Deceleration One

Califone certainly spread their wings with this one. The inaugural installment of what was envisioned by Tim Rutili as a series of instrumental and/or improvisational albums, Deceleration One is a cinematic treasure. The album was recorded live and split into two sets, although when it's taken as a whole, it blends together seamlessly. Six tracks comprise the first set, an improvised score to film loops by Jeff Economy (who also provides sound effects) and Carolyn Faber. The second, also recorded live, originally served as a soundtrack to Ladislaw Starewicz's 1933 animated puppet show, The Mascot, a film in which, according to Perishable, "the dustbins of Paris disgorge skeletal demons for a midnight fete." Given the fairly obtuse material, it would've been extremely easy for the band to lapse into what instrumental film music, especially when improvised, usually suffers from, namely wankery and/or repetition. And while the band on Deceleration One is easily recognizable as Califone, there are no "songs," per se and the group never falls back on old familiar tricks. Intangible synthesizers, clanging bedpans, and beautiful, fleeting melodies float in and out of the ether for a mesmerizing hour. It's obvious that the band is focused and reacting to the images on the screen in front of them, and more importantly (at least for the album's purposes) creating an evocative foundation on which the listener may build their own mental film. (The strange catalog of song titles also serves as an excellent jumping-off point for bizarre daydreams.) Ultimately, this record isn't reserved for Califone completists. For fans of instrumental music and neophytes alike, this is an extraordinarily imaginative and surprisingly accessible piece of music.