Kolovos, Peter – “New Bodies” – [Thin Wrist]

Thurston Hunger   2/9/2013   12-inch, A Library

Mad scientist sounds via Thin Wrist label leader Peter Kolovos.
On first listen, without reading anything I was pretty sure
it was a guitar, but never certain. Confirmed that afterwards.
Still chords are pretty much non-existent in Kolovos’ sound
world, and effects are amplified in every sense of the word.
One might say they are worshipped as the new language, rather
than serving as an accent for the old. The feedback employed
and evoked by Kolovos seems like some rare alien form, and
through some heavy pedal work, it is often accelerated, and
quickly zipped through your ears, almost like a cartoon
peee-oooooh-weeeeep. Open (city) string rumbling adds menace,
and there are some patches of throatier, meatier sounds, but
the emphasis seems to be on higher “notes.” But again, notes
denotes the wrong sensation, the guitar in Kolovos’ hand
is more of a six string SETI instrument. Can I say it feels
like a spacecraft with engine problems? Maybe better to say
that it’s tearing up the canvas, with splatter and precise
drips and stabs. Three lengthy explorations on this 2009
release.

-Thurston Hunger