Attraction to All Things Uncertain

Tweaker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 18, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B00005O7TV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,322 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

It all started with the painting on the cover of the album. From the serpentine, shadowy slither of the opening track, "Linoleum," through complex soundscapes that float slowly into a kind of light, not the light of day, but the filtered glint that leaks through yellowed windows. Grammy® Award-winning artist, producer, and remix virtuoso Chris Vrenna takes us on a journey through The Attraction to All Things Uncertain. A little background. Chris Vrenna has been a prominent figure in alternative music since he began hammering drums and programming beats with Nine Inch Nails. After leaving the band he soon became one of the hottest studio wizards in the business. His credits are vast: David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Green Day, The Wallflowers, Hole, Rob Zombie as well as Xzibit featuring Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg. In a recent one-month period alone, he provided U2 with their "Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)" for the summer blockbuster Tomb Raider, and provided remixes for Nelly Furtado, Weezer and Poe. In addition, he produced the recent album for Cold, whose CD is nearing gold status. Even coffee, Vrenna's admitted drug of choice, isn't enough to fuel this furious pace. Every now and then, he's gotta get out, take a walk, and prowl the art galleries of L.A. "I'm an art enthusiast," he admits. "So one day I went into this gallery and saw this painting of a sad little guy staring at an empty typewriter, with a cup of coffee on the table. His hands are folded. He's got these big glasses on. It practically brought me to tears. The expression on his face, and the feelings that the painting evoked were just amazing. I went back to that gallery every week for six months and just stared at that painting. Then, finally, a dear friend bought it for me – they said they couldn't let anyone else own it." The painting, created by Joe Sorren, now hangs in Vrenna's living room. Previously, it hung on his studio wall, an apparition whose silent, eloquent presence he used to inspire this latest project -- an inspiration so direct and demanding that Vrenna even borrowed from the painting's title, Elliott's Attraction to All Things Uncertain, for his album. In moments grabbed between freelance projects, or in long late-night stretches with only Elliott as his witness, Vrenna assembled a compelling sequence of pieces, bristling with electronic effects, swampy slide guitar, and stadium-sized slammin' beats that alternate with moments of intimate introspection. Each note plays a role in Vrenna's grand plan to tell the story of Elliott, a kind of lost Everyman, whose life, if everything works out, will lead not to triumph, but to a kind of resolution born from resignation and acceptance. To help guide the story along, Vrenna recruited three guest vocalists to add words at four critical junctures. Each received musical material, a reproduction of the painting, a summary of the plot, and instructions on what Vrenna hoped they would contribute. The results surpassed his expectations. On "Linoleum," the opening track and single featured on the EP, David Sylvian's haunting baritone brings us quickly to the heart of Elliott's fearful confusion. A woman's voice asks "Why?," which only emphasizes his uncertainties. Will Oldham's (of Palace Music and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) contribution to the album on "Happy Child" is the turning point of Elliot's story. As the music shifts from a murky tread into a breathless suspension on "The Drive-bye," it's the only part of the album where no drums or percussion pulse. It then falls to Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think to deliver the two final vocal tracks. His voice stretches like a bird emerging from its egg on "Take Me Alive" and soars over a chorus of massed harmonies, unchained yet not quite free on "After All," singing "I do not fear this after all/Not quite so fearless after all." The 50-minute EP of "Linoleum," the first single from tweaker, features remixes of the David Sylvian track from Josh Wink, Wamdue Project, King Britt, Teargas & Plate Glass and Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers, along with rare non-LP tracks. The 12" vinyl contains remixes from Josh Wink, Wamdue Project and King Britt. Recorded under the name tweaker, which Vrenna adopted when he began work on this project three years ago, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain will be at long last released this fall. And that's just the beginning: Look for American McGee's Alice, featuring his music for the popular PC game based on the darker side of Alice in Wonderland, later this year. This collaboration between Vrenna and game designer American McGee is a match made in virtual heaven. As the genius behind Doom and Quake, McGee possesses a dark and brilliant vision that perfectly complements Vrenna's sonic imagination. For Alice, Vrenna concocted a haunting score played mainly on toy instruments and sweetened with female choir, strings, and effects. It is not a game for the faint of heart, but then, neither is the music of Chris Vrenna. Have the courage to enter the world of Alice and The Attraction to All Things Uncertain -- you're guaranteed to come back safely, and with a decidedly different view of the world around you. Both albums will be out on Six Degrees Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! This genreless album hits you in all the right places, September 25, 2001

By 

S. "mediaddict" (Jamaica Plain, Morocco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Attraction to All Things Uncertain (Audio CD)

At first I was somewhat skeptical, while I love Vrenna's remix work and am a big Six Degrees fan, I never would have guessed on a union between that particular artist and label. But my fears were quite unfounded. Certainly not techno, certainly not industrial, certainly not ambient or worldbeat, Tweaker's really made an album with a sound uniquely it's own while building upon foundations from many genres.

While many of the songs are quite different in structure, one of the commonalities across songs is something I can only call "thickness". Each song has alot of things going on, and even the simple songs have multiple layers of sound, insturments moving in and out of the mix. Of course, this being Vrenna, the percussion (both live and programmed) throughout is wonderfully emotive, complex, and excellent. But what makes this album amazing for me is that instead of being a percussive-dominant album, the amazing rhythm work is merely one part of the collage, and the guitars, vocals, samples, and programming create a really addictive brew, somehow both challenging and hook-laden at the same time.

The songs with guest vocalists feel like the most "traditional" songs on the disc (Craig Wedren's voice is just stellar on his two tracks), and while they are all excellent, I feel it's in the insturmentals where this disc really shines. "Swamp" rocks out like a great NIN insturmental with nice crunchy guitar and drum licks, while "Turned" could be mistaken for a spaced-out Orb tune with layers of reverb and chirping birds. "Drive-Bye" would be as at home on 4AD as Six Degrees, while "Microsize Boy" is a wonderful slice of vocoder and punchy drums. And while each song might have it's own unique sound, the "thickness" of the music allows the whole album to blend amazingly well, so instead of jumping all over the map it comes off as cohesive and connected.

All in all, this one of my most pleasant surprises of the year. I was expecting a decent album to play a few times, then probably forget. Instead I found a genreless album that's guaranteed a spot in heavy rotation for quite a while. (The Beautiful packaging of the disc is an added bonus as well)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars phenomenal music, August 20, 2003

By 

Captain Planet (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Attraction to All Things Uncertain (Audio CD)

to start off, yes, christ vrenna was the drummer for NIN, and no, this cd does not sound like "the downward spiral" or "broken." it is a completely different sound. but that is probably to be expected, seeing as how when one does one's own solo project they can do whatever they please. it may not sound like NIN, but you can here a hint of influence in it. very electronic, featuring the voices of many other persons, other than himself. NIN is one of my favorite bands, and so is tweaker. i recommend that all of you buy this cd if you enjoy good music, which this most certainly is. it is always in my cd player. just check it out, you'll be happy

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid effort, October 16, 2001

By 

Mike (Seymour, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Attraction to All Things Uncertain (Audio CD)

Well...being a big NIN fan i picked up Chris Vrenna's solo full length in hopes for some good music during the usual Trent Reznor four year drought. It is a good album, a little too electronic for my tastes in some parts, but it is growing on me. Definately far surpasses anything mtv plays these days. Original, organic blend of rock/electronic type stuff. Not a dissapointment at all. I'd recomend this to anyone who is in the modd for something different and atmospheric. Good music will always prevail...