Irridium Controversy, the

Amazing Boston based all instrumental group that’s been tooling for 24 years now- high art, prog, jazz, avante (?)- impossible to label, pidgeon-hole (and extremely difficult to do track by track). Just fine use of pianos and ensemble type instruments, guitar and electronics. In fact, for such a prog’ish outfit this stuff could fit really nicely in an experimental electronica set. Pretty close to jazz, but really just great compositions. Since my first exposure to them was a tape of a tape of a tape of them 1985 where they performed all Stravinsky, I cant help but hear Stravinsky in all of this. Suffice to say, this is really great stuff.

(track by tracks are tough as each track is very multi-dimensional, but here goes…)

1) midpaced major melodic, full
2) pensive, minor
3) pensive again, discordant feel w/ marching snare
4) this has a cool repetitive underlying bass tone at first, then goes into more epic composition
5) somehow reminds me of the Residents in places, slower
6) dark pensive piano w/ great use of subtle electronics, slip this in w/ electrobeat stuff
7) rumbling piano, spacey droney intro, kinkds into off-key proggy weirdness
8) full drum set, offbeat bordering on jazz, then repetitive loopy strangeness
9) I like the eighth beat pensive piano and pretty instrumentation
10) sorta chill and pretty, could make a fantastic segue way
11) more great super subtle electronics w/ piano and flute melodies
12) dark, near spy feel, with interesting sounds and percussion that builds into a veritable drum-fest!