Search - Hamster Theatre :: Public Execution of Mr. Personality / Quasi Day

UNREST CLUB

Kerry Leimer | Makawao, Hawaii United States | 06/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Intricate, restless, and on occasion quite funny, this combination of studio and live work ( from the severely under-attended 2002 Progman event in Seattle -- and yes, I was there ) presents some expert excursions in non-stop musical transformations. Moving from the exceedingly hectic and frenetic to the nearly serene through seemingly effortless gestures, Hamster Theatre all the while maintains a highly refined sense of tension between reassuring and disturbing tonalities. Atypical writing, atypical instrumentation and an ear for non-linear transitions supported by virtuoso playing all allude to some of the finest moments that might result from crossing an apolitical Henry Cow with a still witty Hatfield and the North, somewhere during that most golden age of Canterbury. My apologies for the comparison -- HT comes out of all this as a thing unto itself, of course.



Music such as this refuses to die, refuses to go away. By demanding close listening, this is among that rare kind of stuff that continues to reveal nuances and details with repeated listening over long periods. In so doing, Hamster Theatre keeps alive the tradition that quality work wins out in the end -- thanks to its uncanny ability to attract listeners who know what it means to actually listen. Especially in this case, because of the way in which the elements interact within pieces as well as between pieces. Just one more great collection of music added to the already overwhelmingly compelling case to be ever farther removed from the deadening predictability of the mainstream."