Montgomery, Roy / Grouper – Split [coll] – [Grouper Self-release]

This split pairs Portland, Oregon’s Grouper (Liz Harris) with New Zealand’s Roy Montgomery.

Montgomery’s first track is an 18 minute bluesy acoustic guitar raga. The track is a live recording of a song that Montgomery originally released on the Harmony of the Spheres compilation and is based on a piece by Sandy Bull. Montgomery’s second track is a dreamy song with layers of guitar.

Grouper’s half is a 4-song suite (“Vessel”), which begins and ends with mysterious field recordings.
-”Hollow Press” is a haunting a cappella (save for the windy roar which accompanies Harris’s multi-tracked voice).
-”Vessel” is a somber hymn sung over a hazy keyboard melody.
-”Hold the Way” is a simple keyboard melody with the clearest vocals of this set.
-”Pulse” is a couple minutes of contemplative keyboard which give way to the sound of a dog barking and more unidentifiable sounds.