brainwashed

City Centre Offices
On their debut album, John Tejada and Takeshi Nishimoto displayed a clever grasp of electronic-tinged instrumental music, virtuoso-style, with tasty guitar and bass flourishes layered over real drums and whatever the laptop pushed out as the master controlled it. They've continued their regular regimen of playing and recording together on Wednesdays, no matter what their schedules had in store, and the fruits of that labor, their second record, receives its title from the very process that produced it. With these songs, it seems the laptop-produced elements have become more of a basis for the songs, rather than skeletal remains that were thrown in for flavor. The opening track, "Walk Through Walls," starts with a manipulated and glitched sample that provides a basic beat, then "real" instruments take it over, guitar/bass/drums in full lock-on mode with gorgeous solo-like flourishes. Every once in a while that sample or another returns, just as a reminder that it was the catalyst, but it's mostly business as usual. The two pile on the processed guitars, various guitar tracks, and the slapped bass, add some delay and echo effects, and stride comfortably towards the finish line, knowing full well they're ahead. "Every Moment is Ours" begins much in the same regard, with computer magic and deep bass followed by gentle guitar, then hypnotizing bass chords and that familiar guitar tone join the fun. Halfway through, live drums kick in briefly, only to relent to their more processed brethren. Ultimately, the process is slightly different on this record, but the music is very much the same, which is to say clearly produced and recorded and excellently played. The songwriting is a bit limited to the aforementioned format, however, and though the chill-out lounge style form bursts into jazz-like improvisations, the basic structure is very much consistent with most songs, as is the tone and presentation. That's the only complaint, however, and it's not much of one, as the songs are still pleasant enough to listen to. It would just help to hear a bit more variety in this art, and not have to wait until the next day in the week to get it.

samples:

• Every Moment is Ours
• Sundays Will Never Change
• Never Meant to Be