iH8 CAMERA (s/t) CD
Just as the name is unusual, so too is the music of this Belgium improvisational band. However, iH8 CAMERA is more like a musical collective than a real band and, even if their music had been influenced by early Pink Floyd, Neu! or Ash Ra Tempel they don't belong to the ever-increasing number of retro bands. They succeeded in transforming that style into something more modern mingled with further influences. This album, released in 2009 through Trip In Time/World In Sound, has been recorded in 2006 at the Burg Herzberg Festival on the "Freakstage" and is a wonderful trip into the world of floating psychedelic music. The CD includes seven songs and tells the true story of the trip to Burg Herzberg Festival.
That's also the reason, why each song is named after German villages in the area surrounding Herzberg. Sometimes the music is drifting into free jazz territories such as 'Niederaula'. On the other hand, songs like 'Unter Schwarz' remind me to bands like Television or early Talking Heads refinded with a slight space rock edge. Maybe you think that iH8 CAMERA present itself as a chaotic free-form sextet, but due to the flawless musicianship the music will never turn into a wild, uncontrolled excess. Well, one should have a desire for improvisational music, because otherwise it will be an endurance test for the unprepared listener. Anyone who doesn't have problems with experimental guitar-driven music should listen to iH8 CAMERA. I promise you an entertaining journey!
(KK)