Leonards Lair
Whereas some post-rock acts stick to one particular formula, for a new outfit, Peterborough's Roncatto Braathen are extremely adventurous; covering the full gamut of styles normally associated with the genre. 'The Melody Haunts My Reverie' collates field recordings, melancholic Hood-like guitars and that familiar air of Godspeed-like despair but with the unneccessary loud parts removed. It makes for a lengthy but highly interesting beginning. 'Oh Captain, My Captain' is reminiscent of the recent Dextro album thanks to its lovely fuzzed-up melody. The remaining tracks consist of shorter ambient pieces, which are high on dreamy atmosphere. What impresses most, however, is that Roncatto Braathen have managed to deliver an inventive, moving and excellent EP with just two band members, making 'Victory Advancement' a great example of the benefits of post-rock downsizing.
4 out of 5
Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep
Post-rock/Instrumental music or whatever you want to call it, has been a tired and bloated movement over the last few years. Thankfully, though, 2006 saw a few bands willing to branch out a breathe new life into the genre. While, Grails 'moved the goalposts' significantly with their stunning "Black Tar Prophecies Vol 1, 2 & 3" release, other bands have been incorporating different elements to their music. We Vs Death and Foxhole, for example, make good use of brass instrumentation, while younger bands such as Our Sleepless Forest and Romance of Young Tigers are absorbing psychedelic influences into their expansive compositions.
Peterborough, UK's, Roncatto Braathen opt for a different road on their "Victory Advancement" ep (which is limited to just 33 copies). Instead this duo fuse post-rock structures with Fennesz style ambient haze and some expert piano playing. Bold statements are made in their press release, where Roncatto claim their music "trandscends catergorisation..". Such statements need solid evidence to back it up and over the course of this 5 track ep, there are some fine moments when they manage to.
It all kicks off with "The Melody Haunts My Reverie" which combines vicious sounding storm samples with an off-kilter guitar line, that serves to heighten the tension of this immensely atmospheric track. In parts, it reminds me of some moments on Mogwai's "CODY" album, most notably the track "Chocky".
The storm samples certainly give the opening track a certain edge, but they tend to become a bit over-bearing elsewhere, to the extent that they detract from the music. The best examples being, "A Mechanism Buried Inside You" and "Oh Captain, My Captain". Port-Royal found the perfect combination on their "Flares" album, there are obvious samples there, but they are buried in the mix, rather at the forefront and the actual music gets a chance to 'breathe'
However, devoid of any sampling, the digital haze of "Fugue" provides a real highlight and is easily the ep's strongest track. It recalls the work of both Fennesz and Last Days and features washes of digital sound and static, wailing feedback and muted, distorted guitar work. As "Fugue" progresses in slowly unfolds into an alluring melodic passage.
Special mention must also be given to "Oh Captain (reprise)", which at less than 2 minutes long, is a brief but gorgeous track of looped piano sounds. Its short, but most definitely, sweet.
As this is only Roncatto Braathen's 2nd release, "Victory Advancement" shows a young band willing to experiment. The M83 influenced "Oh Captain, My Captain" hints at real potential and once the right balance between the instrumentation and sampling is found, they will be well on their way.
Despite this, though, the "Victory Advancement" ep is well worth investigating, although I'm not sure how many of the 33 copies are left. I am intrigued to see where this duo will go next.
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Terrascope Online
Of all the useless categorisations in music "Post-Rock" is possibly the most meaningless to me as it does not seem to offer any clues as to what it should sound like. Hailing from Peterborough and calling themselves ambient post rock, did not then give me high hopes for Roncatto Braathen, especially as the name is also shrouded in obscurity. Maybe it is this very lack of expectation however that allows me to enjoy their latest CD "Victory Advancement" , a haunting and ethereal mix of electronics, samples and guitar effects that is filled with emotion and a huge palette of sounds. Including rumbling drones, delicate strings, and some scratchy discordant moments, the whole album is a soundtrack to a lonely walk through the mountains, the cities lights visible far away on the plains below, and sound seriously good when played through the headphones.
If this is post rock, I like it, I just hope others can match the standards set by this superb album.
The Silent Ballet
Something doesn't sit quite right with Victory Advancement. Perhaps the culprit is that we take it for granted that ambient/electronic post-rock exists. Be it the caustic excretions of The Timeout Drawer, the chilling stasis of Hammock, or the vibrant rock of 65daysofstatic, there are many flavors to sample from this genre and much groundwork has been covered during its short lifespan. However, many electronic artists work with a feverish diligence, completely isolated from the works of their peers. This isn't such a problem for the casual listener, but fans of the movement get a bad case of "heard this before," so any new outlook on the genre is a welcome addition. Can a duo from Petersborough make all the difference? Roncatto Braathen awkardly fit into the modern music world. In my eyes the most successful purveyors of this art form in the year 2006 are the ones that have evolved from the highly experimental past and moved forward to a more structured sound. Aye, this is quite disheartening, for the electronica movement was created by DIY musicians who need not appeal to a higher authority, but the recent crop of musicians convincingly making me love ambient post-rock to death makes me think that more of these people are experimental for experimental's sake and not actually seeking to draw any emotional connection to their listener. But then why do we bother to listen? A valid counterpoint would be that many of these musicians have no listeners, and I concede to such an argument. Game well played.
It is with these thoughts in mind that Victory Advancement leaves a stale taste in the mouths of its listeners and feels a bit dated in the world we now inhabit. "The Melody Hunts My Reverie" pushes the limits of our patience. We are immediately thrown overboard into the icy ocean waters and no lifeboat is tossed to our aid. This ten-minute life-struggling ordeal is not without rewards. Walt Witman offers a hand on the next track and lifts us out of the cold experimental bath and into the warm synthetic embrace. Audio samples are strategically places to avoid the fall into monotony, just barely in time, and a small piano presence adds to this piece's depth. The highlight of the EP comes with "Fugue," which begins with a course, dirty guitar introduction and slowly fades into comforting computer sounds. This is the moment where Roncatto Braathen show that they aren't all wires, bolts and circuits and that human flesh -- maybe even a heart -- drives this band.
As I look over my notes for this reviews it becomes evident that Roncatto Brathen are too cerebral for their own good. These are not musicians who are mindlessly stumbling through a cd, but rather two lads who strive to be different. Once they get these initial thoughts out of their system and move onto the next stage it should be a site to behold.
Score: 5.5/10
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Thanks to all the sites/magazines that have reviewed us thus far...