Bardo Pond Selections Volumes I-IV CD

Philadelphia indie-psych drone masters Bardo Pond return with a new double CD offering comprised of 17 rare and unreleased tracks that have previously only been available in limited numbers as CD-Rs at the band's live shows. Selections is the band's 7th full-length release, and documents the highlights of their career, remastered and repackaged by ATP Recordings. 2005.

Bardo Pond: John Gibbons , Michael Gibbons.
Philadelphia space rockers Bardo Pond pulled together a collection of rare tracks that were previously available only on CDR's sold at their shows. While oddities and B-sides compilations are often hit and miss, Bardo Pond managed to keep the filler level low and instead released a double-disc that provides a fantastic overview of their long career. Formed in the mid- 90s by brothers John and Michael Gibbons, the band never broke big but developed a core cult following. While their sound, replete with droning guitars and hushed vocals, hasn't changed much over the course of their career, all four members have become increasingly confident with their medium as the years have progressed. The first disc sticks more closely to the band's classic drone formula, while the second finds them attempting to expand into bluesy post-punk territory, making a number of sly drug references for good measure. While none of the tracks are weak, standouts include disc one's closer, the lush "Heaven," and disc two's more experimental and edgy "Tanked."
Hip-hop has mixtapes while modern psychedelia has the limited-edition CD-ROM release -- the same principle applies, though, in terms of getting music out there, beyond "official" efforts as such. Bardo Pond are up through six collections of experiments and jams as of mid-2005, with Selections, Vol. 1-4 being just that, a sampling of the first four of these often-wonderful releases. Given that Bardo Pond's raisons d'ętre are indeed long improvisations recorded as they happen, it's not entirely a sudden steering away in style, but this two-disc collection generally emphasizes the strictly musical side of the band, with Isobel Sollenberger contributing only fragmentary lyrics or gentle croons on the singing front (her flute work is often prominent, in contrast). Where she does come more to the fore, as with "E Dub," she can provide an almost startling focus to the compositions, but she is more content here to go with the flow, or rather, to be carried along with it. Starting with the sample-laden, slow-and-low "Sit Sleep," Selections, Vol. 1-4 touches on everything from (relatively) short edits to extremely long, detailed jams. If anything, the collection shows that far from simply having a one-note approach, the quintet can take basic principles and use them to test out a variety of approaches towards doing one's brain in, from monstrous demi-metal riffs to near-minimalist flow and hum. The ten-minute "Before," for instance, relies on an ominous mantra/melody crossed with violent solos and steady, increasingly forceful drumming, while "Montana Sacra" has its core drone acting as a base for a series of squalling if still restrained acid rock solos, a continual trading off. "Lomand" probably shows the most variety over its own length, from majestic descending riffs and drones to seemingly endless drift. ~ Ned Raggett