When you ask someone what kind of music they listen to, you usually hear one of two responses: 1) "I like everything" and 2) "I like everything but country and rap." The former is an outright lie (how can you possibly like Celene Dion!), while the latter is a half-truth--when you look at the country/rap hater's musical library, you find Beck, Wilco, Rage Against the Machine, Toby Kieth...alright, no Toby...but no doubt the guy who claims not to like rap or country actually enjoys portions of, if not all, the musical character that defines the genre. I say, let's bury genre-specific music hunting! Be bold and listen to something you might not seek out. This is leading somewhere, you can tell. It's not "math-rock" or "prog-rock," it's the album Mirrored by Battles and it kicks arse!
The album leads off with a fervent cross-stick drum beat on the aptly titled "Race: In" and pretty much never lets up until reprise and closer "Race: Out." These songs sound as if a bunch of rock/funk/jazz mutts got together in a warehouse somewhere and allowed whatever to come to come--then meticulously shaped the ideas that came out of the meeting. It's not so much about trying to figure out what they are doing, though it is a fun challenge; it's just enjoying the sheer enthusiasm and passion they clearly have for this style of rock. And, as I experienced a couple weeks ago at a show in Portland, it's actually really fun to dance to too! They--fucking--slew.
They are all incredibly talented musicians with a keen sense of metre, tempo, and space. The band's make-up: a bassist/guitarist (Dave Konopka), an absolutely monster (!!) drummer (John Stanier, formerly of Helmet), and two keyboardist/guitarists (Ian Williams and Tyondai Braxton, also on "vox"). Each member also has an array of noisemakers and looping machines used to create intricate, interwoven beats and [very] hidden melodies.
With all that said, listening to Mirrored may still be quite a challenge for some not already predisposed to "experimental rock" (dammit, I wasn't supposed to give it a title!). Just give it a shot; check out some songs; watch some videos on their myspace page. If nothing else, you may be able to at least appreciate why I can't stop listening to these guys and can't wait for more!!
Listen: Battles on Mypsace
Watch: "Atlas" video
Watch: "Tonto" video
Buy: Amazon
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