Recommended listening

On their second album, "Airs Above Your Station," Seattle indie rockers Kinski splice together explosive guitars with mellow synths.

Published March 7, 2003 11:59PM (EST)

Seattle-based quartet Kinski craft their sound from the outer reaches of pop and ambient Krautrock. Splicing together sections of dreamy synths with distorted guitar, they explore the possibilities of noise dynamics.

Their second full-length release, "Airs Above Your Station," runs over 60 minutes and leaves plenty of room for discovery. It stitches together Kinski's divergent influences, from the ambient introspection of Brian Eno's work with Cluster in the 1970s to the bombast of "Daydream Nation"-era Sonic Youth, contrasting mellow moments and explosive sounds.

The album rumbles to a start with the static crackling and undulating synth drones of "Steve's Basement." Slowly, the volume increases, and three minutes later, a lazy guitar gives form and rhythm to a shapeless sound. A sudden guitar blast disrupts the serenity; howls and moans follow while the drums pound out a stoned beat.

"Airs Above Your Station" is out now on Sub Pop Records.


By Rob Young

MORE FROM Rob Young


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Music