From the tall buildings in LA.
08/15/2004

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Skyscraper #17 (USA)

http://www.skyscrapermagazine.com/

TINY HAIRS - COLDLESS
This Chicago improvising sextet frequently gets lumped into post-rock. To be fair, Tiny Hairs have an affinity for spontaneity and manipulation shared by likeminded peers such as Tortoise, Gastr del Sol and Cul de Sac. But Tiny Hairs also create somber movements akin to new music/avant-garde artists on the Cryptogramophone label and dissect loose-limbed grooves similar to those laid out by forebears Neu! or Can. Make no mistake, you need an adventurous ear to appreciate Tiny Hairs, but if you're familiar with any of the previously cited musicians, you'll find Tiny Hairs' haunting minimalism a stimulating broth. Coldless reiterates the groundwork established on full-length debut Subtle Invisible Bodies (2002). There are elements of free noise, found sounds, understated drums, textured violin sonorities, droning guitar chords and dramatic segments evoking film soundtracks (two pieces actually were produced for cinema), white noise and underwater acoustics. Insectoid electronics and militaristic beats underscore "With Projecting Spines". Splashed percussion, interconnected guitars and circular violin follow a mercurial melody during "Name Changed to Persimmon". There's a Robert Fripp-ish elegance to "From Scallop to Shapeless" (ambient but not formless). Nine-minute closer "Halo of Talking Horses" effortlessly illustrates Tiny Hairs' sonic palette: it's like listening to a lullaby composed for planetary orbits.

- Doug Simpson    

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