Following Rich Aucoin and Kristen Roos, Toronto curators We Are Busy Bodies cornucopia of recorded sound bubbles over once more into the joys of synth music with fling ii. The Ann Arbor group’s third instalment, logically titled ‘3’, sees the band gleefully pushing their neo-krautrock rhythmicism onwards. There’s little pretension here though, just the transforming pulse of locomotive electronic music which locks you into fling ii’s tunes.
‘3’ is very much a journey rather than a sprint, a series of vibrant instrumentals each with their own character but also vital to the album’s collective impact. Listening as a whole comes recommended. If you have heard any fling ii music before then the opener lau settles you in with its Trans Europe Express momentum. There’s a tingling tension around the track, earthy percussion bristling around the central synth pattern and a humming mantra underpinning the swell. The Kosmische vibes rise as a lightly swung rhythm eases in, the kit drum and bass combination guiding the tune towards some space rock connectivity.
The Buchla/Moog/modular expressionism of fling ii founder member Brad Gowland remains key to the band’s sound but on ‘3’ an expanded list of players suggests their musical outlook is always broadening. Joining Gowland, guitarists Richard Murphy, Dave Van Dusen and Adam Narimatsu on keys, we have drummer Tony Guarino and another fretboard explorer Cory Chubb. Not that these developments have led to over complexity or a descent into indulgent jamming. The beauty of ‘3’ is that the collective keep their tunes focused and purposeful. What’s changed maybe is that they’ve allowed a wider range of influences to percolate within the music.
The illusive inke may begin rooted in a sombre synth processional but the tune emerges warm and soothing. The rustling Fourth World percussion, the fluttering melodic layers and some whispery dream pop vocal gently coax the ambient transformation. More subtle surprises come with beem where Van Dusen’s pedal steel plus the light intrusion of treated guitar lines glide across the chugging synths and Tony Guarino’s perfect Neu-like beats. At this rate fling ii’s soundscape could soon comfortably match Rich Ruth’s inventive country prog in the genre twisting stakes.
The final tracks on ‘3’ confirm that the band have captured their most expansive sonic landscape to date. Ilia is irresistible, a relaxed trip-hop jazzy stroll, all smouldering Rhodes piano, lush synth strings and bluesy licks. Here the drums are nimble, even lightly funky and the brilliantly syncopated wind-down breathes laid back grooviness, each brief bleep, burp, squelch, tick and twang interlocking magically.
The long form mago is a fitting final statement which brings all the fling ii components together and compounds their power. It’s a piece which is steeped in prog sensibility, the synth combinations gliding between harmonic early music scales, rich Vangelis vamps and Jarre flourishes. This is no retro flashback though, it’s an unravelling composition shaped with care and inspiration. The momentum switches from a stompy swing to a bass anchored calm before gathering itself around the Chubb/Van Dusen sensitive guitar fills. Plenty happens but everything contributes to the whole until a swooping drone brings ‘3’ to a celestial close.
In their press release fling ii get cryptic with the declaration that ‘3’ is “an album for nobody in particular, or perhaps particularly for nobody”. Yes they are a singular band but you could add that they make music for anybody who gets curious…and further investigation is guaranteed to bring enduring rewards.
Get your copy of ‘3′ by Fling ii from your local record store or direct from We Are Busy Bodies HERE
