Customer Reviews

Crom-Tech

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Crom tech succeeded with their music on many different levels. First of all, the instrumentation was HIGHLY structuralized for improvised music (John Cage, in contrast, composed; thought I use the term loosely). This in itself is very unusual for any music that draws from free-jazz (which crom-tech obviously did). The guitar and drums play WITH each other (not against each other, as it is traditionally often done in this kind of music)in a very intricate fashion. Crom-tech (as well as The Cranium, a band who worked closely with crom-tech) were searching for a NEW way to experience music. If new music doesn't sound weird the first time you hear it, it's probably not all THAT new... To simply call a music "noise" does not make it so. One must first define what noise is, and then decide whether or not the music in question fits the definition. "Noise" is simply any sound that one does not wish to hear. A conventional pop song interferring with a transimission from a radio tower could easily qualify as noise for an airplane pilot who is distracted from listening to her next instruction. Crom-tech found the perfect balance between conventional rock-music and improvised/creative music. The music that they left us with is both equally accessible and challenging. They will be missed by many.

Whenever I feel too romantic and serious about music, I put this on and go &$"·&@()?¿)$·)&·!". I just LOVE this kind of attitude, blasting away without compromise, leaving nothing but startled critics and confused musicians in the way. The DEFINITIVE post-punk for me... done with masterous dexterity by the way... INCREDIBLE.

I originaly saw this band perform live in Minneapolis. This ensamble exists as a two piece (guitar & drums), they execute songs that average 1 to 2 minutes in lenght. Their arrangments consist of tightly organized playing that can only be described as amazing. Crom-tech proves that sensory overload is a good thing. The fact that this cd is still available on this forum is a stupendous achievment, for this type of music. I could only hope that Mobo & FLoater are still putting out more amazing tracks of madness. Not much info is floating around out there.

Hmmm, I can't dance to it so it's not good? Does that make the Vengaboys a great, valid band? Good music tends to have a mix of aestheticism and conceptuality, but this album is so extreme that it transcends this criterium. I've had the distinct privelege of seeing this band live multiple times. The first time I thought it was improvised, but then came around to realize that it's highly structured under the veneer of chaos. Because the entire Crom-Tech experience is so cerebral, it succeeds on an emotional level: the feeling of no feeling. This album is brilliant and if the spuds can't understand it, it's their problem... that's why bands like Nickelback were created. Crom-Tech not only rocked, but they put the universe into balance and perspective. They deserve your hard-earned cash.

crom-tech was comprised of two hesher dudes (guitar and drums) from washington D.C. they wore fanny packs when they played and i guess they were pretty nerdy. they were also one of the most original and band of the last couple years, (until lightning bolt came around, who you should also check out if you dig this). crom tech was interested in finding new ways to excite the listener beyond even avant-garde standards. i think that crom-tech found a working unison of metal, jazz and avant garde that avoided all the silly pretensions of those genres. their music is wonderfully paradoxical--even though the artwork, lyrics and information on the cd postulate the band as a duo of alien intruders, the way the instruments are played, the sound of the recording, and the urgency of the yelped vocals make me aware of the humans behind the freaky chaos. the weirdness and inaccessibility of it just draws me closer, so that eventually there are parts that i regard as hooks or choruses in their own deviant way. even bands that are closely tied to crom-tech, like melt-banana, ruins or magma, don't for me offer the same exhilaration or weird reassurance that crom-tech had. those bands sometimes seem self-indulgent or willfully obscure, whereas i think crom-tech's total bizarre otherworldly sound was really just a natural development for these two very weird guys. there's a youthfulness and naivete beneath the virtuoustic playing and impenetrable structures that is usually lost when more professional-type musicians compose music this challenging or dense. if you like crom-tech, you should also check out their new band orthrelm, who i hear is pretty rad, as well as fat day. also try to find crom-tech's 12" on slowdime, which is longer, more intense, and more mindblowing than this short but very sweet EP.

One of the niftiest things about this CD is that it sounds like 1.6 Band being played at 78 rpm - especially the vocals. And just try listening to this in the car without spazzing out like a nut... DORPAL!!!!

a jumbled mess of Ruins, Minutemen and Magma. sounds like the band is on fire (literally) while they recorded this. there is no discernable melody and no hooks to speak of, but they pull off these quick fast blasts of technical prog-jazz-grind with jaw-dropping ability. thankfully, this album is short enough to keep your attention, even if it is hard to grasp much of anything that is going on. part of me wishes that Crom-tech would take some time and explore some of their ideas a bit further, rather than speed through them all and move on to the next one (all within 10 seconds of each other)...but that would take away some of the ridiculous appeal of this crazed band. not for everyone but fans of The Flying Luttenbachers should do themselves a favour by checking out Crom-Tech. insane band. the packaging and layout is also pretty cool and has a certain Voivod sort of feel to it.

This record blows my mind...completely over the top. Not quite so much as Orthrelm, but still decades ahead of anything else. Wow. Couldnt recommend it more for fans of spazzy, insane music.

obviously some of the other guys that wrote a review for this band have no idea how to play an instrument. this band is very technical, extremely awesome, and very good with there instruments. im in love with the guitar player. ive been listening to these guys for the past 7 years and still havent gotten tired of it. this is for fans of Melt Banana, Lightning Bolt, Glenn Branca, Nilist Spasm Band, Arab On Radar, and Naked City.