All Of Yesterday Tomorrow

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Containing the earlier Passé-Présent compilation but also completely superseding it, All of Yesterday Tomorrow is an exhaustive overview of Amp's many rarities and one-offs that is manna from heaven for the hardest of hardcore fans. Much like the RROOPP label's earlier compilation for Yellow6, the goal of All of Yesterday Tomorrow is less chronological overview than aesthetically pleasing presentation, and at that the three-disc effort succeeds beautifully, from its striking design and presentation (a combination of microscopic imagery and amplifier worship) to the detailed liner notes providing all necessary details for those so inclined. But of course the music is first and foremost, and from the opening number, the previously unreleased "Sketch a Star" featuring Richard Amp on overdubbed guitar drones and howls, All of Yesterday Tomorrow touches on the many different aspects of the group's varying incarnations, from full-band rampage to minimal contemplations. Part of the joy of the collection is the inclusion of various earlier songs that didn't make Passé-Présent to begin with -- thus the almost straightforwardly shoegaze "Melatonin Red," from a 1997 split 7" with three other groups, "Strangely Charming Quark," the physics-referencing song from a compilation on Enraptured released in tandem with a label festival in London that same year, or the incredibly early track "Moon Tree," which featured Dave Pearce, later to found Flying Saucer Attack. Other songs have appeared on rare but later re-released efforts like the band's original cassette debut Green Sky Blue Tree, but their inclusion here helps put them into a new context, along with tracks that have surfaced on various comps, in some cases like the trebly abstract funk of "Left It (Too Late)" more than once! Meantime, the more recent songs, such as the calmer, flute-tinged "Fine Day," the electronic clip of "Miles'N," and the contemplative instrumental "Ipso Factum" help showcase how the group's sound has altered in ways over time while still following in the general continuum of past efforts.

© Ned Raggett /TiVo