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8/09/2015

Para Contra - ..Offered With Many Apologies EP (2008)




/Improvised music, Art rock, Alternative pop, Free jazz, Indie rock, Musique concrète, Progressive rock, Electro-acoustic, Avant-rock, Lo-fi, Psych-rock, Space rock, DIY/

Comment: actually the title of this 7-track issue is misleading in multiple ways – firstly it is categorized as an EP though it involves music with a length of 53 minutes. Secondly, the title`s intention seems to provide self-indulgence about the music though by listening to it I can assume it is a very uncompromising issue at abandoning stylistic borders by Ontario, Canada-based trio Para Contra. Of course, it is possible that Alex, Brad and Jake think of quite inferior sound quality represented over there. However, it does not matter and actually adds some charm to the pot. Furthermore, their music is being a part of Rack And Ruin Records whose goal was to pick up home recorded music. The trio`s music is at times full-fledged to extend to the space, at times it is nervously brooding searching for backdoor to leave behind shortages in mind. At times provokingly primitive, at times showing up more sophisticated compositions through psychedelic progressions, artsy progressive rock-alike piano taps and even adding some field recorded sounds to the blend. There is even up one immersive jazz inclined composition called Para Jazz which now and then resembles Sun Ra, the huge mystic in the pop culture. One seems to be true – these guys probably have enjoyed their sessions altogether. Ultimately I could acknowledge that the issue used to grow up on me.