“the cleaning is now complete”
Selling Out in the Silent Era, by Stereobate, was released in November 2001. I have no idea why I haven’t heard this CD before now. Fusing influences diverse as Brian Eno, June of ’44, Mercury Rev, Jane’s Addiction, Widespread Panic, folk, bluegrass, and DJing, the three members of Stereobate (Jenks Whittenburg, Trip Hosmer, and Winston Binch) have crafted one of the finest albums I’ve heard in a long time.
The beginning track, “let’s make a foreign film!,” is an ambient noise conglomeration that ends in a smooth female voice: “The cleaning is now complete. Please enjoy the music.” And then it’s off to the races.
The album is eclectic in its music choices, but it works very well. Even Winston Binch, guitar player, admits it is “a scattered record.” “the french letter” is melodic and beautiful and even; the music progressing along its orchestration, building constantly, growing and weaving. “when radio came” is broken and disjointed, but still retains its whole, complete with heavy bass and whispered lyrics: “when radio came the stars came and when video came the sky got crowded, when radio came we all heard voices then video came to kill my chances.”
Stereobate does not depend on lyrics; instead they chose to express their thoughts through the music. The lyrics, when they do appear, come barreling out like bullets from a gun on most songs: forceful and staccato. They are a contradiction, a juxtaposition, an interruption to the organic, moving, living thing that is the music.
The songs, for the most part, also average over 5 minutes. This was an unexpected surprise because not often does a band have the courage to let songs evolve and develop. Binch said the songs run so long because “it is about finishing a thought for us. We wait until it’s finished.”
Selling Out in the Silent Era is a powerful album with passion, anger, distress, and memories all wrapped up into a neat and tightly-controlled chaotic package. The music is new and alive. While songs change from chronic metal to soft melody to bluegrass strumming to ambient (sometimes within one song), they retain their character. Stereobate is not afraid to mix it up and let the songs take chances when they want. There is always a danger with experimenting so vividly with sounds and forms and drastic changes, but the band sounds like experts.