"Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion
Acme
New York's pre-eminent trash rockers got their groove
on and retain the human element.
Though it was pasted together from over six months worth of session tape, in collaboration
with about a dozen hip-hop and techno producers,
the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's
fifth full-length feels more like a live act than do most bands' live acts. Restraint
is the key here, as Spencer, guitarist
Judah Bauer (who plays a lot more bass on
Acme than he did in the past), and especially drummer
Russell Simins hone in on the sort of '60s-singles-factor soul power that
punk was too proudly undisciplined to imitate.
Acme marks JSBX's return to steady
rhythms-more in the vein of
1994's Orange than it is of 1996's jolting
Now I Got Worry. But Now, instead of hitting and quitting, Simins' jungle
beats come in gleeful conflict with Spencer's uniquely unrefined melodic sense and
proceed to work it out. Songs like "Magical Colors" and "Do Ya Wanna Get Heavy?"
plunge into new groove streams without need of a bridge - they're like haiku’s with
riffs in the place of words. Those tracks, along with "Blue
Green Olga" and "Torture," are smooth enough that Spencer's characteristic raggedness at first seems absent.
Turns out he's channelled his raw energy into
Acme's undercurrent, from which it gradually spurts, squalling,
like air from a stretched-necked balloon. (Matador) Adam Heimlich
(Self-Analysis)
Jon Spencer On Why
The Blues Is Still No. 1.
What was different about the recording of Acme, as opposed to
the sessions for your previous albums?
For me, it was a life change, I became a father about a year ago; that was a big
influence on me.
As far as the other guys - for Judah, I think there was a big influence
from country and bluegrass, (especially) a guitarist name Clarence White.
Russell, I think, was really influenced by Crystal Meth.
The drug?
It's a drug?
Did all of Acme's collaborations go smoothly, or was there static? Alec Empire and [the Automator] Dan Nakamura worked together on the song "Attack." Judah
and Russell described it as a real battle. They were doing things simultaneously,
and the volume was ear-splitting and neither of them would pause to five the other
a chance to check out what the other had done. They were really sort of battling
across the mixing desk. That sounded kinda exciting, but I missed it.
Are there any records you've
been bangin' this summer?
Bangin'?
Listening to?
Oh, I honestly haven't bought a record in a long time. I have a lot of records that
I bought during the last bunch of touring, but I've yet to make my way through all
those. It's not like it's a hugh amount, but I swear to God I've gotta listen to
those records before I buy any more.
- Adam Heimlich." |