Nice Nice – “Chrome ” – [Temporary Residence Ltd.]

Max Level   1/2/2006   12-inch, A Library

A guitar/drums duo from Portland OR who launch their simple lineup off in countless directions: funk beats, drones, jagged thrash, gamelan-sounding percussion, deep dub throbs, etc. Avant punk-funkers of the early 80s, such as Material (the “Memory Serves” LP for example) and Massacre come to mind. A definite Frith flavor in the guitar experimentation. Except for a couple of sections with processed vocals, tracks are instrumental. All recorded live without overdubbing. The boys evidently do a lot of looping and triggering, keeping grooves going while adding more live stuff to the mix. A great combination: talent, good ideas, and the modern technology to make it all work. Sort of a sketchbook feel here, with many of the tracks two minutes or less. Slightly longer pieces toward the end of each side.