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 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Kaboom Karavan - Barra Barra [Miasmah - 2011]

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Belgian collective Kaboom Karavan released this modestly packaged CD, "Barra Barra" in 2011, according to discogs, only their 2nd album in 4 years of life.  Their evocative, ambient take on 'new music' is perfectly suited for experimental film work.

This is a very still, mostly silent recording with a dry, desolate feel.  In most of the songs, a noisy, dusty acoustic guitar strums out every few seconds into the sweltering heat, and trails off deep into the rippling distance.  The string noise is nearly louder than the notes.


A rustling, cyclical flotsam of gestural sounds conglomerates around it.  Sickly strings sketch anticipatory chords, which immediately dissipate.  The creaks and moans of old boards, indistinct clatter and the clinking of chains can be heard at varying distances from the listener, as well as an occasional subsonic thunderclap.  Wavering flute and horn calls haunt the landscape as well, and it becomes clear that the instrumentation used here is actually quite extensive, but very cleverly understated.

There are no tight rhythms, merely a predictable repetition of sounds.  It is a deceptive first listen: what initially appears to be arrhythmic noodling soon reveals itself by the end of each piece to be quite intentionally orchestrated in both timbre and timing.

The tracks are ten cinematic buildups in miniature.  Each gains elements and urgency until the 4 - 5 minute mark, then dwindles away.  Like any formula so obviously repeated, it starts to lose its power over the course of the album, but admirably the rustic atmosphere of the album stays thick and consistent.

There aren't really any standout tracks, since they are all very similar in style and density, but I find the mandolin and music box sounds in the later tracks to be particularly transporting.  They make the sound both more melodic and more reminiscent of an old attic.

Conclusively, I very much enjoyed this album.  It's a solid work of ambience with clever, poetic use of 'cheap' acoustic sound sources, and I'm always looking for more albums with this sort of desert antique store vibe.  Oddly enough, the closest comparison I can think of is the soundtrack to the original Fallout RPG from the early 90's, so fans of that game should check this out.  It also reminds me quite a bit of Nine Inch Nails' instrumental "Ghost" album, as well.  I'd recommend it to anyone open minded to soundscape music.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Josh Landry
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