Concert Monkey takes a look at 20 of the best albums of 2014

Not a countdown. Not a Top 20.

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“Even when immobile, we are in motion.” (tētēma - tenz)

What makes Patton’s recordings so Mike Patton-like? A certain level of high tonality, a sophisticated mixture of noise and harmony, all kind of esoteric, world music and tribal riff combined with heavy metal, plus the madness of the vocal parts. And the teams-up he does with other magnificent musicians.

tētēma – his latest project with the Australian composer and pianist Anthony Pateras – makes no exception. Their debut LP Geocidal was released on December 9 via, of course, Ipecac Recordings.

The story of the record as told by Pateras:

“Geocidal started when I locked myself in a convent in rural France for 10 days to think about rhythm and sound.” “I then went to Paris to record the drums and prepared piano with Will Guthrie…that was the first thing to go down, then all kinds of analogue electronics, followed by orchestrations including strings, winds, brass and orchestral percussion.” The vocals were recorded then in San Francisco with Patton. “We had the craziest 48 hours together, and somewhere in between finishing each other’s thoughts, it became apparent to us that this music was going to be very, very special.”

Genre: avant-garde, experimental

Artwork: Nik Kamvissis

YOUTUBE

The video was first shot digitally, then transferred to 16mm film, and then transferred back to digital. Directed by Sabina Maselli. 

tētēma - Tenz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD2nLErSeeE

Tracklist

Invocation of the Swarm
Pure War
Irundi
The Hell of Now
Ten Years Tricked
3-2-1 Civilisation
Tenz
Suishaman
Kid Has Got the Bomb
Emptiness of Ecstacy
Death in Tangiers

MORE INFO:

Ipecac Recordings - http://ipecac.com/artists/tetema

"so stop like-ing cat jpegs, stop drooling into your phone and listen to

this freaking record - it will literally re-wire your existing perception of

sonic possibility, although that's probably underselling it."

Anthony Pateras - http://anthonypateras.com/blog/