Liquid

Album review

35007's third full-length release, 2002's Liquid, is a fully instrumental, conceptual effort consisting of just four songs that, one presumes, are meant to illustrate the fluid state in musical form. Not only do they succeed in this endeavor, 35007 also churns out some truly inspiring and out-and-out cinematic sonic vistas that in the end coalesce into a single, awesome musical wave (pun intended). Rising from the ocean depths on the cusp of slowly building synthesizers, 11-minute opener "Tsunami" eventually crashes like a million gallons on a beach of ultraheavy, stoner rock guitar riffs. Appearing to rock and sway with the ebb and flow of tides, ensuing numbers "Crystalline" and "Evaporate" take the shorter route to shore by locking into rhythmically rotating bass guitar figures that spray psychedelic accents in the surf. And in 14-minute closer "Voyage Automatique," 35007 attains a hypnotic trance-groove perfection, at once blissful and utterly seductive. Do away with all of these watery metaphors and Liquid still stands as a major accomplishment in the ambient rock field, and a recommended introduction to both 35007 and the genre at large.

© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo