CD Review

Buke and Gass
Riposte
Brooklyn, NY
Produced and recorded at Polyphonic Workshop in Brooklyn by Buke & Gass. Mixed and mastered by Aron Sanchez

How much noise can two people produce? A hell of a lot, as Arone Dyler and Aron Sanchez prove on their debut full-length record.  Riposte is sonic feast, Arone’s voice carrying melodies heroically over the bevy of amps and effects their homemade guitar/bass/ukelele combinations run through, while their foot powered percussion keep the whole affair charging unstoppably forward.

“Medulla Oblangata” begins the album with a rise before laying out the full sound and laying waste to any doubts about the duo’s power. The album continues this design with songs like “Medicana” and “Revel in Contempt” where moments of melodious calm form the valleys of raucous and uplifting canyons. The album moves up and down through moods and ideas, but the drive never ceases, you may find yourself striking nearby objects in time by the end of the first song. The foot drums seem to double as canons, pounding steadily to keep your head bobbing while their hand held instruments play with and against each other, moving in complex rhythmic patterns that keep the songs from ever getting old. Riposte is an energetic album that will make you move with power and purpose, just make sure you don’t have anything fragile in your hands. (Brassland Records)

Garrett Frierson
http://www.bukeandgass.com/

(Note: This was published in the current issue of Performer Magazine and is available on the performermag.com blog)