Zeitgeist presents Karda Estra, Electric Crayon Set, Econoline


The Electric Crayon Set	Karda Estra	Econoline

The Electric Crayon Set - One Man's Trash (Soundhawk)

Doubtless named after the Bam Caruso compilation, Rubbles Volume 5, The Electric Crayon Set started life as in 1998 as an eight - piece called "Jennie Tropik Dream" , shortly thereafter changing their name, to adopt a more straightforward freakbeat style. After releasing a single, "The Hardest Thing / Demons In Disguise" , this is their full length debut.

Happily wearing their 60s hearts on their sleeves, this is a merry ,elting pop of all things acid, psych, Paisley pop and prog, mixing and matching whatever takes their talented little fancies. Comprising Seppo Tyni : Bass, Jussi Reunamäki : Keyboards , Timo Lilja : Drums and backing Vox and Timo Pääkkö : Guitar and Lead Vocals, it's the keyboards that hold everything together. Catchy choruses, the odd bit of hmm, nice acid jazz, this wouldn't have been out of place in either that genres 80s revival or the paisley pop revival of the 70's. Which could explain why the debut single appeared on hipper than thou mod label, Detour.

Timeless, poptastic, this is an excellent CD. Things might improve with a more dynamic set of vocals, but there is much to like here. Mmm, dig that Hammond B3.]
Electric Crayon Set C/o SoundHawk P.O.BOX 118 28101 Pori FINLAND
timo.paakko@satabaana.net... website : http://personal.inet.fi/musiikki/timo.paakko/timo.html

Econoline - I'm Plagued (Seriously Groovy)

The less than hasty follow up to 'Breakfast Of Champions' which we loved and hated in not equal measures ( 2 out of 3 is better than not bad). Econoline seem to be moving on from their lo-fi origins and have now reached the early nineties in their musical aspirations, as they deem the time is right to reinvent grunge.

Which was absolute mince the first time round, all poor me, look I'm a tortured artist, give that bugger a good slap now! Thanks be then that it's less Nirvana (boo, they were crap) more Mudhoney (hurrah, they were crap but knew it and didn't care), with a nod in the general direction of Husker Du. The bad news is Steve Lamaq of Radio 1 likes them, and so do Kerrang!, so I suspect I'll have to pretend I never really liked them in the first place. But if you ask me nicely when no-one else is around, I would say that this is their best yet, adding a bit of aggression which was sorely needed without losing the fragility that made them good in the first place, "Too Much Sleep" being quite possibly a classic.

Karda Estra - Eve

Eve is inspired by the short novel The Future Eve, written in 1886 by Villiers de L'Isle Adam. It tells the story of the 'world-famed inventor and master electrician Professor X', who creates a 'perfect' mate for his disturbed friend Lord Ewald. The story is full of fantastical descriptions and images - the android ('Andraiad'), the not yet fully formed human potential or spectre that would become her soul and the quasi-scientific apparatus of Professor X.

With this release, Richard Wileman has finally lost any connection he had left with the progressive rock world and is now firmly working in the modern classical idiom. If you're looking for an easy comapriosn, and we most certainly are, think about what happened to Talk Talk when "Spirit of Eden" emerged. This is nearly a pure instrumental piece as the vocals of Ileesha Bailey act as an extra instrument rather than for transmitting traditional vocals.

The combination of guitar and keyboards with a traditional wind and string section works very well, and this at times a haunting and disturbing piece of music. As befits a tale of morality and scientific manipulation. This is the finest Karda Estra release yet and a definite highlight of 2001. Available loads of places including my local HMV:-)