Polyphonic – A.D.A.

Polyphonic – A.D.A. / 2005 Audio 8 / 14 Tracks / http://www.container473.com / Reviewed 21 October 2006

Immediately, Polyphonic sounds like Kid Koala and The Avalanches. That is to say, that the band uses a heavy amount of samples and scratching to achieve their goals in the disc’s first track “Container Life #473”. The band has the ability to come forth with a quilt of different sounds and samples, in creating what is a Frankenstein’s monster that approximates humanity pretty damn well. “Moving On” is a track that is far removed from the scratching and sampling during “Container Life”.

In this track, a back and forth rap flow mixes well with a jazz background and drums to create something that simultaneously looks at the early days of the twentieth century, the nineties, and the current period. Polyphonic jumps styles again for “4 Rumours of a War”, a track that goes back to the sixties to pull on trends of reggae and incorporate them alongside the very atmospheric and ambient synth lines on the back of the track. Polyphonic’s output on “A.D.A.” is more like what one would expect from a compilation rather than a cohesive and coherent album. By the time that “Out to Lunch” starts, a rap style regains control of the vocal flow, but this rap style is not anywhere near what one heard during “Moving On”. Horns mixed with overly distorted noises are the soup du jour during the disc’s shortest track “Sun and Moon”.

When one listens to Polyphonic, what one should expect from the act is not static; each track on the album is like spinning a roulette wheel. While Polyphonic goes back to rap a number of times during the disc, the fact is that there are considerably different approaches to the art form. Polyphonic’s “A.D.A.” is a great album to focus on, not only for its application of earlier styles but also for the talent shown in blending and mixing styles into a coherent sound. The one thing I would like to see is more of a tying together of the tracks that are on “A.D.A.”. There are so many different styles, genres, and approaches to creating music here, but largely these tracks remain insular and without any other ties to what may be happening two or three minutes after the current track. If that can happen, I would be confident that Polyphonic could become as famous as acts like the previously mentioned Kid Koala and The Avalanches.

Top Tracks: Out To Lunch, Sun and Moon

Rating: 5.8/10

[JMcQ]