Cassette Review // Stefan Christoff & Joseph Sannicandro "Temps de Travail, Syncopé" (Moon Villain)

$7 //
https://moonvillain.com/album/temps-de-travail-syncop //

This cassette opens with what sounds like the tuning of the guitar, a sharp ringing behind it and a hint of drums.    The guitar riff begins to feel like it could be something out of an old western or those dueling banjos.    The ringing persists and I'm sure it would drive some people mad, but then it just all opens up into this sonic bliss-filled space.  The wheels are turning and you can hear the melodies moving.    There is an almost field recording or mechanical sense about this as well.

I feel the cymbals coming through now like a swarm and this beeping makes it feel as if words will also come through.    It just builds through the fabric of post rock into something more cinematic.    A sad horn sound comes through with what feels like conversation in a crowded room behind it.    A beautiful acoustic guitar riff now.   As it breaks down into just this acoustic guitar part I feel like we're watching someone else's home movies.   Tones blister in the background now and it feels like a distorted film.

As it seems to fade out now the notes come through in small bursts only.   It feels like a broken piano piece now, not attached to the rest of the composition but yet still sad and desolate.   There is a slight ringing behind this, almost like insects, but the pianos just continue in such a stellar way.    Back and forth tones cut in and then the song just feels like it boils up to an end.

Sharpness now comes in with voices speaking behind it but I'm not sure what they're trying to say exactly.   The rhythm of that strumming returns behind this now and though the spoken words have faded the sharpness continues in bits. 

On the flip side we open with an acoustic guitar/piano sound with what sounds like a field recording behind it, but it builds so loudly that you can't really tell-- that field recording idea fades into the background as it sounds like a harmonica comes into the forefront.   The acoustic guitars ramble and take on an almost folk feel before turning classical.   Delicate tones do grow as that guitar rambles on behind them.

After it sounds like a car starting it just becomes this glorious piano sound.   There is this shaking, but it's also like the pacing of a car racing.    The piano remains constant.    It slows now, feeling like sleep.   That subtle engine still in the background.    It all just grows so much faster, so intense, as a sound like an accordion on an old boat, like a sea shanty, takes over as well.   A fun ride now, up and down the hills. 

It seems like a field recording as you can hear a crowd behind this all and then someone begins speaking on a loop about how it is better to know where to go than to know how to go, though sometimes they change the how and the where so I guess it's all a matter of opinion or experience.    As that song seems to end a new song emerges with a rambling guitar like a banjo.