Search - Dilute :: Grape Blueprints Pour Spinach Olive

Composition, melody, a rip in reality

lee | Austin | 05/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The best you can hope for from any work of art is for it to surprise you. We've all heard music before, most genres, and at least for me, the bands i hear rarely surprise me. Dilute tears the fabric of the expected and reveals something amazing.
I first heard their song "apple" when Audio Galaxy was alive and kicking. Dilute, i think, came out of an association with tristeza.
In any case, upon hearing the clean tone of the guitars like the "pizzacato plinkle of ice in an auburn uncle's amber glass"; i fell intranced. then the bass and drums emerged from the subconscious of the song in an explosion that's somewhere between rock and beyond.
The song progresses in this fashion with small triumphant changes in key.
Then it breaks down. Drums and bass. The guitars piping in threads. Then those threads weave into a fabric with texture i've never felt.
Then the song falls apart. a note here. a snare hit there, in seemingly off time. yet they remain faithful to the 5/4. how?, i don't know, but surprise me they did.
if you like music at all, from texture to composition, this album ROKS!"

Interesting

N. Borror | Van Buren, AR | 04/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i found out about dilute while searching for information on hella. hella is something of an experimental group, focusing on fast, technical music with lots of time signature and tempo changes. their music involves distortion and very proficient musicianship.



dilute, much like hella, involves very proficient musicianship, but the impact is a bit more subtle than the loud and abrupt approach of hella. if you're familiar with bands such as rumah sakit and king crimson, imagine something of a cross between the former and the latter's latest three albums, but without the pop styled vocals.



this album is very mellow at times, and at other times very mellow and cleverly apprehensive or tense. distorted chords ring through against the clean notes so that the contrast can be heard and appreciated. there are vocals, but the vocals are not overbearing, though they are somewhat nasally and crackly, and more than somewhat depressing in style. the lyrics are evocative in the sense that they seem to portray a distinct personality for the band, where the music itself feels indistinct, perhaps a reflection of the humility involved in the making of the music. the entire album conveys a feeling of truism, and the last three tracks being titled '0,' 'vs.,' and '1' (on versus off, no versus yes, false versus true?) might be an indication of the integrity involved in the creation of this album.



all the description and speculation aside, i thoroughly enjoy this album, especially the track '0,' and you should too."

Embedded treasures

IRate | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dilute refine some of their highly asymmetrical ways in order to offer this underrated sophomore disc bristling with advanced guitar work, tricky timings, and off-kilter lure. Imagine a progressive, less chilled Sea and Cake mixed with a less intimidating, more melodic Don Caballero."