"Smooth, this ain't." – Pitchfork
"Concise yet fragmentary, destabilises conjunctions of rock and electronica with detuned instruments and obtuse beats irregularly set in precise structures." – The Wire
"A shock to the system. Skeletal, broken-machine funk shrouded in sound glitches launching into Can-like rushes of overdriven groove madness." – Austin Chronicle
"As joyous as instrumental-rock-influenced sound games come: the tape edits and glitchfuckery are unified by a groove the band rides head-on into inevitable burbling rupture or seething pouf of guitar magma. If I didn't know better, I'd suspect them of smiling while they play this stuff." – Chicago Reader
Fly Pan Am sharpened their sonic and conceptual knives to shiny surgical points on this second full-length. Having gradually moved from long, reverb-drenched repetition to concise, bone-dry repetition in their live shows at the time, these songs are marked by a full embrace of stuttering, fucked-up funk. The result is a tightly-wound record that frequently seems to pop its own springs. A strange and resistant strain of instrumental rock had been breeding in the tweaked brains of these four boys, this record emerged as a startlingly infectious little virus, helping to keep the form alive by undermining and destabilising it in brash and unpredictable ways. Fly Pan Am chewed up casual conjunctions of rock and electronics, leaving that hollow, worn-out ‘post-rock’ category in a crumpled heap behind them. The group was serious about their krautrock, but about a great many other things as well, whether New York no-wavisms, afro-beat, or musique concrete.
Recorded by Thierry (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, Black Ox Orkestar) on the new 24-track tape machine at the original Hotel2Tango, Ceux Qui Inventent… is precisely stitched together, with the rhythm section of Felix Morel (drums) and J.S. Truchy (bass) serving as a new-wave-meets-no-wave backbone for the screwed-down/spastic guitar work of Roger Tellier-Craig and Jonathan Parant. Self-sabotage is the recurring theme, with a variety of moves, both instrumental and ‘artificial’, serving to disrupt and dislocate the music. No, your CD player is not defective — those skipping sounds are intentional.
Recorded by Thierry (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, Black Ox Orkestar) on the new 24-track tape machine at the original Hotel2Tango, Ceux Qui Inventent… is precisely stitched together, with the rhythm section of Felix Morel (drums) and J.S. Truchy (bass) serving as a new-wave-meets-no-wave backbone for the screwed-down/spastic guitar work of Roger Tellier-Craig and Jonathan Parant. Self-sabotage is the recurring theme, with a variety of moves, both instrumental and ‘artificial’, serving to disrupt and dislocate the music. No, your CD player is not defective — those skipping sounds are intentional.
PACKAGING NOTES
Pressed on 180gram vinyl for the first time. LP comes in a 20pt/400gsm jacket with artwork printed on inner sleeve. Includes digital download.
CD comes in a custom paperboard mini-gatefold jacket with a printed CD dust sleeve.
CREDITS
Jonathan Parant: guitar, tapes, electronics, organ, piano, voice
Felix Morel: drums, tapes, electronics, voice
Roger Tellier-Craig: guitar, tapes, electronics, organ, voice
J.S. Truchy: bass, tapes, electronics, voice
FEATURED GUESTS
Felix Morel: drums, tapes, electronics, voice
Roger Tellier-Craig: guitar, tapes, electronics, organ, voice
J.S. Truchy: bass, tapes, electronics, voice
Tom Bernier: clarinet on Track 2
David Bryant: guitar on Tracks 6, 8
Bruce Cawdron: bowed percussion on Track 7
Jacques Gravel: clarinet on Track 2
Christof Migone: noises on Track 8
Thea Pratt: french horn on Track 2
Sam Shalabi: guitar on Track 8
Alexandre St-Onge: digital manipulations on Track 2
Recorded at thee mighty Hotel2Tango in Montreal by Thierry Amar and Efrim, 2000-2001.
David Bryant: guitar on Tracks 6, 8
Bruce Cawdron: bowed percussion on Track 7
Jacques Gravel: clarinet on Track 2
Christof Migone: noises on Track 8
Thea Pratt: french horn on Track 2
Sam Shalabi: guitar on Track 8
Alexandre St-Onge: digital manipulations on Track 2
Recorded at thee mighty Hotel2Tango in Montreal by Thierry Amar and Efrim, 2000-2001.
Mixed by Thierry, Efrim and FPA.
Mastered at Grey Market in Montreal by Harris Newman.
