| CD REVIEW Bodi Bill |
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Band : Bodi Bill Originally, this wacky Berlin based keyboard/ electronics act Bodi Bill was a trio, and to date I still don’t know whom they were/ are. Somewhere along the line a fourth member entered the fold, and whether that was the female which is found portrayed on the band’s second EP, or an extra guy, I have no way of knowing! What I dó know, is that the band released its debut 4-track EP Willem on the Sinnbuslabel (to which they stayed to date) in February 2007 as a precursor (including also 3 non-album tracks to keep things interesting) to their full-length debut No More Wars, issued a mere 3 weeks later on March 7. In early May of the following year, the 5-track EP Tip Toe, I Like Holden Caulfield (again with 3 non-album tracks, this is the EP with the 4 members portrayed) preceded sophomore full-length Next Time (and weirdly enough, in the promo talk of that album one speaks of only 3 members still!), released later the same month. In October of the same year the band released a new EP titled Depart, including new track “Depart Tropical”, the album version of “One Or Two Ghosts”, plus alternate versions of both the latter and of “Tip Toe Walk”. In November 2009 the band added to that the 12-inch remixes EP Tagträumer. In the meantime the Sinnbus label apparently got contacts to distribute its material outside the strict confines of its home country, and when Bodi Bill were thus given the chance to bring their material to a broader audience, they chose to fill an album with material taken from previous releases, remixing a couple of ‘em in the process, and adding a (very darn good) remix of their own of the (instrumental) track “Schattenspiele” (sorry I can’t tell you by whom the track was done originally). The end result shows a somewhat versatile band which aat one moment will use the synths in piano mode, adding strings and drum percussion to complete the musical part of ballad-like tracks, while tuning the synths into a more electronic mode for other, occasionally somewhat more vivacious songs. Don’t expect any EBM or Dance music though…well, of course one could always try to do a slow to this music…because overall the music remains in a calmer mode of moods. I’d even say that there’s some degree of minimalism to it, but the “less is more” rule certainly applies to the variety of the material. There’s also some versatility in the vocals as well, with one of the guys singing lead for the most part and occasionally being the only singer in certain songs, but also getting both male and female backings (accasionally making for some semi-chaotic babble which is simply só attractive). During “Depart Propical” there’s even a lead passage (the first being male) for the female singer (the song also sees a small passage with harmonium played in it). Here and there, you get the impression of a guitar being played, but that’s (synthetic) make-belief, of course! At any rate, this is very weird music, and I dare to say not exactly the kind of music the average Concrete Web listener will turn his or her ear to. Nevertheless, there’s open-minded people everywhere, so why not among our readers? Those among you who feel called should by all means listen to the tracks posted at myspace.com/bodibill. The 6 tracks available there might be a weird bit to cut your teeth on at a first listen, but when you take the trouble to listen to the music through headphones, you’ll find they have a strange way of crawling under your skin. 85/100 Tony. |
