Post by thesoundmonitor on Apr 9, 2004 21:40:58 GMT -5
HYATARI
The Light Carriers
(Independent)
Hyatari is out of wild and wonderful West Virginia, and I think its safe to assume that nobody in Huntington (or Charleston for that matter) is doing what these guys are doing. When I first received the CD, I felt a bit of trepidation. The band seemed to be all about keyboards, sequencing, and samples, so I was worried that the southern lord had frowned upon me and I had somehow gotten on someone's techno distro by mistake. So if anything I was a bit biased against the CD before I put it on. Which caused my grin to
spread all the wider as the music began.
The dance crap I was expecting was nowhere in evidence. Instead, there was a dark, hypnotic vibe spreading, a dirge washed in beautiful sheets of guitar feedback with radio samples in the background. The whole thing is designed to be heard as a one-track (continuous) recording, but it’s actually made up of several smaller pieces. A slow, swirling, heavy chaos of sound gradually coalesces into more structured arrangements, with the guitar often carrying the slow and majestic beat. Finally, a drum machine makes an appearance, and the songs get more structure still. The vocals are sparse indeed; evidently Hyatari likes to let the instruments do the talking. Well, this is bliss for those who like dark, doomy, experimental metal while they zone out. There are few enough musicians trying for this kind of effect, and a laundry list will let you know whether Hyatari is for you: Sleep (Dopesmoker), Swans, Neurosis, Sons of Otis, Zeni Geva, Godspeed, You Black Emperor!, or the Southern Lord terror of Sun O))) or Khanate. Hyatari has something in common with all these folks, but they're a bit more melodic and less scary. Which is OK, because as much as I might like Khanate, it’s not everyday listening for me.
Most of Hyatari started their musical careers in the 90s with a group called Chum. Chums' drummer, Chuck Nicholas, went on to join Karma to Burn. I knew there
was a connection in their somewhere! With the demise of KTB, Hyatari may just be West Virginia's most interesting group. And although you may be getting the feeling that these dudes are short on humor, one look at the album's packaging will give new meaning to
Nigel Tufnel's classic phrase "there are none more black." Get it and feel the flow.
Kevin McHugh
Band Site: www.freewebs.com/hyatari
The Light Carriers
(Independent)
Hyatari is out of wild and wonderful West Virginia, and I think its safe to assume that nobody in Huntington (or Charleston for that matter) is doing what these guys are doing. When I first received the CD, I felt a bit of trepidation. The band seemed to be all about keyboards, sequencing, and samples, so I was worried that the southern lord had frowned upon me and I had somehow gotten on someone's techno distro by mistake. So if anything I was a bit biased against the CD before I put it on. Which caused my grin to
spread all the wider as the music began.
The dance crap I was expecting was nowhere in evidence. Instead, there was a dark, hypnotic vibe spreading, a dirge washed in beautiful sheets of guitar feedback with radio samples in the background. The whole thing is designed to be heard as a one-track (continuous) recording, but it’s actually made up of several smaller pieces. A slow, swirling, heavy chaos of sound gradually coalesces into more structured arrangements, with the guitar often carrying the slow and majestic beat. Finally, a drum machine makes an appearance, and the songs get more structure still. The vocals are sparse indeed; evidently Hyatari likes to let the instruments do the talking. Well, this is bliss for those who like dark, doomy, experimental metal while they zone out. There are few enough musicians trying for this kind of effect, and a laundry list will let you know whether Hyatari is for you: Sleep (Dopesmoker), Swans, Neurosis, Sons of Otis, Zeni Geva, Godspeed, You Black Emperor!, or the Southern Lord terror of Sun O))) or Khanate. Hyatari has something in common with all these folks, but they're a bit more melodic and less scary. Which is OK, because as much as I might like Khanate, it’s not everyday listening for me.
Most of Hyatari started their musical careers in the 90s with a group called Chum. Chums' drummer, Chuck Nicholas, went on to join Karma to Burn. I knew there
was a connection in their somewhere! With the demise of KTB, Hyatari may just be West Virginia's most interesting group. And although you may be getting the feeling that these dudes are short on humor, one look at the album's packaging will give new meaning to
Nigel Tufnel's classic phrase "there are none more black." Get it and feel the flow.
Kevin McHugh
Band Site: www.freewebs.com/hyatari