Tetras — Pareidolia

Pareidolia is the debut release from Tetras, a cross-Atlantic three-piece with members based in both Zurich and Chicago, recorded in early 2011. An uncommon word, 'Pareidolia' is defined as "perceiving significance in a vague and random stimulus", perhaps reflecting the way the four longform pieces that comprise this double album were formed through group improvisation yet display shifting patterns amidst the spontaneity.

Perhaps the most striking thing about Tetras sound is through converting the traditional power trio formation (drums, bass and lead guitar) into psychedelic jazz territory, eschewing guitar for Jeroen Visser's dirty, earthy organ and electronics and replacing electric bass with an upright one. But it's Jason Kahn's drums that often seem to take the lead.

Indeed, The opening track possesses an incessant pattering that remains throughout the majority of its 20 minutes over which Visser's organ throbs and Christian Weber's hypnotic bass weaves in and out. Eventually, it becomes apparent that the piece is going for a hypnotic groove rather than a more dramatic set of contrasting or climactic dynamics.

This helps prepare you for the second stretch which follows a similarly minimal path, but with complaining extended fizzing electronics heads to the fore, while bells tinkle impatiently and brushes, well, brush. The angry electronics frequently falters but surges back to maintain its buzz throughout, while bells and brushes are put away to be replaced by more percussive pecking. Ten minutes in, the energy levels are boosted by frenetic playing before dropping out to reveal a simple march to settle the piece.

The same rusty rush of impartial textures flow into the third side, but with what sounds like a stressful bowing of the bass's higher notes, before thankfully reducing into more meditative manoeuvres. Their loose plucks inspire wavering electronics and sonorous punctuations that build in presence to a much more musical conclusion. While side four kicks off once more with the needling rhythmic patter under which the unstable distorted electronics crawl. Again, sparer and busier passages alternate.

Like much improvised music, it sounds like Pareidolia would be good to experience live and even more fun to play, and I'm sure through a dedicated series of spins there is much to discover in its noodling weft and warp; but its stubbornly limited palette of sounds and dynamics in a recorded format makes it a challenging listen.