dreamlike Archive
The Golden Measure – The Golden Measure – self
Guitarist Mike Sopko and drummer Simon Lott: expect the unexpected. The Golden Measure – The Golden Measure [TrackList follows] self-released 888295375799, 57:58 [3/25/16] ***1/2: (Mike Sopko – guitar; Simon Lott – drums & vocals) Guitarist Mike Sopko and drummer Simon Lott supply expansive minimalism (and nothing straightforward or ordinary) on their instrumental duo project, the Golden Measure. The outing may be minimalist in regards to only having electric guitar and drums, but the music is involved, tricky and potent. The two friends’ hour-long, self-titled and self-released undertaking has them playing amid a myriad of styles, from spacious, ambient-flecked material (the Eno-esque “Visions Distorted”) through rock-tinged tunes (“Westside” and “Ebber”) to roaring, turbo-charged clamor (the punk/hardcore-enriched “Carol” and the aptly-named “Wake Up, Son,” which could take the place of an alarm clock). Sopko has performed and recorded with Bill Laswell (as part of the trio Sopko, Laswell and Pridgen), former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, drummer Tyshawn Sorey, keyboardist Jamie Saft (who is a member of the Spanish Donkey and Plymouth) and more. Lott was in guitarist Charlie Hunter’s trio and has worked with bassist Todd Sickafoose, plus others. Most of the 21 tracks (which range in length from over eight minutes […]