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Irr. App. (Ext.), "Perekluchenie"
Matthew S. Waldron's releases are more like captured events than bits of recorded material. This may be the result of his chosen methods of construction or it may be the product of the information and systems that feed his non-philosophy. Several interviews reveal him to be a deeply passionate individual whose music serves as an (irrational) extension of his beliefs and thought processes; this is made quite clear on Perekluchenie. He unveils a wrecking ball of written, spoken, and musical dialogue both immersive and fascinating, a complete package of reflection and strange association.
Beta-Lactam Ring
Perekluchenie is also the most peculiar album I've heard from Waldron. Granted there are quite a few unreleased and limited edition albums floating around, but the unsettling artwork, the short play that constitutes the liner notes, the odd reference to water bears and their even stranger abilities, all coalesce into an experience that isn't unlike learning to listen for the first time. It is strange not because Waldron has upped the dada-like ante to unheard of proportions, but because the whole thing is approachable. Embedded in the deepest part of these subterranean moans and monstrous pulsations is the warm heart of a human being attempting to make some sense of history, choices, and the immortality of subjective existence. Sounds broad, maybe, and it may sound a little exaggerated, but there is no exaggeration in the depth of Waldron's considerations. Perekluchenie, if it is to be judged as music and as a statement, is clear and illuminating, full of thoughts to be chewed upon.
Part of my excitement is due, at least in part, to my background in philosophy. The liner notes, a strange play consisting of a mutated peasant and donkey-headed "dandy," detail ethical and moral considerations while outlining historical concerns and the differences between rational and compassionate choices. Between the dialogue exists a series of unbelievable events that the two actors seem intimately involved in. Their strangeness increases with each exchange until finally Waldron ends the entire scene in a bit of irony. All of this spirals into and congeals with his music. It's a dense work of vocal samples, unintelligible drones, manic guitars, and a multi-sectioned ode to a hypothetical creature that is quite real. The title track, perhaps the most removed from the rest of the album, but bearing its title, is nearly silent except for the inclusion of voices provided by Diana Rogerson, Django Stapleton, Windy Chien, and others. Its concentration on a surgically altered narrative acts as an introduction, despite its position as the second track on the album. The rest of the album seems to revolve around this piece's meditation on decay of all kinds.
As usual, Waldron's compositional style lends itself to organic comparisons and the album itself admits of many biological influences. The artwork depicts seed and pod-like creatures emerging from disfigured human and avian bodies. There is room for vaginal and phallic discussion, as well. The constantly twisting metamorphoses that constitute both "Wretched Density" and "Hypothetical Tardigrade Resurrection, Parts 4, 5, & 6" acknowledge and increase those influences to the point that it becomes necessary to regard Perekluchenie as a biological event in and of itself. That event, however, escapes classical definition and consideration, such that anyone unwilling to open themselves to the experience will simply exclaim that there's "nothing to it."
More than anything I am impressed by how focused of an album Waldron has released this time around. His music and strange approach to sound mutation has always attracted me and, in many ways, that is no different here. There are new approaches present that I had not heard before from Waldron, but it is the melding of artwork, the written word, and music that makes this release so enjoyable and engrossing. The presentation is exquisite and the execution is concise, despite being full of symbolic and literal discourse that is worth some time to think about. If, however, this all seems too much, too conceptual in its extension, then take some comfort in knowing that this record is as enjoyable as anything Irr. App. (Ext.) has released and that it can be enjoyed by itself, without the deep reflection that was put into making it.
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