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Mark Dresser

Tines of Change

Review by Gary Hill

Bass is the instrument of choice here. In fact, it's the only instrument. The thing is, you might not believe that at times. This sounds unusual and unique. It's generally experimental in nature. This is not actually progressive rock, or even rock, really, but it is art music, and that's why I landed it where I did in terms of genres. This music isn't all that well suited for track by track review, but that's the way we do album reviews at MSJ, so that's how it's done.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

Track by Track Review
Prolotine
This feels freeform and tastefully strange. There are chirps and screams of high end sound, but also some cool low register stuff. It's classical in nature, but also decidedly art music based.
Tynalogue
There are moments of this that make me think of Tony Levin. Still, the track has plenty of unique art music elements at play. This is not as crazed as the opener, but it's certainly intriguing.
Harmonity
I dig the sort of spacey vibe of this number quite a bit. The track paints some intriguing textures and sounds. The cut covers a good amount of territory and is pretty fascinating.
Melodine
While this gets pretty adventurous and experimental, in some ways it feels more specifically classical in nature than some of the others here do.
Bitonetime
More freeform and a little crazed, this has almost psychotic vibe to it.
Gregoratyne
Echoey, sparse and suitably strange, there is an almost otherworld quality to this. This arguably the most experimental thing here. Given the competition, that says a lot.
Augmentine
This gives the last one a run for its money in terms of the experimental nature. This has echoey jabs of sound at its heart. It's another strange, but interesting, one.
Chordone
Lower register than some of the rest, this is no less freeform.
Nakatanitine
The echoey groove on the beginning of this one more closely approaches rock at times than other tracks do. Yet, it also drops way down to very mellow stuff, as well. It's often sporadic and ambient in strange ways.
Tonologue
There are some odd noisy elements at play here at times. It also gets into that textural zone for long stretches. It gets more rocking at times, but still in very unusual and unique ways.
Narratone
More intriguing exploration is under way on this. It gets into sections that feel almost like weird soundtrack music.
Epitine
More rocking, but still suitably strange, this is one of the most effective pieces here for me.
 
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