Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 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

Swims - Swims EP [Distile - 2006]

Swims are a duo from Sacramento, California consisting of Paul Slack on Bass and Mark Rocha on drums. This six song EP is their debut, released on French label Distile, not to be confused with American label Destijl Records.

The music is expansive for a duo; Slack is an amazingly proficient bass player. His playing sounds like a guitar as well as a bass at the same time on several ocassions. So much so that I had to check to the credits to make sure there weren't any guest appearances. Rocha is a tight, hard hitting drummer, who is not without finesse.

It's hard to tell if the music is composed or improvised, but I would be inclined to guess the former. The music reminds me a lot of 90's post rock band Don Caballero, because it's very busy and pummeling. There's a bit of a later period King Crimson vibe to these tunes as well, because there are shifting rhythms and intertwining bass lines. The sheer technical prowess on display here is certainly impressive.

The detraction is that the quality of the songs do not match the quality of the performances. The tracks sound too much alike, and it starts to sound a bit like two good musicians who are simply showing off. You can't really say its bad, because these guys can play, but you can say that it's got no soul. 

Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

Erwin Michelfelder
Latest Reviews

Swims - Swims EP
Swims are a duo from Sacramento, California consisting of Paul Slack on Bass and Mark Rocha on drums. This six song EP is their debut, released on French lab...
260424   Snapshot - Snapshot(Blu Ray)
260424   Black Files - Black Files( VOD)
260424   Marco Baldini/Apartment House...
250424   Intruder - Psycho Savant
250424   Hot Spur - Hot Spur( Blu Ray)
250424   Happy End - Happy End( Blu Ray)
250424   Electronicat - Saturation
240424   Soma - Me Dais Mucho Asco
240424   Koobaatoo Asparagus - Onna-musha
240424   Magda - And Suddenly, Just L...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom