Climax Golden Twins — Self titled

Climax Golden Twins are a Seattle experimental group who were active during the '90s and the first decade of the 2000s, but then went silent.  In 2022, the project was reformed by it's two founding members, Jeffrey Taylor and Robert Millis, for a sprawling self-titled double LP on the Fire Breathing Turtle label.

The style of this album is a twangy, rustic, laid-back instrumental rock n' roll.  Each track is something of a jam on a groovy midtempo riff, repeated so as to create an atmospheric space, always moving, but in a relaxed motion.  Some of the tunes feature solos over the riffs, but typically the chord progressions and basic patterns don't change throughout the 2-5 minute duration of a track.  This spacious 'ambient rock' style at times reminds me of Bill Laswell, or Nine Inch Nails' "Ghosts" series, though with greater folk flavor than either, as evidenced by pieces like "Flower Hill", which wouldn't be out of place on one of Michael Cashmore's Current 93 efforts.

This music would function quite well as a film soundtrack, as the minimalist pieces sketch a mood in concise, repetitive language.  Images of natural vistas often flash through my mind; there is a desert quality to the dry bluesy licks of the first couple tracks.  Elsewhere, the music settles into a characteristic urban alleyway aesthetic, with plodding basslines from a  picked bass guitar, eschewing the need for melodic lead playing with the thick rhythm of dub or trip-hop.  A track like "Fifty Bucks Worth" is when the Laswell comparison really becomes apt.

There is a sort of whimsical manner in which the duo moves through ideas and sounds.  "Standard Banjo" features the unlikely combo of banjo and warm electronic drones and pads, drawing the typically Earth-bound folky timbre into a surreal dream space.  I'm reminded of The Books and Four Tet with their 'folktronica' experiments, or Devin Townsend's lushly produced attempt at a country album, Ghost.

The production is warm and analogue throughout, with any electronics used conforming to the aesthetic of light tape saturation.  Like the work of Boards of Canada or Biosphere, the palette here is faded and nostalgic.  The album seems to only become more ambient as it goes, with the shoegazey resonating chords of "OSK" closing the second of four sides.

There's a bit of humor on the album, as well, with snippets of sarcastic or absurd spoken word peppered throughout, and the laugh-out-loud track "And Now" opening side C, sounding like a voice actor attempting repeated takes at a movie trailer, repeating the title phrase "and now" in countless slightly different voices and effects.  The track then segues into the heaviest, juiciest stoner rock of the whole double LP.

Some who hear this recording will yearn for more active styles of rock and roll, but anyone comfortable with the relaxed pace and atmospheric nature of these jams should find it a cosy space to hang out in.  This is clearly an album created for the sheer enjoyment of its creators, and their enjoyment is quite contagious.  Roll up a joint and you'll soon be surprised all four sides already have played through. To find out more info