skribble Jam Freestyle champ for a couple of years. He didn't have too much to say about it because he was kind." Eventually, a revised version of the demo found its way into the hands of Tim Holland, a rapper from Portland, Maine, whose stage name is Sole. He was signed to a label called Anticon - "an arty and contro-versial Bay Area hip-hop collec-tive," according to The Village Voice - and before long, so was Restiform Bodies.
"So we moved into this big, bombed-out warehouse in the Oakland ghetto," Dave said, and the Anticon audience was very willing to accept us once we became part of their collec-tive. We piggy-backed off them, and I figure our audience is kids 18 to 25. Maybe 16 to 25. The line's a little blurred at this point."
If you haven't noticed, there's a nice little streak of self-depre-cation in Dave Bryant. When it comes to their music, he, Matt and George have their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks - I liken it to a Devo/Talking Heads, wink-wink, are-these--guys-really-serious? inside-joke kind of shtick - and straight-forward critical attention has them scratching their heads a bit.
Because their band operates in an underground area of the music industry - and the ghet-to-tech, avant-psych R&B sound makes for a seriously subterranean setting - a lot of that critical attention comes via the Internet. Restiform Bodies gets big play on Web sites such as Audiogalaxyxom and hi-phopsection.com, and the re-views are posted not only in English but also in French, Ital-ian, even Japanese, for cryin' out loud.
The boys take it all in stride. "We're taking the music out," Dave said. "You do the record, you tour it around and hopeful-ly you sell some records in the clubs. Right now, we're doing mostly mid-sized clubs, 200 to 300 people. Then we're doing Europe in mid-September."
Thus far, there are no New Hampshire dates in sight. "You know, we've never played an official New Hamp-shire show," Dave said. "I'd like to, but I don't know if we'd get too many people. I don't think a lot of people know about Pas-sage or Restiform Bodies up there."
They do now.

RAPSPOT.DK
« Roskilde Festival 2k4: Provokere, onanere… Anticon interview »
Interview by Ann Noyd
12.07.2004
(Translate)

Anticons til Roskilde festivalen udsendte - Alias, Passage, Bomarr Monk, Telephone Jim Jesus og Dosh - bekræfter i følgende interview med Rapspot, at provokationen som konstruktivt redskab er en af de fundamentale ideer bag deres musik, og lader sig generelt ikke tryne af undertegnedes forsøg på at problematisere deres tilgang til musikken. Den ironiske attitude diskuteres, så man fornemmer de store kunsteriske ambitioner, der ligger bag kollektivets forskellige projekter, og der antydes en række perspektiver i forhold til hip hoppens fremtidige udvikling. Stemningen var afslappet, nærmest stenet, og rigtig god, og de fem gjorde sig, trods tydelige træthedstegn, umage med at besvare en række spørgsmål som ikke blev helt så guerilla-agtige som det oprindeligt havde været hensigten.

Passage: Inden vi starter vil jeg lige høre hvad fanden der sker for at Stephen King skal versionere Riget?

Mat: [Griner] Jeg er helt enig…

Passage: Er det grundlæggende Stephen King , der har sagt “Jeg er Stephen King, hvad vil du? Hvad sker der??”

Mat: Det tror jeg.

Passage: Og så hev han en ordentlig bunke cash op af lommen…

Mat: Ja, jeg tror det er det der skete. Jeg tror Lars von Trier kan lide den slags julelege.

Dosh: Jeg kunne forstå, at han rent faktisk fik penge for at levere nye ideer til dem.

Mat: Han kan godt lide at gøre ting, etablissementet ikke bryder sig om – ting der lader til at kompromittere ham som kunstner.

Bomarr Monk: Jeg blev faktisk ret irriteret over at han er med på credit-listen der.

Mat: Jaeh, jeg tror faktisk han selv synes det er ret cool at lave sådan et nummer.

Passage: OK, lad os komme i gang.

Mat: Godt, jeg vil begynde med at spørge jer om visionen bag Anticon som musikerkollektiv og som label. Det virker som om der er nogle klare tanker bag og en special lyd. Hvad var motivationerne da I startede det og hvordan opfatter I det i dag?

[Alle peger på Alias]

Alias: Hm, jo, der er vel en slags vision bag …

Dosh: Det er mere en underbevidst vision.

Alias: Ja, det er ikke sådan at vi bruger masser af tid på at sidde og tænke over musikken inden vi laver den. Den bliver bare som den gør, vi udgiver den og folk kan lide den, og sådan går det. Folk får selv det, de vil ud af den. Vi udgiver ikke plader for at tjene en masse penge og købe et stort hus med swimming pool eller noget som helst i den retning [latter]. Og vi er allesammen…

Telephone Jim Jesus: Kyniske hyklere …

Alias: Kyniske, ironiske, og vi deler alle lignende politiske standpunkter, vi er ret venstreorienterede. Jeg tror vores vision med selve musikken… vi forsøger allesammen at videregive noget ærligt og give folk et indblik i Verden… sådan groft sagt.

Dosh: Jeg forsøger at videregive den oplevelse af verden, jeg bærer rundt på, til folk. [Bomarr Monk griner] I det håb, at det vil anspore andre til at gøre det same.

Telephone Jim Jesus: Ja, til at skue indad.

Dosh: Ja, det er ligesom den der Dylan-tekst, den der Dylan-tekst, han siger, øh, han beskriver en fyr som ikke er ude på andet end at trække dig med ned i hullet [”drag you down in the hole ”].

Telephone Jim Jesus: Klart.

Dosh: Jeg forsøger at undgå at være sådan – det gør vi allesammen, vi vil ikke trække nogen ned i et hul…

Telephone Jim Jesus: Vi vil ikke presse nogen til at gøre noget som helst.

Dosh: Vi forsøger at vise dem hullet og advare dem mod det.

Mat: Opfatter I det I laver som hip hop? Jeg mener, Anticon var i hvert fald i starten et forsøg på at skabe forandringer i hip hop…

Alias: Jaeeh, vi ville helt klart gerne gøre noget. Vi var trætte af den hip hop, der blev sendt ud på det tidspunkt, af altid at høre folk snakke om hvor dope de var …

Passage: Hvordan de spiste MCs til morgenmand …

Alias: Ja, alt det der, der er grænser for hvor længe du gider høre på den slags.

Bomarr Monk: Det jeg har bemærket er, at hvor mange der har taget hele “Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop”-tingen alvorligt [en opsamling, den første Anticon-udgivelse], som var det et komplet alvorligt ment statement.

Telephone Jim Jesus: Det var meget ironisk.

Bomarr Monk: Ja, men alle tror lige pludselig, at vi tror vi kan ændre hip hop.

Alias: Ja, jeg tror sgu det var en fejl fra vores side …

Passage: Nej det var ikke, nej det var ikke…

Alias: Altså at debutere med et så sarkastisk statement, det virkede lidt som om …

Passage: Nej, det var sgu some serious shit.

Telephone Jim Jesus: Det var det, men…

Alias: Det jeg mener er, at vi bestemt ikke regnede med at vi kunne …

Passage: …ændre hip hop…

Alias: …ændre hip hop. Vi skabte bare noget musik, der var åbenlyst anderledes end alt det andet. Det havde altså ikke noget at gøre med [emfatisk] “Vi er her for at redde hip hop.”

Passage: Ja, det var sgu ikke en eller anden form for sindssygt, religiøst nonsens eller noget i den retning.

Mat: Sole samler det jo op [på “Bottle of Humans”] og siger “Hip hop for the advancement of mankind,” hvilket er endnu mere himmelstormende [griner].

Alias: Ja, men det er også Soles måde at lave skæg med de alvorlige reaktioner, vi havde fået på det; han besluttede sig simpelthen for at tage det næste skridt og provokere alle [latter].

Passage: Den linie holdt mig sgu i live gennem college.

Dosh: Det er vigtigt at provokere.

Alias: Anticon er baseret på provokation.

Dosh: Når du opnår en reaktion, hvad enten den er totalt positiv eller totalt negativ …

Telephone Jim Jesus: … er det en reaktion…

Dosh: Det er i sidste ende det samme. Jeg mener, det er sgu godt at folk reagerer, fordi det betyder at de i et eller andet omfang involverer sig i det du laver – det viser, at det rent faktisk betyder noget for folk, at folk rent faktisk lytter til det du laver. Hvis du siger: ”Det her er kraftedme noget lort …”

Passage: Hvis du er skidevred, så lytter du. Hvis du er trist, så lytter du, hvis du er glad, så lytter du, hvis du er tændt på noget, så lytter du.

Dosh: Det er faktisk ofte de folk, der er surest over musikken, der viser sig mest, i modsætning til de indædte fans, der giver dig…[En kæmpe, osende kålorm ruller forbi uden for vinduet og overdøver al samtale i skurvognen] …kålorme. Meget af den opmærksomhed vi får, kommer fra folk, der ikke bryder sig om det vi laver, og ikke i så høj grad fra de folk, der er nede med det, og det synes jeg er interessant. At du kan nå så dybt ind under huden på folk at de reagerer så negativt, er sgu ligeså godt som når nogen fortæller dig, at de elsker det du laver.

Mat: Men er det ikke en lidt farlig indstilling? Hele den der ironi og sarkasme? Er det ikke en let måde at undgå virkelig at tage stilling på?

Dosh: Det er det, helt sikkert, det er næsten en slags cancer…

Telephone Jim Jesus: Gennem hele min opvækst formulerede jeg mig altid meget tørt or ironisk, jeg har altid været sarkastisk og folk misforstår det altid – det har ført til mange problemer.

Dosh: Men du mener vel i relation til Anticon?

Mat: Ja. Jeg synes faktisk at meget af det I laver virker dybt seriøst, men nu sidder I allesammen og ironiserer over det.

Bomarr Monk: Det er sådan halvt alvorligt, halvt ironisk, hvis du ved hvad jeg mener.

Alias: Hvad mener du helt præcist? Den der titel, eller…?

Mat: Nej, ikke kun det. Jeg mener helt generelt. Hele jeres tilgang forekommer mig til dels at være ironisk – teksterne, jeres albumcovers…

Dosh: Det, at der er ironi, betyder ikke at det ikke også kan være alvorligt ment.

Passage: [Med påtaget eftertænksomhed] Det, at det er ironisk, er faktisk ironisk [latter].

Mat: Mit følgespørgsmål her er et forsøg på at indsætte disse ting i en bredere kontekst. Det virker som om hip hoppens demografi er ved at ændre sig ret radikalt. Det virker som om at kulturen til dels er på vej væk fra, hvor den oprindeligt kom…

Alias: Mener du i forhold til etnicitet, eller …?

Mat: Ja, men også i forhold til den geografiske baggrund. Jeg gætter på de fleste af jer kommer fra forstæderne …

Telephone Jim Jesus: Ja, vi kommer rent faktisk fra landet, eller skovene, rettere [peger på Passage og Bomarr Monk] – vi voksede for størstedelen op i New Englands skove [de andre udtrykker enighed].

Dosh: Jeg boede i the projects til jeg var ti, jeg er fra en storby [Minneapolis].

Mat: Jeg snakker helt klart om baggrund her, især i forhold til hvad den nye hip hop-generation bringer til deres musik. Jeg mener, Eminem er jo bare det tydeligste tegn på, at noget er ved at ændre sig radikalt. Hvor tror I hip hop er på vej hen? Og ser I problemer i disse forandringer?

Alias: Nej, jeg synes ikke det er problematisk. Hvis nogen har et problem med at en MC eller en anden muskier ikke kommer fra en storby, kan han sgu ikke rigtig tillade sig at kritisere ham for det – så må han kritisere de pladeselskaber, der distribuerede musikken ud af storbyerne for ti-tyve år siden. Hip hop var det eneste jeg lyttede til under min opvækst…

Passage: Gamet var imidlertid anderledes dengang…

Alias: Ja, men det ændrer ikke på…

Telephone Jim Jesus: Nej, du kan ikke kritisere en person for at være glad for hip hop, bare fordi han kommer fra skovene.

Alias: Du kan ikke kritisere ham og fortælle ham, at han skal lade være med at lave den musik han holder af.

Dosh: Det vigtigste i denne sammenhæng er, at tiden sætter alting i perspektiv. Om halvtreds år… der er jeg kraftedme død [Passage griner]… om halvtreds år kan det være at der er nogen, der lytter til mit shit, og de andre gutters shit… van Gogh døde uden en rød øre.

Mat: Det nogle med en vis grund frygter er, at det der skete med rock’n roll også vil ske med hip hop. Altså at kulturen fjernes fra sine rødder.

Dosh: Hip hoppens rødder er totalt anderledes end rockens. Du skaffer dig to pladespillere, en mikrofon og et lydanlæg og så fyrer du op under en fed fest – det er hip hoppens rødder. Du holder en fest så folk kan have det skægt og nyde livet.

Alias: Under alle omstændigheder bryder vi os ikke meget om genrer. De bliver hurtigt en måde, hvorpå folk kan putte ting de ikke bryder sig om i små kasser. Det er det samme med rocken, der blev fjernet fra…

Bomarr Monk: Rock’n roll blev sgu fjernet fra sine rødder fem år efter …

Passage: Fem minutter efter den startede.

Bomarr Monk: Ja, der var grundlæggende Chuck Berry og så kom Elvis og det var det.

Passage: Glem det, mand, sådan er livet, det er alt sammen part of the game.

DASPBLOG.CANALBLOG.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
By Quentin
23/11/04
(Translate)

La densité de la scène a un peu augmenté. C'est l'heure de passer aux choses sérieuses ! Restiform Bodies ! Les trois gus montent sur scène… Passage en maître de cérémonie et au clavier, Telephone Jim Jesus au clavier et aux effets et The Bomarr Monk à la MPC et aux batteries électriques. Ils nous envoient leur Hip-hop rock folk mélodieux et saturé à la gueule ! Passage tousse, Passage est malade. Des morceaux des Restiform, des morceaux de Passage en solo, des instrumentaux… Ils posent sur une instru composée par Abstract Keal Agram…

Passage quitte parfois le micro pour manipuler son clavier et en sortir des mélodies étranges et saturées. The Bomarr Monk passe de la MPC à la batterie et parfois touche aux deux en même temps, sa précision est impressionnante ! Leur dernier morceau est exceptionnel de part son rythme et sa structure… The Bomarr Monk doit avoir chaud aux bras ! Bravo !

VERTIGOMUSICONLINE.COM
« Restiform Bodies »
Review by Jimmy Applebottom
2006

You ever have one of those "secret weapon" cds? The one you bust out on road trips or at low-key parties and after 20 minutes everyone says "What are we listening to? This is amazing." You kind of smirk and say "__________" and then they nod like they know what you're talking about? (A week later they will all ask you to burn them a copy because they can't find it or remember the name of the band they didn't know about to begin with.) This is one of those cds. Restiform Bodies (comprised of Passage, The Bomarr Monk & Telephone Jim Jesus) gets filed in the hip hop section, but there is almost nothing here to tether it to that category. We just don't know where else to put it. 80's synth lines, fractured beats, mile-a-minute stream of consciousness lyrics and genre-bending instrumentation all kind of trample over one another for 80 minutes, and when you're done it almost demands another listen just to figure out what the hell you just experienced. Passage's delivery (sometimes spoken, sometimes sung) is the only consistent element, as the backdrop shifts through just about every type of sampler trick and bizarre 80's new wave posturing one could ask for. '3rd Reel Judy Garland' near the end of the disc is a perfect example, as Gary Numan's 'Cars' gets stripped down and outfitted with a Vietnamese vocal snippet for a bridge, while Passage (without a hint of a rhyme) delivers a three minute diatribe on the movie industry. It makes you want to dance, drop acid, read the dictionary, buy a synthesizer, vomit a little, call your mom and start a band, and that all happens before the 15 minute mark. Hell, it happens all within the second song. Although all members are now part of the Anticon collective, none of their newer work compares to the sheer variety, left-field mayhem and experimentation of this debut LP, despite the fact that Anticon specializes in making hip hop for indie rockers. It stands alone, forgotten in the music store bins, as one of the best and most consistently engaging records to fall under the avant hip hop tag. Oh, and it's perfect for road trips.

SMALLFISH.CO.UK
« Sun Hop Flat »

An interesting combination of electronics and live instruments given a twist and a slice of vocal strangeness by the (anticon associated) Restiform Bodies. Musically eclectic and quite beautiful at times, combined with a sort of narrative that comprises styles as different as radioplay (like) monologues and hip hop. Worth further investigation.

PORTLANDMERCURY.COM
« Restiform Bodies, Books On Tape »
By JS
28/2/??

(C07, 2000 SE 7th) All signs point to shoegazer rock being the resurrected "sound" for 2004's next big trendathon, but who needs that '90s crap when dudes like Restiform Bodies are around. This trippy wind-tunnel is spacey hiphop without looking over its shoulder, cryptic weighty production that sounds navigated by Mars Rover. As with many anticon-related projects (yo, cLOUDDEAD), the lyrics may as well be an astronaut's crazed mumblings, uttered only for their aesthetic properties. That is, they don't need to convey meaning so much as fold into the production, words put together like building blocks for beats, ideas popped out into the atmosphere; and yet, its pervasive goofball humor ties it back to earth.

PASSAGE

ANTICON.COM
« Creature In The Classroom »
10/5/2004

“Creature in the Classroom” is the lead single for passage’s upcoming, self-produced full length, The Forcefield Kids. The title track, an unintentional anthem for disaffected youth, encapsulates the miserable moments of everyone’s high school years. The second track on the A-Side, “Poem to the Hospital,” creates the kind of hospital waiting room scene that could take place only in a David Lynch film. Layered with distinctive synths, rattling, distorted, low-bit drums, and sung with passage’s signature melodious fast raps, the Creature in the Classroom 12-inch gives a sense of passage’s genius. He blends and references hardcore, new wave, indie-pop, electro, fast rap and just about everything else.<p> The B-side features a bonus instrumental “Neo Geo” and an instrumental of side A’s “Poem to the Hospital.” This single is a just a taste of what’s to come on passage’s highly anticipated, official anticon full-length.

CANNED MAGAZINE
« The Forcefield Kids »
2004

Everything from Anticon has an undeniably cohesive style. This release from Passage (Restiform Bodies) has that feel and a little style on top. The Northeasterner transplanted himself to Oakland a few years ago and has since been involved with Anticon: spreading the gospel of oddity. Again, Anticon doesn’t specialize in hip-hop. The collective specializes in exploding the boundaries of said genre. Passage doesn’t necessarily rap, he sings and strums a guitar a good part of the time. Although the guitar playing is accompanied with myriad burps, gurgles and hums of electronics, one can most certainly hear the folky influence in the music. The album itself flows well. With any hip-hop or electronic recording a test for competence is the ability of the producer to meld each track together to create a seamless breadth of work. The Forcefield Kids possesses a singular vision of sonic textures, thanks to Passage. While this slab does not sound specifically derivative of one artist/group the closest relation may be Beans and his first solo full length Tomorrow Right Now. Sometimes the boom-bap doesn’t sound like rap, but more like electronic punk. The album starts off with an unsettling instrumental and proceeds to offer similar sonic settings throughout. Often times Passage does not rap, but sings portions of the verse only to explode with section of raps (“Lost in Boston with a head full of Zanex”). When verses are understandable they’re interesting, but occasionally between the raps and bizarre production a track becomes trying (“Put together/Play/Red Ferrari calendar blob”). This is an amalgam of sounds, only for the advanced listener, but certainly an apt introduction to Anticon for the uninitiated.

BIG TAKEOVER ISSUE #55
« The Forcefield Kids »
2004

If you know Anticon, then you know Passage: a member of Restiform Bodies, he encompasses the principal value the progressive label holds dear: a thinking doode¹s intersection of hip-hop and electronic music, with just a hint of rock. This is, truly, no-holds-barred music; it¹s impossible to anticipate what will spit out of the speakers next, a whir, whack, or a jingle, a crack, croon or a cringle. It¹s the ultimate realization of stream-of-conscious poetry set to song, where the music is just as random asthe words themselves. That being said, Passage deserves a round for stitching together thousands of snippets into a daring, but satisfying package. Songs like "The kareoki (sp?) kiss ass," "The unspectacular whiteboy slave song" and "Poem2thehospital" are fascinating Rorschach testsfor the hipster doofus in all of us.

BOOMKAT.COM
« Creature In the Classroom »
2004

Go figure, the 12" after the album unlike the USA where the 12" dropped prior to the album. Anyway at least like the album you get the superior US vinyl pressing. Three tracks are contained, two from the album 'Creature In The Classrooom' and 'Poem To The Hospital' plus an exclusive downtempo new wave electroesque instrumental throbber 'Neo Geo Poem' and an instrumental mix of 'Poem To The Hospital'. One for the new school Anticon fan.

THE WIRE MAGAZINE
« The Forcefield Kids »
2004

THE FORCEFIELD KIDS has a lively, acidic and electronic surface....The music actually sounds warm and human, yet protected by a sharp, biting wit.

BOOMKAT.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
2004

Another excellent new artist debut on Anticon, the debut solo release from Passage, who previously blazed the outsider Anticon universe as part of the Restiform Bodies crew a couple of years back. A completely self produced affair, the album features a plethora of cheap drum machine beats, wonky keyboards and personal poetic outpourings. From track to track this album feels like the solo output of the other key Anticoners Sole, Dose One and Why, restamping the label's manifesto with a mesh of beats, acoustics and oddball songwriting.. Background help from Odd Nosdam, Sole and Kristen Erickson, highly recommended for fans of the label.

DUSTEDMAGAZINE.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Charlie Wilmoth
May 11, 2004

Passage is a member of Anticon, the arty and controversial Bay Area hip-hop collective. Like Anticon's Doseone, Passage often rhymes in tune, changing notes as the chords change. Unlike Doseone, Passage's voice is almost completely bland, and his production isn't nearly as distinctive as that of Jel or Odd Nodsam, with whom Doseone is often associated.

Those things aren't necessarily problems, but unlike many of his Anticon compatriots, Passage can't get by on sound alone. Sound and song aren't mutually exclusive, but Passage tends to be compelling when his songwriting is strong and not particularly interesting when it's off.

The Forcefield Kids is filled with 1980s-style sounds, from the primitive video game-like noises that crop up frequently in the beats, to "Free luv, from left field," the beginning of which sounds like a cross between early industrial music and New York hardcore. Like the music of yet another Anticon associate, Why?, The Forcefield Kids also features a prominent indie rock influence: several songs on the album include casually strummed guitars, and the entire album has an imperfect, lo-fi feel.

Lyrically, Passage drops enough striking observations ("like a Catholic mass, where you sit, stand, sit, shift your weight and shrug") and bizarre plays on words ("the poor sportsmen of the apocalypse") to keep the listener's attention. "The unspectacular whiteboy slave song" boasts one of the year's most memorable, anthemic choruses: "White boys ain't got no slave song / So we invented radiation / Who other than us whitebread shitheads / Would go out and build an H-bomb?") Even so, Passage doesn't offer as much to unpack as there might be on, say, an Aesop Rock album.

But perhaps comparing Passage to such a weighty contemporary is unfair. In interviews, Passage's band Restiform Bodies often deny that what they do is hip-hop at all, and The Forcefield Kids likewise isn't really a hip hop album per se, but a mixture of hip hop and indie rock that depends as much on melody as it does on traditional MCing. When Passage has confidence in his voice and a colorful backing track (as he does on “The unspectacular white boy slave song,” the dreamlike “Poem2thehospital” and the electro-tinged “The kareoki (sp?) kiss ass”), his synthesis of his many influences is convincing.

STOMP.COM.AU
« The Forcefield Kids »
17/5/2004

Passage is the front man for hiphop group Restiform bodies and has appeared on albums such as Anticon's We Ain't Fessin and DJ Krush's The Message at the Depth. Has toured with Sole (also signed to Anticon) and performed with DJ Krush, Kid606, Gold Chains, Cex, Unicorns, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and Barry Andrews (Shriekback). Passage's is the kind of electro-new-wave-industrial folk-hospital-waiting-room hope-hop that you can dance or die to. The self-produced Forcefield Kids is full of distorted lo-bit jiggy drums; chopped-up, backwardharps and French horns; distinctive synths; acoustic guitars; playful, heavywords; and catchy-ass melodies. Passage capably references and blends a seemingly infinite library of influences. Who would have thought that someone could create a hardcore, new wave, melodious fast-raps record,with sweeter-than-candy indie-pop hooks? The ForcefieldKids is proudly and without apology a genre-defying record that just about embodies the anticon sound.

TINYMIXTAPES.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Chadwicked
May 27, 2004

Restiform Bodies are the only act on Anticon to be picked up as a result of demo-shopping. Sole received a tape from them at Scribble Jam a few years back and was blown away. He offered them a deal and welcomed them into the Anticon commune out in California. You know Restiform had something unique and new for Sole to be so impressed by them. The number of demos sent Anticon’s way is no doubt an enormous amount, consisting of weak art-rap imitators and sorry experimentation. For Restiform to be so quickly accepted was a good sign of their abilities.

Passage, Telephone Jim Jesus, and Bomarr have been honing their sound over the course of a bunch of releases. Often categorized as some ’80s-pop-experimental-rap fusion, they certainly have cultivated an original sound. With The Forcefield Kids, Passage continues this style choice. Totally self-produced, Passage depends heavily on humming synths and an arsenal of varied drums. The problem with this is the indistinguishable factor. It’s hard to fully develop a song when they’re all meshing into one another. The fact that only two songs exceed the three minute mark doesn’t help the situation. Passage does conquer this problem when he decides to let loose his vocal cords and sing his heart out.

Passage has proven himself as an admirable singer just as much, if not more, as he has proven himself as a rapper. On "Old Aunt Mary," his frail singing and acoustic approach works wonders. The track is not as dense and distinguishes itself from the rest of the album’s clutter. The same goes for the short brilliance of "19911," which begs to be lengthened. The guitar gets pulled out of the case for "Suffragette" as well. These three songs are standouts on the album, making it quite clear that this is Passage’s strongest area of expertise.

Another triumph on this album lies in Passage’s lyrical content. Choosing topics that deviate from many of his Anticon comrades, Passage drops a number of memorable lines, all encompassing an overall feel of loss and vulnerability. Not to say much of Anticon doesn’t dwell in these fields as well, but Passage inflicts his own 1986 fat kid twist on it. Childhood isolation and perspective appear to be subjects that Passage holds dear to him. The album ends strong with the Nosdam-esque "Poem2thehospital" and "Pail of air," another guitar-driven sung number. For Passage’s first official solo venture, The Forcefield Kids is not at all a bad showing; yet in his all-out singing songs and acoustic-based diatribes, there’s untapped greatness that is just dying to come up for air.

Passage has proven himself as an admirable singer just as much, if not more, as he has proven himself as a rapper. On "Old Aunt Mary," his frail singing and acoustic approach works wonders. The track is not as dense and distinguishes itself from the rest of the album’s clutter. The same goes for the short brilliance of "19911," which begs to be lengthened. The guitar gets pulled out of the case for "Suffragette" as well. These three songs are standouts on the album, making it quite clear that this is Passage’s strongest area of expertise.
Another triumph on this album lies in Passage’s lyrical content. Choosing topics that deviate from many of his Anticon comrades, Passage drops a number of memorable lines, all encompassing an overall feel of loss and vulnerability. Not to say much of Anticon doesn’t dwell in these fields as well, but Passage inflicts his own 1986 fat kid twist on it. Childhood isolation and perspective appear to be subjects that Passage holds dear to him. The album ends strong with the Nosdam-esque "Poem2thehospital" and "Pail of air," another guitar-driven sung number. For Passage’s first official solo venture, The Forcefield Kids is not at all a bad showing; yet in his all-out singing songs and acoustic-based diatribes, there’s untapped greatness that is just dying to come up for air.
Rating: 3.5/5

PITCH.COM
« Passage »
By Ray Cummings
May 27, 2004

Passage isn't really hip-hop. He's Anticon. And like Anticon labelmates Why and Themselves, his rant-raps fall outside of the bling-studded box associated with Generation BET. Passage (David Bryant) brings a little bit of everything to his recent album The Forcefield Kids. Backdrops range from dank and subterranean to brutally minimal, from acoustic pastoral to refreshingly Grey Album incongruous. On the microphone, Bryant's delivery is as fiendishly eclectic as his production -- Benedictine chants, quick-tongued speed-rhyming, Beastie Boys sling-song and punk scream-outs, all politically charged and curlicued with well-chosen samples. When concerned with matters relating to youth (or himself), Bryant's tone grows especially sharp. As a result, there's rarely a dull moment on The Forcefield Kids. Perhaps more important, there are no freakin' skits.

ANTICON.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
07/6/2004

passage is the kind of electro-new-wave-industrialfolk-hospital-waiting-room hope-hop that you can dance or die to. The self-produced Forcefield Kids is full of distorted lo-bit jiggy drums; chopped-up, backward harps and French horns; distinctive synths with envelopes and filters; acoustic guitars; playful, heavy words; and catchy-ass melodies. passage capably references and blends a seemingly infinite library of influences. Who would have thought that someone could create a hardcore, new wave, melodious fast-raps record, with sweeter-than-candy indie-pop hooks? The Forcefield Kids is proudly and without apology a genre defying record that just about embodies “the anticon sound.” The songs on The Forcefield Kids speak on: the educational system, the post-cold war cold war, the legacy of white oppressorship, Dr. Laura, childhood, child molestation, loneliness and longing. They are sung with hungry desperation and darkly humorous undertones. It is a middle school kid asking permission to sharpen his pencil, only to return to his seat and put his own eye out. On “Creature in the Classroom,” an unintentional anthem for disaffected youth, passage bitterly revisits grade school misery with visceral lines like “Tin teeth, shin guard, first string rich kids get the indoor-soccer flat soles/special needs kids get the med-head puppet show at little round tables with grad school ass holes.” The record is filled with images of invalids, radiation, cold hospitals, lost love and dreaded, never ending Sunday afternoons filled with self-loathing regrets. A highlight is the dark pop infection called “Old Aunt Mary,” sounding like something off Beck’s One Foot in the Grave; fresh for the second millennium, passage sings: “I won’t ever sell you out, like a fish thrown back, in a double knit tweed and a bad men’s scent, but I’m in love with a defeatist and I’m wild for magazines. I’m not just some boy breathing down your neck, I’m absolutely the most important man in the world and my fucking kids will play two sports a piece.” There is God and Hell in this record, the guts of a dead or dying angel.

CMJ.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Christopher R. Weingarten
June 2004

The Dadaist, avant-hop Anticon boys haven’t really been making “the rap music” as of late—with Why? hav-ing his Sea And Cake and eating it too, and cLOUDDEAD reminding the O.G.s about Flying Saucer Attack—and Passage’s spec-tacular god-knows-what debut (think Sole-via- Nelly rap/singing over Beck-via-OMD) walks the line between their familiar loqua-cious rap-ramble and some new transcen-dent indie Moog swoosh. Passage emotes about education, race and loneliness in those Anticon-oclastic beat poetics that ride the fence between astute imagery and non-sequitur. Either way, Passage certainly is passionate about whatever the fuck he’s singing about, shouting to the heavens (with glorious Eminem double-tracked demi-harmony vocals, natch) “Jesus Chrysler cut me a break/ Lay off the feelings and the spiders in the sink/ And leave the depression in the wild/ A missing man with-out a car alarm stuck in his knee or a pager in his palm!” There are too many great moments to mention: an infectious clang here, a video-game sample there, the aus-tere hospital-room folk of “Old Aunt Mary,” the Suicide death-funk of “Free Luv, From Left Field,” the TMBG-meets-Laurie Anderson “The Unstrung Harp,” a tri-umphant march called “The Unspectacular Whiteboy Slave Song”: The Forcefield Kids has all sorts of glorious fuckeduperry, and Passage attacks them all with equal aplomb. You can officially stop hating on these guys now.

VILLAGEVOICE.COM
« New Hampshire Rap Nerd Invents Whiter Shade of Radiation
Passage's The Forcefield Kids »
By Scott Seward
June 7th, 2004

Passage is all wrong for me. He's too young, more doofus than youfus, and from New Hampshire. Which means by law he must live free or die. Which scares me. However, his Beckian folktronic lo-fi histrionics intrigue 'cuz there is tension and pain (or squirreliness or Ritalin) lurking beneath the pathological logorrhea that comes with the territory of detritus-collecting rap-addict hipsters who paint extra-pale pictures of their fidgety nerdball lives as beat-driven outcasts in love with the def soundz of their youth and who make no apologies for their lack of accreditation from Hard Times High. Dude's catchiest chorus: "White boys ain't got no slave song/So we invented radiation." What the hell? Fucker don't give a damn if you get it. A man's gotta eat. Last line of a recent newspaper live-show write-up: "Most of the crowd was white." White. White. White. That echo just doesn't mean what it used to. Fifty years from now all the beige babies will be saying: "That Passage was wild, Poppy!" "Yes, Son, he was onto something with that shit."

BOKSON.NET
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Matthieu
12/6/2004
(Translate)

Anticon semble un tantinet ralentir son rythme de production et ce, à un moment ou, disons le clairement, on approche dangereusement de l'overdose. Passage, membre originel de la clique californienne, faisait partie des prévisions du label depuis un certain temps déjà, mais c'est seulement en ce mois de juin 2004 que "Forcefield Kids" voit le jour pour nous faire découvrir un nouveau talent qui, même s'il n'est pas plus original que les autres dans le sens ou il n'amène véritablement rien de nouveau par rapport à ses collègues, parvient à créer un univers intéressant.

Ici, les sons sont toujours anticoniens, un peu crades et très synthétiques, reconnaissables entre mille. Mais Passage prend quelques penchants pop façon Why? en plus electro et en plus kitsch, voire folk ou punks ("Free Luv From The Leftfield") sur lesquels il déverse un flow incisif et chanté, pile poil à mi chemin entre Sole, Josh Martinez et Dose One. De cette recette, quelques titres sortent du lot ("In The Bioburbs", "Creature In The Classroom", "The Kareoki Kiss Ass", "Reagan's Chest") et évitent à cet album de tomber dans l'indigeste sur sa longueur comme ce fut souvent le cas chez Anticon ces derniers temps (Sole et Alias mis à part...).

"Forcefield Kids", composé de 21 titres courts mais achevés (n'est ce pas Mr Odd Nosdam!!!), laisse un goût de bonne humeur plutôt rare dans ce genre de production. Mi pop, mi hip hop (hip pop quoi!), Passage imprègne son album de mélodies parvenant souvent à faire mouche dans cet environnement folk electro indus, mais aussi de mots lourds de sens dans un décor noir et humoristique. Du pur Anticon...

THEDAILYTEXANONLINE.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Tito Belis
22/6/04

Avant-hop. Heard this ridiculous label yet? Well, ever since the "Master of Records" himself, Afrika Bambaataa, melded his electro-funk stylings with the refreshing hip-hop of the early '80s on the Soulsonic Force's 1982 shapeshifting joint "Planet Rock," the genre has become drawn to innovation through artistic and electronic experimentation.

Nowadays, the calligraphy of hip-hop has been expanded by serious artists and production heads who are primarily into experimenting for gaining a type of recognition apart from those who feel that simply owning a laptop and other equipment will put their music on the cusp of hip-hop's next level.

Namely, with the Bay Area imprint Anticon, those who decide to purchase the label's releases sometimes offer loyal patronage and rarely regard the output as nonsensical noise, but those who have a difficult time digesting it end up dry-heaving simply after a brief listen. It's become completely subjective. With the signing of Passage, aka David Bryant, and his Restiform Bodies a few years back, it appears as if Anticon has finally hit the nail on the head in an attempt to find the prime representation that spearheads their overall "sound."

After anonymously dropping a demo onto Anticon head Sole at Skribble Jam a few years back, the Restiform Bodies were quickly taken under the wing of the prestigious imprint, providing the avenues and resources for their vision to be brought to life.

Embodying a sound that is more colorful than most experimental outfits on the undie-hop circuit, "The Forcefield Kids" LP undergoes within its 21 tracks an intense mixing of musical touchstones that include pulsating drum 'n' bass, acoustic folk-rock, industrial crunch and uplifting party rap. Truly the definition of experimental "nerd-rap." Passage's keenness for haphazardly woven loops, breaks and lyrics surely rests atop one of the most eccentric Anticon has had the opportunity to promote.

Through Bryant's passionate abstract soliloquies about childhood and one's subjection to the harsh reality of a mind-altering computer age, "The Forcefield Kids" cannot help but evoke the thought that a great deal of the penned subject matter was indeed taken from first-hand recollections. More than just an amalgamation of various glitches, head-nodding boom-bap and dusty synth-driven foundations, Passage offers an extremely literate body of work that is both thought-provoking and aurally intriguing.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

DMUTE.NET
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Miv
11/7/2004
(Translate)

Après de nombreuses années riches en sorties en tous genres, résumées sur le récent Sampler 1999-2004, Anticon se fait désormais désirer, et prend le temps de se pencher sur de nouveaux talents de la scène hip hop. Illustration récente avec le cas de Passage, déjà présent sur le Giga Single du label, et dont le premier album est annoncé depuis quelques mois comme un condensé d’expérimentations novatrices.

Pourtant, dès sa première écoute, The Forcefield Kids se dévoile comme un opus purement anticonien, composé de multiples titres courts où plane incontestablement l’influence du célèbre Odd Nosdam et des autres artistes du label. Ainsi, difficile d’éviter l’analogie rapide avec le flow de Sole sur The Bio ‘Burbs, ou encore de penser à Why lorsque débute la guitare acoustique et le chant haut perché de Suffragette. Une première impression qui ne parvient cependant pas à masquer les réelles qualités du disque, caractérisé par une production solide, une plume plutôt acérée, et surtout une atmosphère particulière, oppressante et mélancolique.

Au niveau de la production, Passage affirme d’entrée son amour pour les synthés façon 80’s sur Forcefield Intro, qui annonce une suite de titres regorgeant de réminiscences new-wave, agrémentées de l’electro-folk lo-fi caractéristique du label. L’alchimie est à son comble sur le superbe Creature In The Classroom, où le chant de Passage fait mouche sur de longues nappes entrecoupées de breaks progressifs et feutrés. Pareil constat pour The Unspectacular Whiteboy Slave Song, titre au beat minimal et industriel, dont le refrain ne manquera pas de marquer les esprits (« Whiteboys ain’t got no slave song, so we invented radiation »).

Ainsi, à mesure que le disque progresse, le charme de Passage opère avec une efficacité certaine, notamment grâce à la variété de flows privilégiée par l’artiste. Sans complexe, celui-ci chante, rappe avec une rapidité déconcertante avant d’enchaîner sur un débit plus posé, permettant d’apprécier la qualité générale de ses textes toujours très intimistes. Confirmation touchante en fin de parcours avec la poésie meurtrie de Poem2thehospital, que ce rapide extrait présentera mieux que tout autre commentaire : "all play dead on the elevator... we the poor sportsmen of the apocalypse, the heavy heavy hitters in the modern spit tray, have tried to find a place for trust".

Dans l’ensemble, The Forcefield Kids reste donc un bon album, malgré sa tendance à synthétiser les différentes facettes d’Anticon plutôt que de lui apporter une dimension supplémentaire. Cependant, la personnalité exprimée par Passage sur ces 21 titres laisse présager un avenir radieux et expérimental pour le label désormais mythique de San Francisco, dont la liste d’artistes au potentiel hors du commun ne cesse de s'allonger.

PITCHFORKMEDIA.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Liam Singer
August 09, 2004

Ah, the fickle whims of history. On the one hand, originality has become almost the de facto measure of a creative effort's lasting worth; we judge artists by what they've contributed to the ideological advancement of a genre, leading us to dismiss that which seems derivative. Then again, no movement or scene can exist without prominent imitators. Take the show Survivor. Sure, America was captivated by the wacky day-to-day exploits of Richard, Rudy, and the gang, but it's the show's multitude of lesser imitators that have led "reality TV" as a whole to topple the sitcom and sit atop the throne of nighttime entertainment supreme. So it goes in the music world. Hip-hop could never have existed as a movement had anyone given pioneers like Grandmaster Flash too much creative breathing space. It's imitation that turns the fancies of a few into the parameters of a genre.
From Passage's first entrance on his solo release, The Forcefield Kids, in which he bursts out with rapid-fire free association and triplet rhythms tumbling into suspended tones, the influence of fellow Anticon artists Doseone, Why?, and Sole is apparent. As a member of original outfit Restiform Bodies, Passage's MCing has generally maintained a level tone, trading off lyrical bursts with musical interludes. Here, his nearly constant narration slips from conversational speech to distorted rant, bratty child to British dignitary, all territories previously explored by other Anticon MCs. The striking affinity with Clouddead in Passage's sudden acoustic guitar sections and nasal harmonies is hard to ignore. But whether Passage exists as their peer, or as the first in a generation of imitators, is up for debate, and it's a matter of taste whether the similarities turn you off or get you psyched for the hip-hop revolution.

Anticon has always flirted heavily with the term hip-hop, and though its artists and critics both balk at the genre label outright, few deny its influence. Apart from Passage's singsong MCing, the most hip-hop aspect of his music is the prominence of the collage. Everything about The Forcefield Kids, from music to lyrics to cover art, delivers a jumbled mess of conjoined ideas, where anything is up for grabs and genre divisions are defied as readily as sentence structure. Passage programs his sawtooth synths over minimal drum machine snares or breakbeat bursts, placing him on the aggressive end of Anticon's output. The stark contrasts of images and styles combined with the musical assault give the impression of Passage as an ADD-addled teen in a room full of keyboards and samplers, letting loose the ravings of his sugar-soaked subconscious.

These impressions are reinforced in Passage's lyrics. Though he explores similar absurdist/surrealist realms as Doseone, Passage's jumbles of thoughts and impressions tend to be less linearly coherent in phrasing, and more reminiscent of beat poetry, as he addresses general topics through the course of each song. Delivered with a proclamatory urgency, the streams of free association contain fantastical imagery mixed with the sneer of teenage nihilism-- apocalyptic prophesies ("Emergency broadcast's a grim infomercial, but listen closely for the great big, final school cancellation"), rebellion against the modern world ("We watch saints of popularity, rain thin snack on their hollow legs") and misogynistic tendencies ("Women are funny, they're almost like people"). Though he offers many clever phrases and striking images ("DaVinci twists the valves to move the gasses round in Reagan's chest"), he just as often comes across as intentionally cryptic.

The Forcefield Kids is a good album, and comes close to being something better. Anticon is quickly growing from a collection of artists into a style all its own, and Passage is still in a position of opportunity to expand it. He seems to be staking out his territory as the Nintendo-damaged suburban youth of Anticon's roster, but while everything's in place for his character to flourish, his delivery is still incomplete in development. Passage's future releases that will determine whether he's a parameter-shifting performer of Anticon, or just a forgotten sidenote.
Rating: 6.6

ABCDRDUSON.COM
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Shadok
23/8/2004
(Translate)

"We the poor sports-men of the apocalypse have tried to find a place for trust".
'Poem to the hospital'

Passage n’est pas un rappeur de son époque. Et cet endroit qu’il a tenté de (re)trouver, ce sont les années de son enfance : celles de 1980. Semblant y avoir fait une halte pour l’album éponyme de Restiform Bodies, son groupe, sorti en 2001 (bien que copyrighté en 1982), une partie du chemin reste visiblement à faire pour trouver ce lieu de quiétude. "The forcefield kids", son attendu premier long format, donne l’impression d’en être un pas supplémentaire…

Petit retour en arrière pour qui ne connaîtrait pas Passage et ses trois compères de Restiform Bodies : The Bomarr Monk (avec qui il a enregistré "Moods & Symptoms" et dépositaire de "The return of the mental illness"), Telephone Jim Jesus (auteur d’un album instrumental du même nom) et Agent Six, et leur psychédélique "Re$tiform Bod1es". A sa sortie, cet album halluciné avait en effet mis à jour la folie ingénieuse de ce quatuor d’anciens punks du New Hampshire avec des titres sans comparaison. Même au sein de la famille Anticon à laquelle ils ont toujours été plus ou moins affiliés. Certains puristes pourraient même arguer qu’il ne s’agit en aucun cas de "rap", tant les références outrancières aux années 1980 (pochette y comprise) et l’utilisation abusive des synthés peuvent laisser pantois. Et, si Restiform Bodies a toujours été artistiquement proche d’Anticon, cette filiation est aujourd’hui officialisée car c’est bien sur le label à la petite fourmi que sort "The forcefield kids", premier essai solo d’une des voix les plus mélodieuses du collectif de Sole.

"The forcefield kids" est un album étrange. Similaire en de nombreux points à "Re$tiform Bod1es", que ce soit sur le fond (thèmes abordés, envies, textes) ou sur la forme (même nombre de titres : 21, pochette analogue, sonorités décalées à souhait), il semble toutefois vouloir s’en détacher avec force à d’autres endroits…
De prime abord, si le style de Passage, membre le plus en avant de Restiform Bodies car –quasi- seul à rapper, est toujours résolument aussi barré, ce n’est en aucune manière un carbone des titres de son groupe. Différence de taille : il a opté pour un certain format et l’a structuré sur la base de véritables chansons, et non des portions approchant la minute. Mais, si Passage a réellement voulu se démarquer de Restiform Bodies, nombre d’instrus nous rappellent qu’il était pour beaucoup dans la composition des morceaux. Il n’a en effet pas laissé en route son adoration pour le kitsch et les synthés, élément qui prédomine sur l’album. Après en avoir usé et souvent abusé avec Restiform Bodies, Passage semble ici les avoir domptés pour n’en garder que l’essentiel. C’est ainsi qu’il s’est attelé à produire chacun des titres en composant des mélodies entêtantes, aussi rythmées que mélancoliques. Ces titres aux influences pour le moins disparates sont assez complémentaires et donnent une vraie couleur à l’album. Cela va de la mise en avant de sa magnifique voix chantée sur une guitare sèche ('Old aunt Mary') aux influences punks sur 'Free Luv From Left Field'. De nombreux clins d’oeils, plus ou moins appuyés, au rock et aux sons des années 1980 sont également présents sur la quasi totalité des titres. En ce sens, 'The Karaoke Kiss Ass' en est l’exemple le plus extrême… Et si les sonorités pop peuvent quelque peu décontenancer, certains titres font littéralement dans le rentre-dedans, à l’image de l’intro fracassante (à écouter à fond, bass boost activé) et de 'The Pins In The Bowels Of The Charmed Design'. Ces titres auront le mérite de prouver au profane, au sceptique et au puriste qu’il s’agit bel et bien d’un album de rap. Sauvé…

Pour ce qui est des textes, il est tout à fait impossible de dégager véritablement quelque chose de cet ensemble, pour le moins abstrait et personnel. De nombreuses références à la bible et au christ parsèment toutefois, non sans une certaine dérision, des récits empreints d’un humour noir cinglant et d’un second degré pour le moins pertinent. A titre d’exemple, 'The Unspectacular Whiteboy Slave Song' est un modèle : "White boys ain’t got no slave song, so we invented radiation. Who other than us wonder bread shit heads would go out and build an H-bomb?” De même si ce qui a fait la particularité d’Anticon, et qui tient particulièrement à Sole, son fondateur, c’est bien l’engagement sur la politique des divers gouvernements américains, de Reagan à Bush. Entre deux rimes potaches, Passage sait tenir un discours assez acerbe sur la politique américaine. De la prolifération légale des armes aux bonnes mœurs patriotiques : "The utmost in protection of your children bullets do no good, just look at the results. One hundred gold rings, a disguise, a four foot trench, a fishing trip and a detention cannot protect them. Children could fall into a bucket and drown, but forcefield's like a UV bonnet." ('Reagan’s chest'). La rage de l’ancien punk ne semble aussi pas tarie à l’écoute de morceaux comme 'Creature In The Classroom' : "Modify me ? Then delete me. Fuck it, vaccinate me while I’m sleeping. I’m a fidgety phill, I am a heretic, I am lazy and rude and manipulative".

Au regard de ce mélange, oscillant entre synthés kitschs, beats lourds, passages instrumentaux, chant, rap, electronica, humour caustique et engagement, "The forcefield kids" est un album à part, unique, comme le sont (ou ont pu l’être) la majorité des sorties d’Anticon. Chaque album étant le reflet de la personnalité de ses auteurs. Tout y est sincère, et assumé. Sur la forme, "The forcefields kids" est un peu la synthèse des dernières sorties d’Anticon et de ses proches : des voix chantées sur des sons électro-hip-pop mélodieux. A l’image du "Hymie's Basement" (Why? et Fog) ou de l’excellent "Muted" d’Alias. A ce détail près que pour Passage ce n’est aucunement un changement de direction… Il a en effet toujours intégré des parties chantées et des synthés vintage au sein de Restiform Bodies et ne succombe pas aujourd’hui à une quelconque tendance.

Pour élargir enfin, avec cet album et au regard des dernières sorties du label, on a l’impression que le rap se trouve son penchant kitsch (terme pas nécessairement péjoratif), avec retard et de façon aujourd’hui parfaitement accepté, et qui pourrait être comparé au rock-pop à synthés tant moqué du milieu des années 1980. Le rap était alors trop jeune pour sombrer dans ces travers cheap. Les enfants, blancs, qui ont grandi avec cette musique et celles des Clash, Depeche Mode, Mike Oldfield ou autre Cure les régurgitent aujourd’hui par leurs samplers… et leurs synthés. Alors, au-delà du fait que l’on puisse ou pas aimer, cela existe et semble de plus en plus s’affirmer et interpeller. Et ce n’est certainement pas un mal. Simplement un cycle.

REVOLVER.NU
« The Forcefield Kids »
Review by Andreas Terner
October 30, 2004
(Translate)

Okej, vi utgår från att allt som är relevant per automatik också är på riktigt.

Han som ser ut som Kansas-versionen av El-P kallar sig Passage och har hos Anticon byggt en introspektiv konceptdebut löst förankrad i det amerikanska utbildningsväsendet och dess efterverkningar. Morsa på en gravt uttalad dystopi. Vinka adjö till rationaliteten.

'The Forcefield Kids' är killen som frågar rektorn om han får komma fram till katedern och vässa sin penna, bara för att sekunden senare använda samma penna till att sticka ut sitt högra öga. Som seden bjuder släpptes "Creature in the Classroom" som förstasingel: en låt vars epicentrum koncentreras kring följande rader:

We kids sing:
Screw the floor plans
Make a difference
Always do your best
Never ask for help

En skog av titlar i stil med "Jail 4 Lil' Geniuses", "Duck 'n' Cover" och "The Unspectacular Whiteboy Slave Song" döljer en abstraherande syntes. Men hinsides de flerstaviga rimträden offentliggörs den explicita grundprincipen kring hans och alla andras skolår:

Keep your nose in the air and your dick in a book

Yppersta sortens beat-poesi, alltså; realiserad med hjälp av distinkta syntar, distorsioner, kreativa ordlekar, labyrintartade låtstrukturer och en minst sagt genreöverskridande approach till musiken. Det här bör nog hur kallas hiphop, även om det ligger nära till hands att gräva fram namn som Faust och Tortoise ur det estetiska referensbiblioteket. Det bästa av allt är dock att du kan dansa till det.

Kan du relatera?

Är du vid närmare eftertanke ändå hyfsat tillfreds med att omges av ett utbildningssystem där den största studiesociala knipan ska lösas genom att den allt större andelen obehöriga elever ska klappas på huvudet av, just det, obehöriga lärare?

Tänkte väl det.

BEAUTIFULFREAKS.ORG
« The Forcefield Kids »
Interview by Alessia De Luca
2004
(Translate)

"A cynical nice guy dalla California."
The Forcefield kids, Ë il primo album come Passage,fuori dai Restiform Bodies. Dire che sei uníartista hipñhop Ë limitativo, viste le influenze electro-punk, new-wave, avant-rock etc. Come vivi il tuo ruolo nellíAnticon Records?
Occupiamo diversi spazi del collettivo. Stiamo insieme ma Ë importante che ognuno abbia la propria identit‡ e le differenze sono una ricchezza per líetichetta. Mi sento dentro líAnticon ma anche fuori. Mi distingue un certo surrealismo nel fare musica vicina a Why? e cerco sempre di sperimentare cose nuove.

Hai uno stile di scrittura criptico evocativo di apatia, ribellione, nichilismo da poesia beat. E poi la frase di Don De Lillo nel tuo booklet: ëEí speciale líabilit‡ di un adolescente nellíimmaginare la fine del mondo come un complemento alla sua infelicit‡í.
La mia scrittura riflette quello che sono ma anche come vedo il mondo. Ho passato líinfanzia nella miseria, tra ingiustizie ideologiche, sociali e religiose allíordine del giorno. Non ho letto nulla di beat a parte Keruac come ogni adolescente americano a 15 anni. Ma il sarcasmo di Don De Lillo mi ha influenzato, soprattutto riguardo il ruolo malsano della televisione sullíeducazione dei giovani.

Nella copertina del tuo album cíË un bambino con la maschera a gas, tu in una foto hai una maschera da astronauta e parli spesso di ossigeno. Hai un messaggio apocalittico, il mondo sta soffocando?
Il lato îmalatoî mi appartiene (ho lavorato in ospedale, li ho scritto îPoem 2 the hospitalî). Oggi siamo dipendenti da tutto e bersaglio continuo dellíesterno. Il progresso tecnologico fa crescere i giovani con la sensazione di essere immortali. La tecnologia Ë una finestra sul subconscio, uníallucinazione, un cancello sullíinformazione che in parte esiste come elemento in parte come radiazione. La maschera esprime un senso protezione, benchÈ illusorio perchÈ da certe cose non si puÚ fuggire. Non ho un messaggio apocalittico ma di speranza. Will Oldham ha detto che la speranza Ë vigliaccheria e non sono díaccordo. Io cerco di sopravvivere.

Il tuo album Ë una critica al sistema educativo?
Ero un bambino arrabbiato a scuola. îCreature in the classroomî parla di me, avevo problemi di attenzione e apprendimento e non sono mai stato aiutato. Prima non venivano nemmeno diagnosticati, anche se studi che associano le difficolt‡ di concentrazione alla presenza bombardante della tv ci sono sempre stati. La nostra societ‡ non si preoccupa del sistema educativo, dovrebbero controllare quello che i ragazzini guardano invece di lasciarli in pasto ai media.

Un album bello quanto triste.
Scrivo dei miei sogni e di quello che vedo,non cíË un piano per le mie canzoni,sono un rapper e racconto la vita. Se Wu Tang clan mi ha influenzato per líhip hop, la mia band preferita sono i Joy Division, ho la depressione anglosassone nel sangue. Quando ho scritto líalbum era un periodo difficile, ero apatico, immaturo, piangevo spesso e non sapevo perchÈ stavo facendo musica. Ma il dark non Ë il sentimento primario, cíË anche rabbia e speranza dentro. Oggi ho ritrovato la curiosit‡ e líardore, e voglio combattere la popular music con qualcosa di nuovo!

Quali sono stati i tuoi tre momenti îmusicaliî memorabili?
La prima volta che ho visto Thriller di M.Jackson a 5anni. Quando ho sentito i Sonic Youth. Quando ho visto il video di On di Aphex Twin, ho capito il potere della musica elettronica.

Dove sta andando il tuo suono?
Mah, gli estremi saranno ancora pi˘ lontani. Una canzone rap sar‡ pi˘ rap e cosÏ via. Ognuna sar‡ sempre pi˘ solitaria e unica. Mi sento vicino al suono di îPoem 2 the hospitalî ora, ha quel lato surreale che poi Ë la qualit‡ della mia musica.

WHATZUP.COM
« Forcefield Kids »
By Greg Locke
2004

It seems like just yesterday that I was listening to The Clashís Sandinista! for the first time and wondering how something so ambiguous reached so many hands in the early 80s. Granted, zero of my friends own the album, and I doubt any of your friends do either. To this day, every now and again someone such as myself comes across this excessive gem and becomes hooked; if nothing else, on itís still pertinent level of ambition.

Two years ago Anticonís slew of landmark experimental albums made them the underground label to watch in music. Since their fizzle, fans have seen a handful of sub-par releases from second-generation artists with Passageís Forcefield Kids debut being the latest attempt to bring back Anticonís glory daze. While itís no Bottle of Humans, it surely isnít Cut the Crap. Please, unless youíre out the door to pick up Sandinista!, continue.

Composed of 21 tracks spread out over 49 minutes, Forcefield Kids plays through as one long song, using segues to mask Passageís ever ripening mind. First thereís instrumental hip-hop turned trip-hop, next is electro-rap, of course, thereís the rock, and then inevitably comes the Anticon sound. As Forcefield goes on, Passage discreetly explores the avenues of punk, indie-rock, pop, acoustic rock, dancehall and noise. While his general sound feels very developed, itís Passageís inability to settle on a group of ideas that make his solo debut the hip-hop Sandinista! it is.

Beginning his career as one half of Passage and the Bomarr Monk, the two released the now underground classic, Moods and Symptoms, an album that sold thousands of copies throughout the world in itís initial CDR-only format. Moods was a slightly off-kilter, yet accessible hip-hop album that paved the way for Passageís next group (which also featured producer Telephone Jim Jesus), The Restiform Bodies. The bandís 2001 self-titled release earned widespread acclaim from rock critics for its experimental nature. As is the case with many one-of-a-kind albums, Restiform Bodiesë unique virtues also rendered it often unlistenable. After almost three years of work on his Anticon-inspired solo project, Sole & Co. have released what could very likely be the struggling labelís swan song in Forcefield Kids. (Letís hope thatís not the case.)

With his prevalent influences being his own Anticon label-mates, Passage seems to unconsciously respire the air often heard on his friendsí releases, albums which are typically inspired by abstruse artists ranging from Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera all the way up to El-P and Kool Keith. Much like Eno and El-P, Passage takes the care of a true auteur on his albums, doing his own production, writing, vocals, recording and playing. For many artists, a second pair of ears is obligatory. Forcefield Kids sounds like a mind placidly turned inside out; the secret for Passage is in his own manic, everything-at-once attitude.

His slithery, metalic voice explores styles ranging from songwriter to speed rapper. His accompaniments both explode with noise and stumble around through their own ambience. The genre styles are all over the place, as is the pacing and subject matter. Forcefield Kids is an impossible listen. More so than most Anticon releases, Forcefield Kids should be shunned by the hip-hop crowd and embraced by the college rockers.

Sacrificing focus for ambition is risky. Most still arenít sure if The Clash pulled it off. I have similar feelings for Passage. With each listen, I adore and scoff Forcefield Kids more. Iím off to listen to Sandinista!

Bomarr

SOUTHERN.NET
« Surface Sincerity soundtrack »
2004

One third of restiform bodies, the bomarr monk contributes the second single in anticon's limited seven inch series with Surface Sincerity, the soundtrack to his highly sought after DVD of the same title. Layering synths, bass-heavy drum breaks, choice samples and just about every other sound he could lay his hands on, bomarr creates a playful but dark world, evocative of the images of his DVD and a unique experience in its own right.

ANTICON.COM
« Freedom From Frightened Air »
19/9/2007

BOMARR returns from the depths with 'Freedom From Frightened Air,' a ten-track collection compiling new songs, collaborations with CLOVIS HEALD, and remixes of GRIZZLY BEAR and MIDSTATES. The material was recorded from 2005-2007, a period in which Bomarr (aka MATT VALERIO) dropped 'the monk' from his name and kept all but idle as the drummer of BAT RAYS, an exhibiting video collagist, a DJ, an improv musician, a compilation curator for Sneakmove, and as a remixer for Tunng, Of Montreal, and Pedestrian, all while preparing his focus for a proper LP with his RESTIFORM BODIES cohorts. As Bomarr's first official solo CD since 2002's 'Beats Being Broke,' 'Freedom From Frightened Air,' which was inspirationally titled after a Simon Evans painting, showcases a vastly developed style, ranging from beat-driven synth tracks, through upbeat electronic punk, to nearly hypnotic melodies-all which are sure to please fans of a headphone music experience.

INDIEROCKMAG.COM
« Freedom From Frightened Air — Bomarr en liberté »
By RabbitInYourHeadlights
08/10/2007
(Translate)

Matt Valerio aka Bomarr, plus connu sous le nom de The Bomarr Monk au sein du trio coldwave/électro/abstract hip-hop Restiform Bodies (avec Passage et Telephone Jim Jesus) et batteur de Bat Rays, vient de sortir son deuxième album en solo, Freedom From Frightened Air, le 19 septembre dernier.

Exclusivement disponible à la commande sur le site officiel du label Anticon en attendant les plate-formes digitales, il fait suite à Beats Being Broke paru en 2002 et compte 10 morceaux enregistrés entre 2005 et cette année, parmi lesquels de nouvelles chansons seul ou en collaboration avec Clovis Heald, mais également des remixes de morceaux signés Grizzly Bear ou Midstates. L’album tient son nom d’un tableau de Simon Evans, et n’est pas en reste côté évocation visuelle (…)

L’occasion pour les amateurs d’Alias, Dosh ou Boards Of Canada de découvrir les claviers hypnotiques, l’électronica bucolique voire les fulgurances punk du musicien américain, qui a également participé au dernier album de son collègue Telephone Jim Jesus, Anywhere Out Of The Everything , tout juste sorti lui aussi.

FANGBEAR.COM
« Freedom From Frightened Air »
05/11/2007

There are few artists that can crank out proper headphone bangers like Oakland multifarian, Matt Valerio, aka Bomarr. Which is why I am incredibly ashamed of myself for sleeping on his new solo-record for over a month. Freedom From Frightened Air is a sharp and aggressive 10-song LP, packed tight with synth-driven madness, suckerpunch percussion, and heady melodies. Bomarr has been keeping himself busy with a multitude of side projects recently; it is great to hear that he has not neglected his solo work. His tunes seem equally suited for late-night study sessions or drive-by shootings. Included in Freedom from Frightened Air, are a couple of collaborations with Clovis Heald, as well as some of his–always-inspired–remix work for Midstates and Grizzly Bear. This is one to keep you warm during the swiftly approaching winter, and perhaps even tide you over until the next Restiform Bodies record. Which, Matt assures me, is on the way. Pick it up, son.

HIPHOPREVOL.BLOGSPOT.COM
« Freedom From Frightened »
07/11/08
(Translate)

Llegó Bomarr sin Monk, sí este año el productor afiliado a Anticon volvió con un nuevo trabajo "Freedom From Frightened". Para quien no lo conosca a simple leída, es uno de los encargados de producir junto a Telephone Jim Jesus y Passage el grupo Restiform Bodies. Creo que ya estan familiarizados con el sonido que estos músicos proponen, dentro de ese amalgama 'espacial' de beats Bomarr hace acto de presencia, no sé si han escuchado otros trabajos de el, talvez sea precipitado poner el nuevo disco, pero es que "Happy Slapping" me tentó y no podía pasar desapercibido y postearlo. Bien, como la reseña del lanzamiento muestra son 10 tracks logrados en 2 años, 2005-2007, subjetivamente podré comentar que de lo mejor de Bomarr Monk, sin menospreciar los trabajos pasados que también son bastantes buenos sobre todo "Beats Being Broke " que tiene la estetica de sonar al downtempo y otras caracteristicas mas llegadas al Hip-Hop. En "Freedom From Frightened" regresan los sintetizadores, lo abstracto caracteristico de Anticon, la linea electronica, minimal aquella que no se despega y que deja a la imaginación cualquier acontecimiento al oyente y eso es lo que tiene el disco, no te suena a... ni mucho menos unos drums drasticos de Hip-Hop, tanto en "What Kept Grandpa Up" o "Hour Song" antepone el ambient de una manera sobresaliente y que decir de "Happy Slapping" o "Stumpfinger" la creatividad de Oakland sigue con The Bomarr Monk o mejor dicho para la ocasión; Bomarr. De Plus les dejo con otro trabajo que salió bajo la tutela de Anticon: "Surface Sincerity Soundtrack" que salió como un Vinil y que además cuenta con un DVD, en este se nota el lado mas ambient de Bomarr ... "pig chicken suicide" es el track!. Disfrutenlo.

DOCPOP.ORG
« Bomarr shares his salvaged beats »
By Doc Pop
November 27, 2007

My friend, and beat-making hero, Bomarr released his new EP “Scraps” today. The album, which is a compendium to his recent album Freedom From Frightened Air, is available online for free. (…)

“Scraps” features collaborations with fellow Restiform Bodies bandmates Telephone Jim Jesus and Passage, as well as new tracks and remixes from artists such as Of Montreal, Circus, and anticon labelmate Sole.

Personally, I think this is some of the best shit Bomarr’s done yet. Stand out tracks include Atur and Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Song.

On Atur, Bomarr is joined by Restiform Bodies frontman Passage to create a track filled with Passage’s melodic lyrical delivery and 8 bit glitches and loops. The track comes from the first sneakmove minicomp 7″ (as well as appearing on Restiform Bodies myspace page, but not for download). Last time I talked to Passage he was getting into LSDJ and Nanoloop, so that’s probably what the melody comes from, but he could be using MIDI-NES or maybe even just 8 bit samples. I’m curious to find out… Okay, Bomarr says it’s Nanoloop.

Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Song (…) is quickly recognized as the generic “Marimba” ringtone that is the iPhone’s default ring for just about every feature. It seems that every-time I play this track on my phone, an actual call comes in… it’s a weird experience and sometimes I don’t even realize it’s a call. I just think “I don’t remember this breakdown”. (…)

Bomarr is currently working with the rest of the Restiform Bodies on their sophomore release, due next year, and is planning on producing another of his “Wild X-mas” podcasts in time for the holidays. (…)

JAHZZ.OVER-BLOG.COM
« De l'Oregon en Barr?!? »
By Jah'Zz
10/12/07
(Translate)

[...] Matt Valerio aka Bomarr a ainsi "sorti", si je peux dire ça comme ça, cet album dont vous voyez la pochette au dessus, "Scraps", avec l'aide du label de Portland (Oregon), Circle into Square. Et bon sang de bois, l'album est bien quoi!!!
Bon, quand je dis album, précisons cependant qu'il s'agit d'une espèce de compilation (qui tient, je le repète grave la route) contenant des remixes, des combinaisons, des titres extraits d'autres compilations, et ce genre de "raretés", composés, joués, interprétés par le gars des Restiform Bodies... On y trouve ainsi son groupe, ou du moins l'un de ses groupes, soit les précédemment cités Restiform Bodies, des anticoniens, soit Sole, Passage ou encore Telephone Jim Jesus, mais aussi Circus des Shape Shifters ou encore le rifleman Ellay Khule du Project Blowed.
Du monde, et du beau, des sons, et des bons, ce n'est évidemment pas non plus l'album du siècle, mais il est disponible en téléchargement gratuit, et ça va quoi, ou aussi, vous pouvez quelque part aider le label en l'achetant pour 7 $ et obtenir une version cédé... A vous de voir! [...]

DROWNRADIO.COM
« Bomarr's triple xmas »
December 17, 2007

Just in time for the holidays is the 3rd installation of Bomarr’s Wild Xmas (XXXmas?). This fifty minute mix of continuos musics spans from obscure Christmas novelties to rare tracks from producers such as DJ Olive and Oakland’s The Mole and bands such as Deerhoof and Of Montreal.

According to Bomarr, this is the final installation in the Wild Xmas podcasts. That’s a shame ’cause this was one of the few holiday traditions I look forward to every year. At least there’s still eggnog.

Maybe Bomarr is taking the time off to create a new holiday themed record label (Sant-a-con?).
(…)

DAXPIERSON.LIVE.JOURNAL.COM
« I HATE Xmas music, however...
Wild X-Mas With Bomarr, Vol.3 »
By Dax Pierson
17/12/2007

Being a kid who has been in school choirs since 5th grade and working retail from ages 19-34, I really have an extremely low tollerance for Xmas music. However, Anticon artist and record geek, Bomarr has completed his 3rd and final mix of weird and obscure Xmas music (he's not that crazy about Xmas music either). The continuous mix includes artists as diverse as Deerhoof, Bruce Haack, DJ Olive, Of Montreal and Buck Owens. This is a good listen if you want a little holiday "spirit" without the same tired-ass Xmas tunes. (…)

Telephone Jim Jesus

BOKSON.NET
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut »
Review by Matthieu
07/11/2004
(Translate)

Si Telephone Jim Jesus vous est encore inconnu, c'est que vous n'êtes pas tombé, il y a quelques années, sur un des volumes des compilations "Documenta" ou que vous ne vous êtes jamais penchés sur Restiform Bodies qu'il forme en compagnie de Passage et The Bomarr Monk, deux vieux potes d'école dont le premier vient de sortir récemment son premier album, lui aussi chez Anticon. Depuis les débuts du trio et pendant qu'il travaillait sur la production des prochains opus de Sole ("Selling Live Water" et "Man's Best Friend"), Telephone Jim Jesus a accumulé les morceaux pour finalement parvenir à la réalisation de son premier opus solo, "A Point Too Far To Astronaut".

Totalement instrumental, cet opus nous plonge dans les collages de samples, les sonorités synthétiques, et les rythmiques de velours souvent récurrentes dans les productions Anticon. Pourtant, contrairement à certain de ses collègues de label, Telephone Jim Jesus parvient à imposer son univers musical grâce à un sens de la mélodie et de la mélancolie échappée de ses belles lignes de piano ou de guitares, allant parfois jusqu'à adopter le format pop ("Convertible Stingray"). Plus profond que ses compères, il joue sur les ambiances, nous fait passer sans difficulté de la tristesse à l'hallucination. A la manière d'un Odd Nosdam, il enchaîne les titres courts mais contrairement à lui, aboutit à un résultat final homogène mais varié et toujours très accrocheur comme le prouvent des titres tels que "N+1 Trial", "Guessing Tubes" ou "Blue In The Face" rappelant l'approche d'Alias même si Telephone Jim Jesus s'avère sûrement plus bricoleur.

"A Point Too Far To Astronaut" est un collier de perles plutôt qu'un collier de nouilles, on aime se laisser embarquer par les ambiances de ces seize titres dont on atteint le bout sans le remarquer. Bien plus intéressant qu'un Passage ou qu'un Dosh. Un bon album estampillé Anticon.

ANTICON.COM
« A Point Too Far For Astronaut »
08/11/2004

A couple of years back, telephonejimjesus started compiling songs for what he initially thought would be a self-released project. Over the course of two years, he added new tracks and guests, reworked and edited old pieces and by the time it was drafted on a CD-R and heard by the anticon family it was clear that it had to be released on the label. A Point Too Far to Astronaut is a psychedelic collage of spacey samples, droning synths, hard-hitting drums, early 60s vocal samples, pretty guitar riffs and sweet piano melodies, interwoven with surreal poetry pieces from what sounds like a lost dictaphone. The mood of the record ranges from hallucinatory to sad and contemplative to paranoid and angry to good old sarcasm and laughter. Embracing a bit of ADD, the record demonstrates tel.jim.jesus’s range of ability. With its short track lengths and varying moods, the record never loses the listener’s interest and at the same time manages to maintain cohesiveness through out the record. A Point Too Far to Astronaut reads like a Douglas Adam’s novel. The most remote destination imaginable is really only as distant as you want it to be.

COKEMACHINEGLOW.COM
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut... »
Review by Aaron Newell
November 10, 2004

How you’ll probably approach this record if you’re like me: “Jesus, do we really need a spin-off act from a spin-off act from a counterculture collective? It’s like pretense cubed.”

In the interest of trying not to like everything that Anticon has released, I’ve been standoffish with the Restiform Bodies. I’m definitely not going to make any friends here, but I always saw these guys as Sole’s lapdogs---fans first, musicians second, and ultimately derivative and emulative in their work. In his earlier recordings, Passage’s vocals tended to be breathy, high-pitched, cluttered, and altogether suggestive that he very much wanted to be Sole but couldn’t. Because Telephone Jim Jesus’ name was Telephone Jim Jesus, and because Anticon was in the middle of setting itself up as a panel of complainers-against-all-things-rightwing, I figured “well, this all falls into place a little too snugly doesn’t it?” I mean, when your label is the object of a quite-polemic public response---either loved as revelatory progressive heroes or hated as over-sarcastic, pretentious hip-hop bastardizers---it might help to have your own in-house fan club, right?

The thing is, however, it’s becoming more and more apparent that an Anticon apprenticeship is a damn fine musical education. For example, Why? started off as a percussionist, sharing an apartment with Dose in Ohio long before anyone had moved out to Oakland to get ant tattoos. He ended up doing some avantish stuff with Dose on the Greenthink project, had a coming out party with cLOUDDEAD, took one step back with Reaching Quiet, but, by the time Anticon released his split EP with Nosdam, had almost worked out all the bugs. Now after features with Sole and continued work with Dose, he’s a quasi-rap antihero making some of the most interesting weirdo-pop this side of The Unicorns.

With A Point Too Far To Astronaut..., Telephone Jim Jesus further turns the tables on anyone who took a doubter’s approach to second and third-generation Anticonners. He effectively deconstructs any skeptic’s pretense: Astronaut is such a tactful and delicate instrumental electronica record that I feel I should apologize for the past 3 years of cynicism.

To pick apart the array of different elements that present on Astronaut would leave a list longer than Sole’s pony tail (glacial pipes, buzzing synths, battered breaks, and a traditional Russian legend are noteworthy, however). Choosing a standout cut is equally as tough, for all songs work as a calculating cohesive unit. “War Toy” opens the event with the muffled thud-and-bluster of Odd Nosdam’s garbled percussion hits, but quickly moves into an uplifting (if not regal) Thames-River descending scale punctuated by interjecting Nosdam breakdowns and an authoritative voice repeatedly announcing (grumble) “war toy.” The music plays so positively that you accidentally ignore the political commentary (Blair is to Bush as you once thought Restiform was to Sole). “War Toy,” captivating in its happiness, sly in its undercurrent, is the most pop-lifting moment on Astronaut and effectively does its job of surprising you, grabbing/holding your attention (not an easy feat for most electronica), and keeping you still long enough to force you to yield to the beautifully jilted half-melancholy that ensues.

The Pedestrian, Anticon’s resident poet, briefly interjects at random throughout TJJ’s tour-de-force, but shines on the 23 second “A Blindness Falls.” Prior to an un-chopped Books-ish guitar, he challenges “And if you could arm names against forgetting, they’d march, in formation, into the Atlantic, and later, trying to list but one of them, you’d recall only the blue half mile of helmets.” The immediately-ensuing noise of “Pts A & B” follows up the individualist sentiment, muffling the same break used on Sole’s “Bottle of Humans” (and Buck 65’s “Stella,” and a few other beats I used to be able to name off the top of my head) under layers of triumphant, layered chords which soon morph into more moody Tomlab strums. The whole never feels disjointed, and, typical of the record, offers a string of linked good-ideas in rapid succession without ever seeming hashed.

And this shocking quality never lets up, thereby making Astronaut such a striking accomplishment. No two songs blend into an unidentifiable, indistinguishable mass despite there being an overarching electro-brooding “theme” to the record as a whole. The only redundancy is that each song feels a need to remind you that Jim Jesus has a mini-gem on his hands. The album’s two-year gestation period paid off in droves of witty detail, right down to the 80’s-shimmery “Convertible Stingray” where Passage sings “we will crush you” like a wilted Dan Snaith over bombast chiming guitars and posturing drum hits. Not even the protest-everything found-sound vocal clips (my favourite: “Deny a young boy the right to have a toy gun, and you’ll repress his destructive urges, and he’ll turn out to be a homosexual”) overstep their marks, as the consistently contemplative nature of the album lends itself to such brief moments of fortune-cookie preaching. And for every eye-roll or “not again” that might result from the label-trademarked mini-sermons, there are enough moments of unstifled shock-and-awe enchantment to cancel them out twice-over with ear-to-ear grins and “wows”. And since when do we roll our eyes at well done political commentary, anyway?

While some blame Anticon for ruining the phrase “avant-garde,” Telephone Jim Jesus can balance things out by face-lifting another flashy French-borne term: “arriviste” (Dictionary.com word of the day, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004). It means “A person who has recently attained success but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.” As far as the lexicon of independent music goes, that translates directly into “Next Big Thing.” »

MUSIC-SCAN.DE
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut »
By Matthias
12/11/04
(Translate)

Einigen wird George Chadwick besser als ein Drittel von Restiform Bodies und langjähriger Produzent von Sole bekannt sein. Unter dem Namen Telephonejimjesus bringt er dieser Tage praktisch sein erstes Soloalbum raus, wenn man so will. Von Sound und dem Aufbau der Songs passt er dabei hervorragend in die mittlerweile doch sehr ansehnliche Anticon-Familie, die bisher dadurch überzeugt, dass noch keine wirklich schlechte Veröffentlichung den ungemein guten Ruf des Labels nach unten gezogen hätte. Sicherlich waren einige nicht unbedingt zwingende beziehungsweise spannende Angelegenheiten dabei, doch eigenwillig, originell und konsequent war das dennoch immer. Dies ist auch "A Point Too Far To Astronaut" in jeder Hinsicht. Sehr flächig, spacig und stellenweise fast ambientartig schleichen sich die Tracks ganz subtil und unauffällig durch die Zeit. Die Vocals kommen nur sehr vereinzelt und dann eher zurückhaltend zur Geltung. Alles scheint sich hinter einem dichten Schleier der Melancholie und Nachdenklichkeit zu bewegen. Große Gesten wird man genauso wenig finden, wie laut herausbrechende Zwischenteile. Vielmehr ergibt die Platte einen sehr homogenen, aber keinesfalls eindimensionalen Fluss, der immer wieder durch die locker dahinrollenden Beats vorangetrieben wird. Hier geht es um Atmosphäre, um die Vermittlung eines bestimmten Gefühls, das sich langsam von unten ausbreitet und schließlich gänzlich gefangen nimmt, sofern man sich diesen introspektiven kleinen Geschichten öffnet. Das braucht Zeit und auch ein wenig Geduld, doch wie bei jeder guten Musik, wird man auch bei Telephonejimjesus reichlich belohnt. Ein weiteres, sehr gutes Release aus dem Hause Anticon.

Rating: 8/10

INTRO.DE
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut »
By Andreas Brüning
12/11/04
(Translate)

Eins a Hörspiel-HipHop von Anticons Telephonejimjesus. »Das hat doch üüüberhaupt nix mehr mit HipHop zu tun!« Musikpolizisten brauchen gar nicht mehr weiterlesen, sondern können gleich über Los gehen. Telephonejimjesus ist ein Drittel des Anticon-Trios Restiform Bodies und macht auch hier, was er will. Das tun zwar alle bei Anticon, die mit ihrem abstrakten HipHop irgendwo zwischen Hörspiel, Indierock und Freestyle-Soundscapes und mit Familienmitgliedern wie Themselves, Why?, Sole und Odd Nosdam ihre ganz eigene Musik-Schublade aufgemacht haben. Telephonejimjesus geht aber noch ein bisschen weiter. Mit rhythmischem Sprechgesang hat er gar nichts am Hut, dafür baut er aber vielschichtige Tracks mit unterschiedlichsten handgespielten Instrumenten und vielen kleinen Gimmicks und Melodien.
Andere hätten aus all den Ideen drei Alben gemacht. Mindestens.

KONKURRENT.NL
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut(s) »
15/11/2004
(Translate)

Telephonejimjesus is één derde van Restiform Bodies en vooral producer (onder andere Sole). Een paar jaar geleden begon hij wat voor zichzelf te rommelen met computers, oude samplers, drum machines en oude synthesizers. Daarna bemoeiden zijn vrienden zich er nog wat mee en uiteindelijk is er dan 'A Point Too Far To Astronaut'. Een psychedelische collage vol spacey sounds, droning synthesizers, zestiger jaren samples, subtiele piano en keiharde beats. Moody downbeat elektronica.

ABCDRDUSON.COM
« A point too far to astronaut... »
Review by Shadok
November 16, 2004
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Une des dernières sorties d’Anticon -dont nous avions d’ailleurs parlé- était l’album de Passage, rappeur de Restiform Bodies. Quelques semaines plus tard Telephone Jim Jesus, producteur du même groupe, s’élance lui aussi dans l’aventure d’un premier solo. S’il n’est guère surprenant de le voir apparaître chez Anticon, la proximité des deux sorties ne pouvait être qu’une heureuse coïncidence à l’heure où le label se réoriente à mesure que se succèdent albums et signatures. D’autant qu’à cela s’ajoute le tout récent 45 tours du troisième larron de Restiform Bodies, Bomarr Monk : "Surface sincerity soundtrack". Si une meilleure distribution, un catalogue d’artistes plus étendu et un public grandissant ont immanquablement abouti à des remaniements, on peut malgré tout être surpris par l’évolution du label. A l’évidence ce n’est plus la minuscule et marginale structure qui presse et distribue elle-même des projets collectifs, toujours plus innovants les uns que les autres. Anticon accuse même de plus en plus le scepticisme des fans de la première heure quant à ses dernières productions, albums solos très clairement orientés electronica et de préférence instrumentaux. A tel point que l’étiquette 'Hip-Hop experimental' qu’on lui avait collé dès le départ ne semble plus avoir de raison d’être. Chaque nouvelle sortie est soigneusement épiée, comme un faux pas ou un nouvel espoir. "A point too far to astronaut…" ne déroge pas à la règle…

L’histoire de cet album a ceci d’original qu’elle remonte à quelques années maintenant, puisque les titres présents sont essentiellement issus du premier projet solo de Telephone Jim Jesus, sorti confidentiellement sur CD-R en 2002 et sobrement intitulé "Tel.Jim.Jesus". Si ce trente titres était davantage une collection inachevée de beats dépassant rarement la minute, il n’en demeurait pas moins une présentation éclectique de qualité. Tantôt sombres, pesants, angoissants, psychédéliques, électro mais au final pleinement mélodieux, les sons permettaient de montrer les diverses influences de ce punk reconverti. Deux années de retouches et d’ajouts substantiels comme les apports de Passage et Pedestrian motiveront Anticon à sortir l’album à l’écoute de la maquette.

Si la différence avec l’album de 2002 est notable sur le format des titres eux-mêmes, on peut aussi être surpris par la plus grande richesse des compositions. Beaucoup d’instruments ont en effet été utilisés : guitare, basse, claviers, ainsi que diverses boîtes à rythmes, le tout orchestré sur MPC. Les beats se font discrets et ce sont surtout des mélodies et des ambiances synthétiques qui émergent de l’ensemble. C’est une demi surprise car le revirement electronica-pop d’anticon est entériné depuis un bon moment déjà. Why? mais surtout Alias et son "Muted" semblent avoir ouvert une brèche dans laquelle tous semblent s’être engouffrés depuis. Non sans un certain mimétisme. Telephone Jim Jesus a néanmoins pour lui le fait d’avoir été un des premiers à avoir exploré ces sonorités -bien que récemment signé- puisque dès les premiers pas de Restiform Bodies et sur "Tel.Jim.Jesus" il voguait assez clairement hors du Hiphop, frôlant même parfois avec l’easy listening et la pop cheap. Sur "A point too far to astronaut…", tout semble au contraire maîtrisé et calculé et si les titres sont assez courts ce n’est que pour en garder l’essentiel. Les mélodies jouées à la guitare et aux synthés créent des ambiances sur lesquelles les rythmes n’ont que peu de prise. L’album oscille entre différentes atmosphères, se mêlant parfaitement les unes aux autres. L’absence de voix, de faute de goût et d’écart prononcé associé à un mix sobre et homogène font que l’album défile de manière naturelle et agréable, sans ennui.

Après les deux LPs de Restiform Bodies, un premier brouillon et diverses collaborations sur les derniers albums de Sole ("Selling live water" et "Man's best friend"), Telephone Jim Jesus livre un album dense (moins de 40 minutes), varié et personnel où une large part est laissée aux instruments et aux mélodies. Le tout semble renouer avec la formule qui avait fait la réputation du label : 1 album = 1 son unique. On ne peut pas en dire autant du dernier Dosh, par exemple, ou d’autres récemment sortis, qui semblent davantage répondre à une tendance commune. Mais comme souvent avec Anticon, on ne demande qu’à être dans l’erreur… en attendant patiemment la suite.

MAGICRPM.COM (#86)
« A Point Too Far To Astronaut... »
By Thomas Schwoerer
December 2004
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Anticon reste à ce jour très certainement l'un des labels hip hop indépendants américains les plus éloignés de tout formatage, et ceux dont l'expérimentation prime au-delà de toute valeur. De Sole à Sage Francis, Dose One ou Pedestrian, l'esthétique du label se place largement au-delà des frontières de ce que le hip hop représente aujourd'hui, et se pose en l'une des alternatives les plus passionnantes à un genre plutôt sclérosé. Telephonejimjesus prolonge cette optique sur ce premier album presque essentiellement instrumental, aux boucles lumineuses et aquatiques, traversées de textures sonores étranges, de claviers mélodiques, de basses organiques et autres distorsions digitales. Si la plupart des titres sont des variations ambient à peine rythmées de quelques beats étouffés et de voix lointaines, son auteur - George Chadwick, natif d'une petite ville dans le New Hampshire - s'essaie tantôt à des plages plus rythmiques (l'hypnotique Blue In The Face), voire presque pop (Convertible Stingray, aux côtés de Pedestrian), sans pour autant créer de rupture dans la tonalité très abstraite de ce disque. Une fois encore, le crossover des genres fonctionne parfaitement, et devrait réunir à la fois les faveurs des fans du label Warp, de Radiohead et de hip hop indépendant, pour peu que cet album ne soit pas diffusé de manière trop confidentielle.

TINYMIXTAPES.COM
« A Point Too Far to Astronaut »
Review by Chadwicked
2004

It’s hard being third in line. Even though he might not be third on the match when it comes to the inner-workings of his group, Restiform Bodies, Telephone Jim Jesus is still perceived by fans as the "guy behind the scenes." He doesn’t garner the glamour and media blitz that his fellow New Hampshire comrades Passage and Bomarr do, but apparently he is going to take charge and thrust his All Things Must Pass on our neglecting selves. A Point Too Far To Astronaut is everything we’ve been missing from Restiform’s music as of late — making up for Passage’s solo record and Bomarr’s limited releases. Perhaps this will enlighten us to Telephone Jim’s impact and influence within Restiform Bodies.

And look who Georgie dragged out of his hermit tendencies to join the party — none other than the ever-elusive, Mr. Never Release Music himself, pedestrian. Is this for real? This tracklist says pedestrian appears five times on this here album. Unbelievably, it is true. The resident literary buff in the Anticon camp supplies basically all the lyrical moments on A Point Too Far To Astronaut. It’s quite a noble move on Jim Jesus’ part to take himself completely out of the project vocally and leave it all to the sparse poetic leanings of Brandon. These vignette-style verses maintain somewhat of a storyline throughout the album. With pedestrian’s voice and the carefully chosen vocal samples, it’s easy to see there are some political undercurrents present. The spacey layered sounds and rumbling basslines that Jim Jesus crafts doesn’t hide these sentiments. The tracks, mostly short in length, have a vignette quality to them as well. Telephone Jim keeps it moving forward without much hesitation or dwelling. He makes his point and moves onto the next, making for a nicely-paced album.

Where Passage’s solo release seemed to hop back and forth from genre to genre, allowing certain ones to leak into others varying track to track, Telephone Jim Jesus has a consistency to his sound. It’s experimental, but not far-reaching in its effort. The album flows, it sputters, it smooths out — seemingly at all the perfect times. When the only other guest, Passage, coincidentally, comes in on "Convertible Stingray," it is polished and appropriately timed. Passage uses his unique singing delivery to get the job done — the same voice which was responsible for many of his album’s best tracks.

And so we have Telephone Jim Jesus — the secret weapon — the late bloomer — the ever-so-welcome surprise. A Point Too Far To Astronaut is a pleasure to listen to. It’s a passive-aggressive album that makes a great impact with subtle nuances.
Rating: 3.5/5 »

ABCDRDUSON.COM
« Producteur Telephone Jim Jesus »
Interview by Shadok & Nicobbl
10/4/2005
(Translate)

A : Peux-tu te présenter, toi et ta musique ?
T : Je fais de la musique sous le surnom de Telephone Jim Jesus, mais mon vrai nom est George Chadwick. Je suis le troisième membre de Restiform Bodies. Nous avons inventé le ghetto tech prog hop psych R&B.

A : Première instru marquant entendu ?
T : 'Alberto Balsalm' d'Aphex Twin sur l'album "I care because you do".

A : Comment es-tu arrivé à la prod ?
T : Passage a acheté un sampler (un Akai S20) à l'époque où il vivait chez moi, quand nous étions au lycée. J'ai commencé à bidouiller avec lui ou lorsqu'il n'était pas là. Cela m'a finalement amené à bricoler avec différents gadgets électroniques et je me suis fait mon propre inventaire de sons peu après.

A : Rétrospectivement, quel regard portes-tu sur tes premiers instrus ?
T : Beaucoup des premiers sons que j'ai fait étaient très courts et les morceaux n'étaient pas très développés et ne reposaient pas sur grand chose. Quand j'écoute quelque chose que j'ai fait il y a longtemps, je suis parfois étonné ou un peu impressionné, mais la plupart du temps ça ne me fait pas sursauter. Je vois quand même une sorte de ligne directrice entre mes productions actuelles et ce que j'ai fait au départ. Je n'étais soumis à aucune contrainte, cette liberté dans la création est un élément essentiel de ma musique.

A : Ta manière de travailler a-t-elle évolué ?
T: Clairement. Plus j'ai passé de temps sur la musique et plus j'ai appris à comprendre le fonctionnement des machines... et plus j'ai su comment obtenir ce que je souhaitais. Je pense que j'ai déjà bien avancé sur le chemin de mon évolution musicale et je suis plus proche que jamais de réaliser ce que je peux imaginer. Tous les jours je comprends mieux comment layer des mélodies, manier des breaks et combiner différentes musiques, c'est une évolution continue et sans fin.

A : Tu as joué dans un groupe de punk avant de former Restiform Bodies, tu peux nous en dire plus...
T: Passage, Bomarr et moi avons commencé à faire de la musique ensemble au lycée. On est devenu amis grâce, notamment, à nos affinités et influences musicales communes. Il y avait pas mal de punk, du hardcore et du rock gothique. Quand on a commencé à jouer, j'étais à la guitare, Bomarr à la batterie et Passage chantait, hurlait et gémissait. On jouait du punk hardcore gothique, à vrai dire on était tous assez énervé.

A : Trouves-tu des points communs entre le Punk et le Hip-Hop ?
T: Clairement. Punk et Hip-Hop ont été créés sur une philosophie commune, celle de niquer le système. Ils proviennent tous deux des quartiers pauvres et font figure de haut-parleur d'une jeunesse en colère qui veut exprimer cette colère et recherche une issue à ce système. Ces deux types de musique sont agressives et s'attaquent clairement à l'autorité, au gouvernement, aux parents, à l'école,...

A : Quelles étaient tes premières machines? Et maintenant?
T : Le premier sampler que j'ai utilisé et acheté c'était un Akai S20. Depuis j'ai acheté un Akai MPC 2000 avec beaucoup de modules d'effets et quelques synthés vintage des années 80.

A : Boucle ou composition ?
T : Les deux, je combine boucle et composition. Parfois il n'y a rien de tel qu'une bonne boucle et je pense que souvent les boucles de batteries ont plus de peps ou de swing que des kits de batterie découpés, mais je pense aussi qu'il est important d'essayer et de changer les échantillons originaux pour mieux se les approprier.

A : Tu t'imposes des limites dans le choix des samples ? Genres proscrits ?
T : J'ai tendance à sampler tout ce que je considère comme sonnant bien. Je n'aime pas sampler de la musique récente, mais si j'entends quelque chose qui me plait, ça ne m'arrêtera pas. J'essaie de ne pas utiliser des samples trop évidents et de rester assez éloigné de sons trop communs ou qui me semblent trop familiers. J'ai choisi une voie où je crée moi-même la plupart de la musique et j'ai besoin de moins en moins de disques.

A : Quelle est ta méthode de travail : par quoi commences-tu : beat, basse, sample ?
T: Je ne suis aucune méthode particulière. Ca dépend de ce qui est devant moi. Parfois je sample d'abord ma guitare pour ensuite trouver un beat qui va aller avec, ou inversement. De toute façon c'est ce qui me plait qui fait qu'un morceau débute. La mélodie a beaucoup d'importance pour moi, donc la musique est souvent la première partie dont je m'occupe. Je cherche par la suite d'autres éléments pour compléter.

A : Où trouves-tu tes kits de batterie ? Pour ou contre l'utilisation de kits issus du rap ?
T: J'utilise des batteries issues de tous les genres musicaux. Je reprends des breaks que Bomarr joue, je sample aussi à partir de disques, reprends des beats faits à partir de machines, ou simplement des sons que je fais au micro. Je dirais juste que je ne samplerai jamais un sample, mais il y a des exceptions à la règle.

A : Arrives-tu à écouter des disques en entier sans y chercher, même inconsciemment, de la matière à sampler ?
T : J'écoute constamment de la musique, avec ou sans l'intention d'y trouver un sample, mais quand je m'y attends le moins, je me retrouve à écouter des trucs à la radio, dans des films ou dans la rue en pensant que ce serait génial de les sampler.

A : Fais-tu attention aux textes des MCs pour qui tu fais des beats?
T : Oui, j'exige des textes d'un certain calibre pour accompagner la musique que je fais. Voilà pourquoi je travaille avec Passage et les rappeurs d'Anticon. Je ne travaille pas avec tel ou tel rappeur ou chanteur pour que le message transmis dans la chanson soit profond ou poignant. Je n'interviens pas sur l'écriture d'un texte ou quoique ce soit, je laisse ça à celui qui écrit, mais si j'entends quelque chose que je n'aime pas ou ne comprends pas, je leur fais savoir.

A : Quelle est ta méthode de travail quand tu produis pour Restiform Bodies?
T : En fait, on n'a pas vraiment de méthode précise. Par le passé, nos projets étaient souvent des collages de morceaux que nous faisions tous chacun de notre côté et que nous assemblions au sein d'un album. Ces derniers temps nous avons une organisation qui fait que nous fonctionnons d'avantage comme un groupe. J'arrivais avec de la musique ou des sons, Bomarr jouait de la batterie pour la rythmique et Passage posait les voix. Mais nous sommes tous investis dans chaque élément de la musique, de sorte qu'au final chaque titre suive une approche distincte. On ne se cantonne pas à un rôle particulier.

A : J'ai lu que tu adorais le groupe Guided by voices, qui a des sonorités assez lo-fi. Si on peut retrouver cela dans les productions de Restiform bodies, ton album solo est assez clean. Pour quelle raison as-tu choisi ce genre de mix?
T : Je suis un énorme fan de musique low-fi. Je pense que le fait que Guided by voices puisse faire de la si bonne musique avec un quatre pistes et une qualité de son très faible est proprement hallucinant. Au départ, j'ai essayé de reproduire ce type de son, cette esthétique. Aujourd'hui, depuis que mes potes ont élévé le niveau de leur production et la qualité de leur musique, j'ai ressenti le besoin de réhausser la qualité sonore de ma musique à leurs niveaux. Je veux pouvoir entendre chaque partie de mes morceaux distinctement, je veux que l'auditeur puisse écouter ma musique sur n'importe quel format et puisse entendre plus ou moins la même chose. D'autre part, mes connaissances techniques ont beaucoup évolué, mon savoir en terme d'enregistrements et de matériels s'est aussi bien enrichi, c'est une progression naturelle. Mais je pense que je ne perdrais jamais la beauté d'un grain de sample comme celui-là.

A : Ton album solo est davantage électro que ce que peut être Restiform Bodies, pourquoi cette voie?
T : Bon déjà j'avais déjà d'avantage de matériel qu'avant avec Restiform. J'ai toujours été le mec avec le plus d'influences électro dans le groupe, alors j'ai saisi l'opportunité d'un album solo pour mener cela pleinement. Mais le disque comporte aussi de la basse, de la guitare acoustique, des sons de micros et du synthé.

A : Les dernières sorties d'Anticon se ressemblent beaucoup : des albums instrumentaux à mi-chemin entre Hip-Hop et électro. Le label semble avoir perdu quelque chose en ayant choisi cette voie. Qu'en penses-tu ? Comprends-tu que quelques auditeurs plus anciens soient quelque peu désorientés ?
T: Anticon s'est éloigné du Hip-Hop traditionnel, au sein duquel il a fait ses débuts pour diverses raisons. Je pense qu'on a tous senti que la scène Hip-Hop s'est quelque peu arrêtée et nous n'avons pas voulu être cantonné pour toujours au rap underground. Les goûts musicaux et les intérêts de chacun se sont aussi extrêmement élargis et ont influencé chaque membre. Je pense que cet éloignement du Hip-Hop, disons plus traditionnel, est une étape nécessaire à la croissance d'Anticon, afin de prouver que nous sommes encore plus versatiles que ce chacun a pu penser. Le rap est d'avantage présent ces derniers temps dans nos morceaux et je pense que dans les années à venir, un certain nombre de disques reviendront au rap avec lequel nous avons débuté mais avec un certain nombre de changements et une nouvelle forme de réappropriation de cette musique.

A : Ton album est sorti sur Anticon, comme celui de Passage, tu as probablement eu la possibilité de faire des featurings avec des MCs du crew, pourquoi avoir choisi de faire un album entièrement instrumental ?
T : J'ai senti le besoin de m'affirmer en tant qu'artiste sans avoir recours à des chanteurs ou des rappeurs pour capter l'attention. En composant ces chansons j'essaie de faire en sorte que la musique ait une humeur, une voix et un style qui lui soit propre. J'espère que cet album retiendra l'attention de chanteurs ou rappeurs et débouchera sur de futures collaborations. Je souhaite que chaque morceau de mon prochain album sur Anticon comporte des invités et que la plupart soient des chanteurs.

A : Quelle est ta définition du crate-digging ? Penses-tu que ce soit l'essence de la production Hip-Hop ?
T : Je ne me considère pas comme un "crate-digger" à proprement parler mais je définirai le crate-digging comme la recherche de disques à sampler. Je pense que, historiquement, c'était l'essence de beaucoup de productions Hip-Hop. Ca ne marchait que si tu avais ce pur beat ou cette grosse basse qu'on trouve uniquement sur les vieux disques. Mais aujourd'hui cet art n'est plus. Je veux dire, tu peux aller sur un site Internet, trouver 200 albums avec des breaks, aller dans des magasins de disques, et trouver quasiment tout….à partir de là il n'y a plus d'art ou de science à tout ça. C'est la raison pour laquelle aujourd'hui beaucoup d'artistes Hip-Hop utilisent davantage d'instruments live et de musiciens dans leurs disques.

A : Passes-tu beaucoup de temps à chercher des disques, des boucles ou des kits de batterie ?
T : Honnêtement, probablement pas assez. Mais comme je te l'ai dit, je ne veux pas devoir me reposer sur des disques pour ma musique. Je suis plus porté sur l'enregistrement de mélodies jouées que je sample après. La musique est plus vivante et respire d'avantage comme ça.

A : Es-tu intéressé par les remixes? Avec qui souhaiterais-tu en faire ?
T : Oui, je pense que faire des remixes est un bon moyen de transcender les genres, de toucher un autre public et d'exprimer une certaine forme de créativité. J'ai fait des remixes pour Smyglyssna sur Vertical Form et pour Alan Astor sur Mental Monkey Records. J'espère en refaire d'avantage à l'avenir. Après, quelqu'un en particulier, je ne peux pas te dire. Je préfèrerais collaborer avec quelqu'un que remixer ses chansons.

A : Es-tu intéressé par le fait de faire de la musique pour des BO, de la publicité, de la télévision ?
T : Oui, j'ai toujours pensé que ma musique pourrait constituer un bon habillage musical, et plus j'évolue musicalement plus je me vois à l'avenir travailler sur des films. J'espère un jour pouvoir faire la BO d'un film en entier, qu'il dure une minute ou une heure. Quant à la TV j'hésite un peu. Je préférerais soutenir des artistes indépendants plutôt que des grandes boites, mais en même temps je pourrais aussi utiliser cet argent.

A : Collaboration rêvée ?
T : C'est dur à dire. J'adorerais vraiment travailler avec The Animal Collective, avec The Books, why?, Will Oldham, Coco Rosi, Colleen, ou encore Bit Meddler pour ne citer qu'eux.

A : Es-tu intéressé par le fait de travailler avec des artistes non Hip-Hop? Si cela a déjà été le cas, qu'en as-tu pensé ?
T: Je suis prêt à travailler avec n'importe quelle personne que je respecte en tant que musicien. Je ne peux pas dire que j'ai vraiment travaillé régulièrement avec des artistes Hip-Hop, mais quand cela a eu lieu, les collaborations se sont bien passées.

A : Considères-tu qu'un sample doit demeurer un mystère ou n'hésite-tu pas à en dévoiler l'origine ?
T : J'aime transformer les samples en quelque chose qui ne pourra être reconnu, auquel cas je suis fier de donner le morceau d'origine car la différence entre les deux est énorme. Mais j'aime le coté mystique de la musique et ne pas donner tes sources contribue à cela.

A : Penses-tu, comme beaucoup de gens, que le reste du monde est inspiré par les productions US ?
T : A un certain niveau, mais quelques-uns uns de mes producteurs préférés, comme Aphex Twin et Amon Tobin, ne sont pas américains et une partie des meilleurs musiciens ne sont pas américains. Pour ce qui est du Hip-Hop, c'est à la base un art américain qui a influencé le monde entier, comme l'a fait le Jazz.

A : Quels sont tes projets futurs?
T : J'ai collaboré avec Sole et Pedestrian pour un projet sur lequel ils sont toujours en train de travailler. J'ai aussi un nouvel album solo de prévu, de nouveaux sons de Restiform Bodies, quelques apparitions ici et là et j'espère aussi un certain nombre de collaborations avec plein de musiciens divers et variés.

A : En parlant de beats, quels sont les points qui t'ont fait plaisir ou au contraire particulièrement énervé ces trois dernières années ?
T : Je déteste le Korg Triton, je ne supporte pas non plus d'entendre les même breaks utilisés de la même façon, entendre constamment les même productions underground ennuyeuses qui utilisent les cinquante même disques pour sampler. J'adore les beats Jiggy dance floor, les productions d'Eminem, le glitch hop.

A : Quel est ton producteur fétiche?
T : Impossible de te donner un seul nom…

A : Ta vision d'un morceau parfait : quel MC avec quel producteur?
T : Why? avec Trent Reznor

A : Ta vision d'une production parfaite?
T : Une intro spéciale et inattendue qui évolue progressivement pour devenir un concentré de tension explosant ensuite dans un chaos frénétique, puis, subitement, tombe dans une lente et obscure forme qui se métamorphose en une superbe mosaïque d'harmonies entremêlées. Quelque chose comme ça, une espèce de neuvième symphonie avec une multitude de différentes sources sonores rassemblées dans un collage brillant, un peu comme pour un bouquin.

A : Les productions dont tu es le plus fier ?
T : Je dirais que les pistes 9, 12, et 16 de "A point too far to astronaut" sont les plus proches des objectifs que je me suis fixé... mais j'essaie de ne pas être trop fier de quoi que ce soit.

A : Ta playlist sur 10 titres :
T : Sans ordre particulier :

1. The Beatles: I'm so Tired
2. Will Oldham: New Partner (Viva Last Blues version)
3. the Books: Contempt
4. Colleen: Everyone Alive Wants Answers
5. Bit Meddler: anything
6. Animal Collective: No Wad Her
7. Pixies: Caribou
8. Beck: Derelict Man
9. David Bowie: Space Oddity
10. Ween: Little Birdy »

CARGO-LONDON.COM
« Anticon Records War On Selftour »
21/6/2006

[...] telephonejimjesus co-produced the restiform bodies self titled debut (6months), Sun Hop Flat (self-release) and the Newbliette LP (Subversive). He produced two tracks on sole's selling live water (anticon), including the stand out, opening track "the baddest poet." He co-remixed Smyglyssna's "Tea with Angela" with the bomarr monk, which appeared on the We Can Fix It Remixes (Vertical Form). He lent a hand in the recording of three tracks on passage's debut Forcefield Kids (anticon), including "Old Aunt Mary," "Suffragette" and "Pail of Air." And he also made several appearances on sole's mansbestfriend record (morr music). More recently, he assisted alias on a track for the upcoming alias & tarsier record (anticon). [...]

URBANPOLLUTION.COM
« Telephone Jim Jesus Calls Anticon For New LP »
By Benjamin Palmer
05/7/2007

Carrying the torch of perfectly hip yet idosyncratic music on the Anticon label is Telephone Jim Jesus with his second LP, Anywhere Out of the Everthing – (the title is adapted from Baudlaire's Anywhere Out of the World)

Out September 25th, Anywhere Out of the Everthing, may be just a little touch of everything – blending electronica, hip hop and psychedelia. Inspiried by an extended stay in Europe due to the close of a long-term relationship and then his eventful return to America, which was marked by political protest and post-Katrina volunteer work, Anywhere out of the Everthing is marked to be a much more emotionally attached record than anything of TJJ’s previous efforts.

Anywhere Out of the Everthing also enlists like-minded individuals Pedestrian, Why?, Bomarr, Alias, Alex Kort (Subtle), and Doseone to help fill out the record. If this sounds like your bag, check out the MP3 below.

XLR8R.COM
« The XLR8R Office Top Ten Album Picks, July 9 — Anywhere Out of the Everything »
July 9 2007

Anticon. has been dropping some inspiring LPs recently. Odd Nosdam's latest sounded like the best nightmare we've ever had, and this new release from TJJ is slowly creeping up to the same status. Anyone can chop up some samples, but not everyone can do it like this.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
August 2007

Though he's a member of esoteric Oakland hip-hop collective Anticon, Telephone Jim Jesus (nee George Chadwick) made his latest record on the road. Rootless and traveling after a breakup, he holed up in European squats and dead New England tourist towns. His sophomore release, "Anywhere Out Of The Everything" (Anticon), is a maximalist pastiche of found sounds, skittering beats and electro-detritus. His work is almost entirely instrumental, with the occasional verse from one of Anticon's wily MCs, and references hip-hop in its sampling and beats, but is not actually hip-hop. Chadwick's lifestyle drift comes through - shifting, uneasy, moody. To borrow from Yeats, it's the sound of when the center cannot hold. The record is unsettled and unsetting, and despite the fact that it's an instrumental electronic album, it exudes intimacy and warmth.

PAPERTHINWALLS.COM
« "A Mouth Of Fingers" — Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
Interview by Makkada B. Selah
02/8/2007

Why hasn't Bay Area Restiform Bodies member Telephone Jim Jesus logged into his MySpace account since over a month ago? He seems more concerned with maintaining a mysterious trip-hop personality and remaining “enigmatic” than marketing his record. Who are we to judge?

Is the “Telephone” in your name a noun or a verb?
Telephone is a noun in the name. It has frequently been misused like “Telephoning Jim Jesus,” or as Portland deemed me, “Telephone Jones,” which later I began to play around with, leading to the birth of my first personal MySpace page. There is a Telephone Jim Jesus page that someone else created and is still left in stasis. Finally there is my newer music page, which I dutifully neglect despite its remarkable marketing power. Truth be told, I like anonymity and enigma, and I’m poor at self promotion.

It's July. Your album comes out in September. Why haven’t you logged in to your band's MySpace account since June?
MySpace seems to respond to updating, exploration and even log-on with such a low speed and success rate from every network I’ve used that I give up after several consecutive failures of even checking messages.

Is that you speaking over the track?
Most of the poetic vocal soundbites on the record are [Anticon cohort] Pedestrian via dictaphone. I feel his foreboding overtone and morbidly insightful phrases are a calligraphy of my sentiments cocooned in audio, layered through the collage of my medium.

Is that your poetry?
The accumulative record is my poetry, each song a chapter of an epic, non sequential, like scanning back and forth through AM/FM. But in “Suicide Wings” you hear my voice via dictaphone as I read pieces of headstones in a decrepit London graveyard and briefed displays of what lay around me.

Does it relate at all to the song's title or the instrumentation?
The title and poetic content [of “A Mouth Of Fingers”] were united through seperate conceptions and found a bond only after being combined.
Rating: 7.5 »

XLR8R.COM
« Artist Chart: Telephone Jim Jesus »
07/8/2007

One third of Restiform Bodies and purveyor of the ever-evolving Anticon. sound, Telephone Jim Jesus has made quite a name for himself in the avant-garde hip-hop realm. Now the Oakland-based producer is stepping into the atmospheric limelight with Anywhere Out of the Everything, his latest ode to chiming cinematic sounds and ambient hip-hop. XLR8R caught up with the progressive composer to see what albums have been exorcising his creative demons.

Anywhere Out of the Everything is out September 25 on Anticon.

Telephone Jim Jesus Top Ten Chart
1. Pixies Bossanova (Elektra)
2. Gravediggaz Six Feet Deep (V2)
3. Aphex Twin Richard D. James Album (Rhino)
4. Tim Hecker Harmony In Ultraviolet (Kranky)
5. Animal Collective Sung Tongs (Fat Cat)
6. DJ Muggs Soul Assassins Take Aim (Angeles)
7. GZA Liquid Swords (Fontana Geffen)
8. Bauhaus The Sky's Gone Out (Fontana A&M)
9. Justice Waters of Nazareth (Ed Banger)
10. Mr. Oizo Moustache (Half a Scissor) Mute

PITCHFORKMEDIA.COM
« New Music: Telephone Jim Jesus [ft. Pedestrian & Why?]: "Dice Raw" »
By Nate Patrin
24/8/2007

If anticon. put out a comp called Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop Vol. 2: Also We Are Advancing Gothic Synthpop While We're At It, this would be its leadoff cut. George Chadwick has evolved from his high school days in a black-eyeliner group to the Gary Numan-sampling eeriness of Restiform Bodies to his current solo career as Telephone Jim Jesus, so he knows the value of an icy-sounding synth. "Dice Raw" rides on a glowing New Order/Depeche Mode keyboard, undercut by a digital bassline and clipped percussion that sounds baffled in more ways than one. Pedestrian's lyrics reference legendary BDP producer Scott La Rock and trade on street bravado-- "What's your life like/ Mine's is real/ Every solid second/ Signed and sealed"-- that clashes with Why?'s artifice-aware retort ("Mine ain't real/ Every time I wake up, like 'Run that reel'") and his own conflation of fashion and grotesquerie, iced-out skulls and shoulder-slumping chains pulling the skin off his body.

SLUG Magazine (pdf)
By Lance Saunders
« Telephone Jim Jesus — "Anywhere Out Of the Everything"
September 2007

Anticon Records
Street: 09.25
Telephone Jim Jesus = Sole Beats
+ Odd Nosdam + Dj Mayonnaise

I almost started to live with the thought that Telephone Jim Jesus would never create and compose another solo album again. Ever since his cult favorite debut, A Point Too Far to Astronaut, he has been making music, but only sporadically dispersing instrumentals to his Anticon compatriots. TJJ is an essential element to the Anticon family. He uses samplers, keyboards, effects processors, bass, guitar and accounts for most of the record label's highly textured and confidently melodic qualities. Since the culmination of Restiform Bodies, TJJ has been in the limelight and has always generated the desire to explore musical ideas through solo effort and outer influences. TJJ is the most influential vagabond on the Anticon collective. In the past year he has traveled from Spain to London, from the Gulf Coast (post-Katrina) to anti-war demonstrations on Capital Hill. His world travels straight into your ears on Anywhere out of Everything.

TEXTURA.ORG
« Anywhere Out of the Everything »
September 2007

Anywhere Out of the Everything, the sophomore outing by Telephone Jim Jesus (George Chadwick), works eleven densely textured head-nodders into a largely instrumental patchwork collage. “Did You Hear?” opens the album promisingly when scatterings of psychedelic haze and acoustic strums morph into a thick brew of careening squeals, rumbling bass, voice samples, and bucolic synth flutter. Better still is “Birdstatic” which merges a folktronic upper sphere of orchestral synth billow and bright guitar plucks with a heavier bottom end of bulldozing squelch (guest Alias's contribution?). In the fuzzy “Ugly Knees,” Anticon mates Pedestrian and Doseone trade verses atop harp-like guitar effects and stuttering snares, while Why? guest-raps (“What's your life like?/Man, mine ain't real/Every time I wake up/like, ‘Run that reel'”) on the electro-banger “Dice Raw.” All well and good, but it gradually becomes apparent that, while the album's material is passable, nothing ever leaps out as exceptional.

Anywhere Out of the Everything possesses all the earmarks of a state-of-the-art instrumental hip-hop album—digitally-constructed collisions of samples, synths, spoken word excerpts, MC guest shots, processed acoustic instruments, aggressive beats—yet ultimately doesn't impress. The album may very well be a testament to the loneliness and madness of a life lived on the road, and may very well include amongst its sound materials a violin recorded in a London tubeway, voices captured on Dictaphone, and a muezzin calling the faithful to prayer, but none of that matters much when there's nothing here that jerks me to attention and demands I hit replay. A jaw-dropper like Dabrye's Two/Three, for example, makes this release sound pedestrian by comparison. While there's nothing objectionable about Anywhere Out of the Everything, there's also not a single melody, composition, or new idea that mesmerizes or brands itself upon my memory.

MUSIC.FOR-ROBOTS.COM
« "I Miss the snow" »
By j.p.
11/9/2007

I never thought I would say this, but I kinda miss New Hampshire. I mean, Brooklyn is my home, my job, my life, but you can only sit in traffic for so long or pay some exorbinant fine fee or asking price before you start to think of a simpler time. Those fucking über-creepy long drives on roads with no lights, speed limit signs or route markers. I listened to a lot of music like this up there, it's where I first discovered Anticon and the dark wonders of instrumental whatever-hop.

Telephone Jim Jesus is George Chadwick (who also produces for labelmate Sole and Pedestrian), and this album, Anywhere Out of the Everything is his second release, following A Point Too Far to Astronaut. Originally, he hails from Cow Hampshire (full circle!), and currently produces out of Oakland. The CD is a solid addition to the anticon catalog, and if you like their library thus far, you'll want to look this one up when it drops on September 25th.

So here's to the New Hampshire beefalo that roam the hills, and memories of driving through 20 MPH speed traps in small towns, soundtrack provided by anticon. I'm saving this CD for the next snowboarding jaunt.

GAFFA.DK
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything — Abstrakt hiphop: Forvredne lydlandskaber og dragende melodik »
Review by Thomas Borre
04/9/2007
(Translate)

George Chadwick er manden bag soloprojektet Telephone Jim Jesus, der albumdebuterede med A Point Too Far to Astronaut tilbage i 2004. Anywhere Out Of The Everything byder på et virvar af lyde frembragt med hjælp fra både sampler, guitar, bas og andet forhåndenværende udstyr. Telephone Jim Jesus er optaget af abstrakt urban rytmik og beherskede ambiente bevægelser, der skaber forvredne lydlandskaber og langstrakte forløb med en udsøgt fornemmelse for melodiske raffinement, der bidrager til musikkens dragende detaljerigdom. Telephone Jim Jesus trækker rytmiske og stemningsmæssige spor til både Boards Of Canadas magnetiske og ambiente æstetiks og Aphex Twins’ kompromisløse og ukonventionelle eksperimenter. DJ Shadow har heller ikke levet forgæves, hvilket især kan høres på nummeret A Mouth Of Fingers. Anywhere Out Of The Everything er et interessant musikalsk kludetæppe, som man med fordel kan omsvøbe sig i en sen nattetime med hovedtelefonerne trukket godt ned over ørerne.

INTRO.DE
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
By Uwe Buschmann
19/9/2007
(Translate)

Das "Missing Link" zwischen Air und instrumental Avant-HipHop. Ätherische Pop-Gitarren flirren über klassische Drum-Patterns, die eindeutig dem HipHop abdestilliert wurden. Dazu gesellen sich melancholische Synthielines, ein klimperndes Harpsichord und sogar ein elektrisches Cello. Zum Schluss scheint sich alles zum Chillen auf die oft zitierten "little fluffy clouds" zurückzuziehen und in einem zirpenden Wohlgefallen aufzulösen (selbst wenn die Beats mal zu Drum'n'Bass wechseln).

BOKSON.NET
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
Review by Matthieu
24/9/2007
(Translate)

De la nébuleuse Anticon qui aurait tendance à nous laisser sur notre faim au fur et à mesure qu'elle s'agrandit, les nouveaux rejetons effacant doucement les piliers du label, Telephone Jim Jesus est des plus discrets. Il n'en est pas moins actif, travaillant souvent dans l'ombre, occupant le siège ingrat de producteur au service des autres. Il ne fait pourtant aucun doute que George Chadwick, dans le civil, a clairement sa place au catalogue. Ne serait-ce que par son passé de rockeur, lorsqu’il s'amusait à ruiner les moindres endroits dans lesquels il passait avec son groupe qui comprenait déjà Dave Bryant et Matt Valerio, plus connus chez nous sous les noms de Passage et Bomarr. Avec eux, il montera d'ailleurs Restiform Bodies qui alla doucement lui ouvrir les portes de la reconnaissance de Sole et de ses potes, maîtres à penser et gourous artistiques d'Anticon. "A Point Too Far To Astronaut", sorti en 2004, le lança dans son périple solo, et vint comme une récompense malgré quelques imperfections dignes d'un premier album.

Depuis, Telephone Jim Jesus a traversé l'Europe et plusieurs fois les Etats Unis. Il présente d'ailleurs "Anywhere Out Of The Everything" comme un carnet de bord marqué par la solitude et la folie d'une vie passée sur la route. Et pour cause, sans attache sur sa terre natale, George décide à la fin de sa tournée en compagnie de Sole et Pedestrian de rester en Europe, squattant entre Barcelone et Londres, en donnant quelques concerts pour pouvoir bouffer. Puis il retournera aux Etats Unis en optant pour une immersion dans une communauté vietnamienne à la Nouvelle Orléans juste après les ravages causés par l'ouragan Katrina. Vous me direz que c'est sa vie, que cela vous importe peu. Sauf que tous ces périples, ayant laissé avec eux quelques sons volés sur dictaphone, ont clairement un lien avec ce nouvel album qui restera, à l'instar du "Muted" d'Alias, une référence dont pourra longtemps se vanter Anticon.

Car "Anywhere Out Of The Everything" vous happe dés l'entame pour ne plus vous lâcher jusqu'à ce que le dernier son de sa MPC retentisse. Une impression qui se fait sentir dés "Did You Hear?" hésitant entre folktronica et un downtempo aux ambiances aquatiques qu'il affectionne autant qu'Alias. Pas étonnant donc qu'on retrouve ce dernier sur "Birdstatic" dont la mélancolie acoustique n'est pas sans rappeler Boards Of Canada, une influence récurrente tout au long de ce disque même si elle ne vient jamais égratigner la personnalité musicale de Telephone Jim Jesus. Pour preuve, les nombreux titres absolument sublimes qui ponctuent ce tracklisting: "Featherfall" et son beat précipité sur les cordes d'Alex Kort (Subtle), le plus agressif "A Mouth Of Fingers" et un clin d'oeil à la bonne époque de Dj Shadow toujours bonne à prendre, "Faces All Melted" et sa rythmique chaloupée triturant la guitare tel Hood et Cornelius... Les impératifs de productivité nous ôteront les mots de la bouche et nous sauveront d'une chronique fleuve.

Il n'y a pas à dire, Telephone Jim Jesus contraste avec les sorties de son label qui prennent malheureusement trop souvent des airs de vite fait bien fait. Se retrouver seul, face à lui-même, semble être la meilleure chose qui ait pu lui arriver tant cet album sonne aussi passionnant que ses dernières années ont pu être difficiles. Certains ont besoin de se faire violence pour tirer le meilleur d'eux-mêmes. Une méthode dont beaucoup devraient s'inspirer tant "Anywhere Out Of The Everything" restera finalement comme un beau voyage qu'on ne se lassera pas de raconter, et dont on aimera se repasser les photos en boucle.

ANTICON.COM
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
25/9/2007

Somewhere beyond atmosphere but within gravity’s pull—nearly freeform yet defined by its unerring direction—you’ll find Anywhere Out of Everything, the latest (mostly) instrumental full-length from Telephone Jim Jesus. Arriving three years after George Chadwick’s auspicious solo debut, 2004’s A Point Too Far to Astronaut, Anywhere offers further exposition of the themes and methods of its predecessor, but while that last album was celebrated for a lush etherea punctuated by bright bursts of rhythm and light, this one works its duality to the fullest throughout. The end result is a multihued textile of living song that can be admired both for its constituent parts—mini opuses with aural narratives unto themselves—and as a subtly evolving whole.

“Did You Hear?” begins loose and free, warm fuzzy tones and effected acoustic guitar intermittently trading spaces with loping darkness. As the album earns its momentum, Tel Jim Jesus pulls bloops and bleeps down from the atmosphere and welds them to the song body. The opener gets heavier, louder, then boils over in upbeat acoustics and controlled squelch. Alias contributes to “Birdstatic,” which lays a blanket of orchestral synth over a rapid, wooden-block beat, guitar that plays like harpsichord and whizzing bottle-rocket blasts, while “Ugly Knees” weaves rattling, hollow guitar tremolo with big break-beats, stuttering snares and Dictaphone epiphanies from Pedestrian and Doseone. Anywhere’s curious, soma-like acceptance of melancholy as something beautiful and invigorating continues through the slowly unfurling “Featherfall” (featuring electric cello from Subtle’s Alex Kort) and the windy, ominous “Leather & Glue.”

But with “A Mouth of Fingers,” an intricately layered crystalline head-nodder featuring Ped and Bomarr, Anywhere takes a turn to the aggressively exuberant. And “Suicide Wings” offers a big, bouncing, dirty musique concrete reworking of “Birdstatic” before breaking itself over a classic Anticon banger reverently dubbed “Dice Raw.” Here Pedestrian spits stylized venom over TJJ’s electronic bump (a seamless mix of old school and Eno) and Why? singsong-raps the wistful refrain: “What’s your life like?/Man, mine ain’t real/Every time I wake up/like, ‘Run that reel.’” That velocity continues with the hugely gorgeous “Hit By Numbers” (featuring Bomarr)—with its brilliant kaleidoscope of high-register synth shards, Tubeway Army-conjuring bass synth and clackety percussion—and peaks with “Faces All Melted” (featuring Bomarr and Odd Nosdam), where TJJ chops acoustics like the Books, manipulates texture like Chris Adams (Hood, Bracken), and bends mood like Cornelius.

Finally, the eight-minute dusty swirl of “The Castle by the Freeway” thrusts us back into orbit. And hurling through electrical buzz, we’re left to contemplate Anywhere Out of the Everything, an album ultimately borderless, but so perfectly defined by one man’s path and the many avenues he’s explored both in and out of the world

AUDIVERSITY.COM
« Anywhere Out of the Everything »
Review by PMMASTERSON
25/9/2007

George Chadwick has made no such blunders. With a label full of guys who seem to be releasing material every week (Tim Holland in all his various guises, Alias, Why?, and so on), Telephone Jim Jesus is a rare exception to the precedent of constant output for this esteemed label. Three years ago, A Point Too Far to Astronaut introduced Chadwick to the world as an intergalactic head-trip and there's been sparse output since. Chadwick is also an exception in another way: While Mansbestfriend hit out at the political and Odd Nosdam's Level Live Wires patched a quilt of hazy day-to-day happenings earlier this year, Telephone Jim Jesus acts as the orbital counterweight. In a room full of earthly found-sound freaks, Chadwick positions himself as Anticon.'s own Judica-Cordiglia brother.

"Did You Hear?" wastes no time in making clear the aesthetic. Disjointed electronic transmissions feed into echoing guitar strings, unencumbered by gravity or the simple melody that starts this album off. Nearly a minute in, "Are you there?" repeats in a gravelly bass and the drums crunch in. Booming analog synths provide some Spank Rock-style bass action, but it's a fleeting moment as acoustic guitars return in a much clearer way at the end of the song. You're back in space, floating around as aimless as you'd started.

"Did You Hear?" is, then, the sound of Anywhere Out of the Everything in a single song. This album ebbs and flows relying mostly on its two most dominant aesthetic features: Sprawling space synthesizers and gigantic drum sounds. Everything else, from the occasional vocal interjection to the many acoustic guitar breakdowns to the scratchy downtime of between-song static that ties it all together, Telephone Jim Jesus has grabbed the very essence of being both a lost cosmonaut and a stargazing romantic back home. In that sense, he is not unlike Air.

Speaking of, big electronic drum sounds from a discarded 80s New Wave group dominate the airy "Featherfall," appropriately titled in its featherweight melodies and brick-like percussion. Dissipating to unintelligible transmissions and a vaguely political free verse poem all topped off by Subtle member Alex Kort's electric cello. But this is another example of the unity of this album's sound; for exceptions, check out Pedestrian and Why? working words over "Dice Raw" and Bomarr throwing in two cents on "Hit By Numbers."

In fact, there are other Anticonians working on this album (Doseone and Chris Adams among them), but all succumb to Chadwick's astro-vivid focus in the end. And what an end it is: At just a hair over eight minutes, "The Castle By the Freeway" takes you as far from the solar system as you've yet been during this album. Before it launches into an almost Björk-like sonic bender, everything freezes mid-float and a vocal snippet asks the listener, "What's it like to feel?"

The answer is that, after 42 minutes, you already know: Anywhere Out of the Everything might be the sound of an outsider in the most sonically literal of senses, but like so many other masters in the Anticon. collective, it doesn't matter where they're coming from so much as where you as a lisetener wind up going. There is a big heart behind Telephone Jim Jesus, and even if it only comes out once every three years, at least it gives us the pleasure of rediscovering his music. On some abstract level that George Chadwick himself might not even understand, it also gives us the pleasure of rediscovering ourselves.

FLAVORPILL.NET
« Anywhere out of the Everything »
Review by TW
October 2007

With all the dusty, spacey beats on Telephone Jim Jesus' (aka George Chadwick) second album, it sounds as if his ambient, psychedelic transmissions were being beamed directly from the moon. Jerky, downtempo rhythms and womb-like caverns of synth anchor Anywhere out of the Everything, but it's the intriguing concrète collages that catch your ear. Curious samples breathe life into languorous tracks such as "Featherfall" and "Birdstatic," while Dictaphone recordings intercut the choppy and hypnotic "Ugly Knees." The certified stunner here is "Dice Raw," which builds up a head-bopping groove under a minimal keyboard riff with rhymes from Why?, a rapper from the Anticon collective. In fact, Chadwick's greatest achievement might be how he handles his guest MCs' stream-of-consciousness contributions — he cleverly nestles all the melancholy mumblings in the back of the mix, playing up the suggestive potential of free-versifying and keeping the emo-preciousness in check.

WHITMANPIONEER.COM
« Anywhere Out of the Everything »
Review by Kyle Gilkeson
October 2007

Sharing a spot on the loaded Anticon roster, Telephone Jim Jesus (a.k.a. George Chadwick) sounds a lot like some of his contemporaries. This is not a bad thing. He makes dense, experimental hip-hop, brimming with crunchy drums and synthesized atmospherics. On “Anywhere Out of the Everything,” TJJ has succeeded in creating a dark and brooding collection of songs that reflect his displacement from home and lonely travels of the world. On the song “Dice Raw,” he enlists the lyrical bombast of Pedestrian and Why? that makes you wonder what other collaborative magic he’s capable of. At times straightforward and at others, avant-garde, “Anywhere Out of the Everything” manages to stay fresh start to finish.
Grade: B+

NEWNOWNEXT.COM
« Dial The Sound of Telephone Jim Jesus »
By Julie Bolcer
November 8, 2007

All that marathon hoopla may have faded since last weekend, but anyone inspired enough to walk or run vast distances across cityscapes should find a suitable soundtrack in Anywhere Out of the Everything, the latest album from Telephone Jim Jesus. Musicphiles may recall TJJ from his 2004 debut, A Point Too Far to Astronaut, which incorporated cover art that harkened to Keith Haring.

George Chadwick, as the New Hampshire native is also known, created this latest work in response to a long period of wandering in Europe, which might explain the epic feeling in the song, "A Mouth of Fingers," even if the beatnik-like poetry perplexes: “The morning following 40 nights of drinking/you find a perfect pearl of ibuprofen in a bottle/and with tap water/ take it/ as the hard hollow of your palm becomes where a well was.”

Deep, but matched by the layered textures of the rest of the album, such as the gentler breakbeats of the tune, “Birdstatic,” which seems designed to compliment the credits of an uplifting independent movie.

Roll, Jesus. »

PERFORMERMAG.COM
« Anywhere Out of the Everything »
Review by Casey P. O'Neill
2007

It’s not everyday that an artist or producer can take a palette of unique genres such as hip-hop, indie rock and ambient, and paint a sonic picture of colors and emotions. Yet Telephone Jim Jesus succeeds at doing just that on his new 11-song album, Anywhere Out of the Everything. With an intricately melodic sound that borders on both the beautifully ambient and the darkest aggressions, the primarily instrumental album takes the listener to new places with its melancholy songs and tapestries of sonic nuances.

“Did You Hear?” opens the album with bleeps layered lightly over guitar echoes and deep, guttural beats that keep getting louder and louder with each passing moment. “Birdstatic,” on the other hand, is a spacey trip into the outer regions of sound; with floating, synthesized textures and a tuneful guitar line, this beautiful ode to much of Brian Eno’s ambient work also happens to be one of the album’s highlights.

“Featherfall” is another gorgeous journey that unfurls with swirling synths and rapid-fire drums, while “Ugly Knees,” floating ominously with tremolo guitars and aggressive break-beats, features the raps of Pedestrian and Doseone. Finally, “A Mouth of Fingers” and it’s sampled, hip-hop drum loops and melodious guitar, is reminiscent of that mid-’90s sound that DJ Shadow made so famous with his debut album, Entroducing.

Anywhere Out of the Everything certainly lives up to its name as both a dark, introspective album that mirrors the darkest emotions a person could feel, while also emulating the euphoric heights that life can bring when they’re least expected. Telephone Jim Jesus has created a sonic masterpiece, letting the music be the ultimate guide into the unknown. (Anticon Records)

TERRORBIRD.COM
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
2007

Somewhere beyond atmosphere but within gravity’s pull—nearly freeform yet defined by its] unerring direction—you’ll find Anywhere Out of Everything, the latest (mostly) instrumental full-length from Telephone Jim Jesus. Arriving three years after George Chadwick’s auspicious solo debut, 2004’s A Point Too Far to Astronaut, Anywhere offers further exposition of the themes and methods of its predecessor, but while that last album was celebrated for a lush etherea punctuated by bright bursts of rhythm and light, this one works its duality to the fullest throughout. The end result is a multihued textile of living song that can be admired both for its constituent parts—mini opuses with aural narratives unto themselves—and as a subtly evolving whole.

"Did You Hear ?" begins loose and free, warm fuzzy tones and effected acoustic guitar intermittently trading spaces with loping darkness. As the album earns its momentum, Tel Jim Jesus pulls bloops and bleeps down from the atmosphere and welds them to the song body. The opener gets heavier, louder, then boils over in upbeat acoustics and controlled squelch. Alias contributes to "Birdstatic" which lays a blanket of orchestral synth over a rapid, wooden-block beat, guitar that plays like harpsichord and whizzing bottle-rocket blasts, while "Ugly Knees" weaves rattling, hollow guitar tremolo with big break-beats, stuttering snares and Dictaphone epiphanies from Pedestrian and Doseone. Anywhere’s curious, soma-like acceptance of melancholy as something beautiful and invigorating continues through the slowly unfurling "Featherfall" (featuring electric cello from Subtle’s Alex Kort) and the windy, ominous "Leather & Glue."?

But with "A Mouth of Fingers", an intricately layered crystalline head-nodder featuring Ped and Bomarr, Anywhere takes a turn to the aggressively exuberant. And "Suicide Wings" offers a big, bouncing, dirty musique concrete reworking of "Birdstatic" before breaking itself over a classic Anticon banger reverently dubbed "Dice Raw." Here Pedestrian spits stylized venom over TJJ’s electronic bump (a seamless mix of old school and Eno) and Why? singsong-raps the wistful refrain: “What’s your life like?/Man, mine ain’t real/Every time I wake up/like, "Run that reel." That velocity continues with the hugely gorgeous "Hit By Numbers" (featuring Bomarr)—with its brilliant kaleidoscope of high-register synth shards, Tubeway Army-conjuring bass synth and clackety percussion—and peaks with "Faces All Melted" (featuring Bomarr and Odd Nosdam), where TJJ chops acoustics like the Books, manipulates texture like Chris Adams (Hood, Bracken), and bends mood like Cornelius.

Finally, the eight-minute dusty swirl of “The Castle by the Freeway"? thrusts us back into orbit. And hurling through electrical buzz, we’re left to contemplate Anywhere Out of the Everything, an album ultimately borderless, but so perfectly defined by one man’s path and the many avenues he’s explored both in and out of the world.

SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM
« Anywhere Out Of The Everything »
Review by Andy Malt

Second solo album from Restiform Bodies member and Anticon cult figure

George Chadwick (AKA Telephone Jim Jesus) released his debut solo album, A Point Too Far To Astronaut, in 2005 and instantly found himself with a cult hit on his hands. The kind of cult hit you probably already know quite well, because so may fans of cult hits seem to be in charge of finding music for film and TV.

Previously, Chadwick had been a member of Restiform Bodies, a group he formed with fellow Anticon artists (though not at the time) Dave Bryant (Passage) and Matt Valerio (The Bomarr Monk). Within the experimental framework of this group, cramming together hip hop, rock, rnb and whatever else might have been lying around at the time, he began to develop his own ideas.

Setting up on his own, he began a year long process of recording and re-recording that would eventually lead to his debut album, a strangely cinematic collection of bleeps, beats, layers and samples.

The follow-up, Anywhere Out Of The Everything, takes the themes of its predecessor and refines them further. Heavier and more clearly defined, it features guest appearances from Alias, Why?, Subtle’s Alex Kort, Odd Nosdam, Pedestrian, Doseone and the Bomarr Monk. Bleeps and beats are met with post-punk guitars, upbeat acoustics, and orchestral synths.

Hit By Numbers sounds like early Boards Of Canada battling with a particularly persistent drummer. Birdstatic follows similarly ambient lines, offset by a booming, distorted bass drum and brought back again by blissful acoustic guitars. Ugly Knees takes a wholly darker turn; glitchy and plodding with a overwhelming sense of foreboding, Doseone and Pedestrian add their own dictaphone-recorded interjections. On Dice Raw, TJJ does his own take on old school hip hop, with the help of Bomarr.

Anywhere Out Of The Everything will delight fans of Telephone Jim Jesus’ debut and will no doubt grab him some new listeners, too. A very welcome addition to the already bulging Anticon catalogue, it proves that there still plenty of unexplored territory left in hip hop.

Bomarr & Tel.Jim.Jesus

DROWNEDINSOUND.COM
« passage, telephone jim jesus venue : London Spitz »
Review by Mike Diver
10/11/2004

Part of me wants to think that the insufferable instruMental squall emitting from telephone jim jesus’ on-stage box of tricks is some kind of over-my-head genius. Part of me wants it to shut the hell up. Part of me wishes that I’d got here later and missed tonight’s opening act. Part of me can’t help thinking that if I’d arrived earlier and got a few drinks inside me this’d sound better. Part of me reckons that this can’t possibly help the sales of jim’s (George Chadwick to his mum) new ‘A Point Too Far To Astronaut’ LP, through anticon, of course (tonight is pitched as a sort of label showcase). Part of me wonders if he’s the natural offspring of Four Tet and Aphex Twin. Part of me concludes that he’d be better off sticking to his re$tiform bodie$ day job. How many parts is that? Too many, probably, but not enough to really care about what’s going on in front of me. Please, make it stop.
Thank you.
I’ve come for passage anyway, not his re$tiform buddy fiddling with switches and knobs. David Bryant’s debut album in his lower-case-only guise, ‘The Forcefield Kids’, is totally impressive. It mixes top-notch, fucked-up electronica with free-flowing raps, see-sawing from paranoia to the political. It’s the best album I’ve heard this year to fall under the hip-hop banner, basically. So it’s a little disappointing when Bryant/passage takes to the stage and rolls into re$tiform material (granted, this is a solo and group set – the show’s billed as both passage and re$tiform bodie$). Sure, it’s decent, but totally anticon average, in the sense that anyone with a vauge concept of the label will be familiar with its style. Better is the material from ‘The Forcefield Kids’: ‘the pins in the bowels of the charmed design’ is a riot on record; live it becomes a war, churned up and twisted like scrapmetal sabers stabbing at a spent corpse. It’s ultimately the high watermark of a set that never wholly grabs the attention, to these ears at least. In the man’s defence it’s his first day in Britain, the first day of the tour, and yesterday he broke a month-long abstinence by sucking back on a whiskey bottle. The airport is to blame, so says jim. I can relate.
Part of me simply expected more, y’know? Don’t be a hater.
Rating: 6/10

PASSAGE & Bomarr

EXCLAIM.CA
« Passage and the Bomarr Monk — Moods & Symptoms »
Review by Thomas Quinlan
February 2001

Passage and the Bomarr Monk get down to business quick on Moods & Symptoms, exposing what they have in store throughout this album - personal stories without fear of emotion - right from the Bomarr-produced "Intro." Next, it's a roller-coaster ride of sounds and words that is never less than interesting. A number of different producers with the same musical bent add a lot of variety, with fluid movement throughout each song being the only thing they all have in common. The lyrics touch on topics like old relationships ("French Pickup Line"), living in Nowheresville, USA ("Extinction") and trying to be yourself in a world where conformity is encouraged ("Installation I"). But, as good as both parts are, what brings the beats and lyrics together to make this a classic release is the delivery of the two MCs. Utilising a sort of fast-paced, sing-song style, which flows so well over the beats that you cannot deny their skills, Passage and the Bomarr Monk create some unbelievable tracks: "Installation I," "Irrational," and "Resonance," featuring AdeeM, to name only a few. Moods & Symptoms is the kind of album that is good to see out of newcomers, because it proves that there is a future for hip-hop and that it may not have to be the future of stagnant music we're hearing too much of now. This may be the most difficult album for you to find that you will absolutely want to hear, but you do want to know what's going to be hot in five years, don't you? (Independent