Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Tuatara
Label: Sunyata Records
Release: 2014
Length: 67:48
Rating: 4.5/5
Tuatara are a modern instrumental band from Seattle, made up of members of R.E.M., Critters Buggin, Screaming Trees, The Chills and The Minus 5. They took their unusual name, at the suggestion of New Zealand bassist Justin Harwood, from an equally unusual New Zealand lizard that counts as a living fossil. »Underworld« is already their eighth studio album, and once again they’ve blended elements of jazz rock fusion, world music, funk, alternative rock and post-rock in a fascinating way. In other words, they’ve dug even deeper into the experimental mission they’d already laid out on their earlier releases.
Their early albums were mostly steeped in world music, but in recent years they’ve been flirting more and more with jazz rock fusion, which has only added to their already ‘rainbow-colored’ sound. »Underworld«, which features Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, is crammed with a wealth of excellent, richly varied instrumental music, ranging from hugely dynamic percussion shaped by Western and Eastern world music, through fiery wind and string arrangements, to longer ambient stretches with quite a few post-rock trademarks. Tuatara are a seriously fun band with incredibly lively rhythms, and they keep surprising you with unpredictable arrangements and witty time changes that will thrill every fan of experimental instrumental music.
The album packs in a full twenty compositions, and every single one of them is its own little ambient adventure, a one-of-a-kind sonic experience. »Calling the Spirits« is a percussion-driven opener with wildly varied rhythms and tribal elements, bringing to mind the soundtrack to a Native American dance. »Ghost of the City« mixes jazz fusion and funk with zero compromise, throwing in witty sax runs that play a key role in building its enigmatic mood. On »Dueling Shamans« the world music rhythms take over, while playful sax variations once again add an important ambient twist. The keyboard arrangements in between bring just the right dose of sophistication so that the whole thing doesn’t end up sounding overly complicated.
In the structure of its rhythmic meanders and sax arrangements, »Streetwalkin’« sits closer to energetic jazz fusion rooted in the seventies. »The Spider Pimp« features super witty percussion work built around the vibraphone, which is a bit reminiscent of the golden days of the cult jazz fusion outfit Pierre Moerlen’s Gong, while the cheeky sax and bass guitar variations are totally Tuatara’s own. »She Dreams of Snow«, where the impressive percussion work once again deserves praise, flaunts a mysterious, slightly melancholic atmosphere, mostly thanks to its string-salted orchestral curtains. The side effect is a proper still-life, wintry mood.
»Gremlin Chain Song« is another superb example of jazz fusion meeting world music, with a witty interplay between sax and electric guitar up front. »The Hard Swing«, as its title already tells you, has elements of swing until it morphs into a chaotic showdown between the sax and all the other instruments, yet Tuatara manage, almost miraculously, to hold on to a melodic rhythmic structure. »Even Demons Fall In Love« has, fittingly for its title, a romantic ambient vibe, with trumpet and guitar variations weaving together once more in an extremely subtle way. »Enchantment« is marked by majestic orchestral curtains thanks to some gorgeous string arrangements.
»Descension« is a post-rock adventure with repetitive ambient motifs and total guitar minimalism, while the sound effects in between and the lively percussion are the main source of wit. »At The Crossroads« features the dissonant sounds of the Appalachian dulcimer, which is the main source of the cacophonous structure of this short piece. At five minutes, »Bass Beat Blues« is the longest and maybe even the best composition on »Underworld«, as the band successfully pulls together some of their best sonic ingredients. The dissonant sound curtains, overall melancholy and guitar minimalism are slightly reminiscent of early Porcupine Tree, while certain ambient and rhythmic nuances are closer to modern post-rock bands, and there’s no shortage of jazz fusion and world music touches either.
»The Skeleton Getdown« is a somewhat more energetic creation again, with irritable trumpet passages and brittle guitar whims, while this time around the impressive drumming is almost the biggest thrill. »Snakecharmer« is a rhythmically genius piece with hugely entertaining sax improvisations that always give the lively nature of »Underworld« a good kick. On »The Creeper«, yet another magical moment on the album, a dynamic percussion section takes center stage, while the main ambient unease comes from the growling bass lines and the playful sax.
»El Brujo«, which means wizard in Spanish, has an as-always lively sax and minimalist guitar variations, while the impressive percussion section successfully keeps the world music elements going. »Lost in Shinjuku«, which might also appeal to flutist/percussionist Jon Field of the cult band Jade Warrior, carries a melancholic mood, while the percussion plays a key role in keeping the East Asian (in this case Japanese) influences alive. »Bonfires on the Avenue« is a gloomy, brooding piece with muffled bass lines and fiery drum transitions, while the ever-dynamic percussion brings a touch of subtlety. The album closes with »The Realm of Shades«, which is stuffed with countless minimalist sounds, while the sax this time sounds almost depressed
With »Underworld«, Tuatara have made a stylistically wildly varied instrumental adventure, packed with enough lucid arrangements and unpredictable rhythmic twists to hook even the pickiest musical explorers. At the same time, they’ve once again proven themselves masters of crafting varied yet always intense ambient nuances. This is an incredibly interesting band that fans of experimental instrumental music should be tuning into way more often. It’s the kind of music best listened to irrationally, with the soul and not the head, since Tuatara surprise with something refreshing on every new album while convincingly holding on to their unpredictable nature.
Lineup
Barrett Martin – drums, upright bass, guitar, vibraphone, marimba, keyboards, percussion
Justin Harwood – electric bass guitar
Skerik – saxophone, synthesizer
Peter Buck (REM) – electric guitar
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) – electric guitar
Cedric LeMoyne – bass guitar
DJ Megman – electronic sequences
Production
Barrett Martin
Tracklist
1. Calling the Spirits (2:16)
2. Ghosts of the City (4:03)
3. Dueling Shamans (3:24)
4. Streetwalkin’ (3:54)
5. The Spider Pimp (3:27)
6. She Dreams of Snow (3:29)
7. Gremlin Chain Gang (3:02)
8. The Hard Swing (3:04)
9. Even Demons Fall in Love (3:06)
10. Enchantment (2:52)
11. Descension (4:52)
12. At The Crossroads (3:07)
13. Bass Beat Blues (5:30)
14. The Skeleton Getdown (2:57)
15. Snakecharmer (2:56)
16. The Creeper (3:03)
17. El Brujo (2:27)
18. Lost in Shinjuku (3:51)
19. Bonfires on the Avenue (2:47)
20. The Realm of Shades (3:41)
