Search - Deniz Tek :: Equinox

Post-punk Electric Ladyland from Radio Birdman mastermind

10/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With Equinox, former Radio Birdman guitarist/ songwriter/mastermind Tek continues the forays into hard-rocking experimentalism he began on 1996's Le Bonne Route. Aided and abetted by former Hendrix/Neil Young amp wizard Dave Weyer as co-producer/engineer, Tek layers the guitars with psychedelic abandon while retaining his roots in high-energy Detroit bands like the MC5 and Stooges and hard rock kingpins like the Stones and Who. His vocals echo Iggy and the Doors' Morrison. Replacing his longtime Australian co-conspirators with an American rhythm team, Tek adds a few new musical influences to the sonic stew: free jazz, Captain Beefheart, Turkish folk music, and most notably, a strong foundation of funk and groove, courtesy of bassist Todd Eagle (whose off-center humor and vocal delivery on his compositions King of the Carnival and Good Citizen will find favor with Primus fans) and drummer Clay Green. Besides providing keyboards to augment the basic rock trio, Weyer overlays the music with sound effects and studio vignettes in a way that fans of classic rock albums like Electric Ladyland and Dark Side of the Moon will appreciate. Tunes range from mysterioso hard rockers like the opening Seven Is and Sideways Motion to sublime funkers like Aqua Caliente and Christmas Eve, the strange ballad Moon (sung by Tek's wife Angie Pepper, with very Townshend-esque rhythm guitars), the Jimmy Smith lounge jazz-doomy rock of Hit 29, and the Stones-like crunch of Shellback. An absolute must-hear for anyone who enjoys challenging, uncompromising rock with an experimental edge and superior production -- a post-punk Electric Ladyland for the New Millenium and beyond."