GINGER LEIGH - "IF I SHOULD DIE TOMORROW" CD - "Ginger Leigh exterminates the paradise apparatus of the human body pill cruel emulator that compressed the acidHUMANIX infectious disease of the soul/gram made of retro-ADAM to the body encoder of the ultra machinary tragedy-ROM creature system that was debugged the technojunkies' to a hybrid corpse mechanism. Reptilian HUB modem that crashed a chemical anthropoid Ginger Leigh turns on ill-treatment to the insanity medium of the hyperreal HIV scanners that covered cardiac mass of flesh-module DNA channel of the corpse city. If I Should Die Tomorrow, the murder game neuromatic to the terror abolition world-codemaniacs that was processed the feeling replicant living body junk of Ginger Leigh's digital vamp cold-blooded disease animals data mutant of the drug fetus of the trash sense." - Kenji Siratori, author of Blood Electric

IKONEN MAGAZIN Nov 2004 (www) Wiesbaden, Germany

CHRONICLES OF CHAOS Nov 2003 (www) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ginger Leigh - _A True Life Story_
(Masuno, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10)
 
Continuing where he left with _10 Stories, 10 Lies_, _A True Life Story_ is a more nuanced journey into the realms of harsh electronics, subtle hums and devastating feedback by Ginger Leigh. The album has a more aesthetic feeling to it when compared to _10 Stories, 10 Lies_, the compositions are better, and there is a better balance between loud and soft. Having a somewhat cleaner mix causes the songs to seem more vivid; there isn't much that Ginger Leigh and Muslimgauze have in common, because of the entirely opposite direction Ginger Leigh is moving in. The tracks on _A True Life Story_ are more song-oriented, and are very melodic even in all their electronic harshness compared to Muslimgauze's anti-melodies. _A True Life Story_ is not for the faint of heart, but then again, it's not for the breakcore-addicts either: the album contains too few brutal beats and has too many passive moments. For those who appreciate the subtle shades of industrial, _A True Life Story_ is definitely worth checking out.

CHRONICLES OF CHAOS Nov 2003 (www) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ginger Leigh - _10 Stories, 10 Lies_ (cd 2003 MASUNO)
(RLM, 2002)
by: Xander Hoose (7.5 out of 10)

How does one define originality? The question rises from time to time, when coming upon certain albums. Ginger Leigh's _10 Stories, 10 Lies_ is one such album. Continuing the electronic / industrial onslaught of previous albums, _10 Stories, 10 Lies_ contains thirteen songs that are unique in many aspects but share great similarities with other artists on the other side: when one listens to the middle-eastern percussion and the scraping beats, break-genius Muslimgauze comes to mind. However, Muslimgauze has always limited his experiments, whereas Ginger Leigh takes a far wider spectrum of noises and sounds and integrates them into his music. Ranging from passive drones to hyperactive industrial walls of sound, there is enough for the listener to experience and enjoy. I am a little discontent with the production, though: a somewhat heavier mix wouldn't hurt the songs at all.

MONAS Nov 3, 2003 (www) Eindhoven, The Netherlands

GINGER LEIGH "A True Life Story" (cd 2003 MASUNO)
The promo copy of this cd came to me with a long list of quotes from reviews of colleagues who all recognize the originality of this American project. Ginger Leigh mixes noise and some industrial with ethnic ((near) Eastern) sounds, some tribal drumming and avantgardistic music that reminds me of When sometimes. 16 Tracks and 43.31 minutes of craziness and originality. Here and there a shred of recognition, but often not at all. If you want some vague comparisons, I can refer to Tesco acts like C.O.T.A. and Cruelty Campaign (both also from the USA) whose music I referred to as "livingroom industrial", "industrial soundscapes" and "industrial hearplay". All these descriptions I could also use for Ginger Leigh. That does not mean that Ginger Leigh sounds much like the two mentioned bands, but if you like them, I think you will also like this. As said, I hear When here and there and maybe if you like the State-Art kind of industrial, you should try to get your hands on this one. Quality-wise, I would say that Ginger Leigh comes between Cruelty Campaign and C.O.T.A., not too far after CC. Good to hear that there is still original music from the industrial scene. "Sophisticated noise", how is that for a description? -Roy

ELD RICH PALMER Sept 2003 (www) Mlawa, Poland

GINGER LEIGH "A True Life Story" Masuno CD-R
It's really amazing how far you can go blending two musical aesthetics as different as chalk from cheese - pop and noise! Ginger Leigh's digitally generated works are based on these two elements - noise as the building material, the skeleton, and pop as the surface layer owing to which the listener finds the final product nice and accessible. If by now you start to visualize what it sounds like, I'll blur that somewhat vague image by saying that Ginger Leigh scorns half-measures - ear-splitting feedback, squeaks, hums and frequent expanses of harsh sonics, overtly presented, are there all the time. Yet you they easily may pass unnoticed, so deftly is this anti-pop matter employed to form catchy tunes, to create a quasi soundtrack to an oriental sound journey. Yes, this album contains compositions, everything falls into its place, meticulously designed to the slightest single screech. No improvisation or controlled chaos. The whole thing has a narrative feel to it - beside the poundings of digital hardcore you encounter oriental drums, pipes, fleeting jokes and a good deal of serious electro in vein of latest incarnation of Coil. I must admit it's the first time I've encountered such an approach to the highly uncommercial matter that the sounds from beyond the margin of music. What's more, it works fine. More accomplished than its predecessor "10 Stories, 10 Lies", "A True Life Story" shows that Ginger Leigh has metamorphosed from a merely intriguing sound-maker into an artist who can make astonishing and moving music. Recommended. [krzysztof sadza]

FLUX EUROPA Sept 11, 2003 (www) London, England

GINGER LEIGH
A True Life Story
CD
2003
Masuno
43:33

Life, so I am told, is stranger than fiction, and truth is of course a concept defined by interpretation (if you don't believe me then go switch on the next news broadcast). A True Life Story is definitely strange, the product of the fevered imagination of a lady by the name of Ginger Leigh, who - perhaps no big surprise this - resides in Artesia, California, a town that, to borrow from Voltaire, if it did not exist then it would be wholly necessary to invent. ART IS HERE, CA! A third straight noise to a third industrial blustering to a third unadulterated weirdness, this is littered with howls of pain, unnerving Middle Eastern wailing and an extraordinary visual capacity that makes it like the fractured soundtrack to some deep, dark video documentary on nocturnal activity in your local cemetery (standout track 'Graveyard of Dreams': the funeral march, the twitter of bats, the pouring rain, the creak of the opening casket).

After five years or so even I am tired of listening to seventy minute slabs of pure metal noise, tweaked to such ludicrously high volumes that the slightest twitch on the amplifier knocks all your windows out. This is a pretty good alternative. Alternative noise. Alright, it does sound a bit like Muslimgauze, but you couldn't make that a criticism. Worth buying for the final track 'WATCHTOWER', a cracking piece of cracked industrial, alone.

STEWART GOTT - 11 September 2003

IKONEN MAGAZIN Sept 2003 (www) Wiesbaden, Germany

GINGER LEIGH - A True Life Story
Hinter dem unscheinbaren Namen verbirgt sich eine Old-School-Industrial-Band aus Artesia / USA, die mit noisigen Soundschleifen, sägenden Gitarren, Melodiefragmenten und erstaunlich eingängigen Ryhthmuspassagen einen Soundtrack zum gegenwärtigen Zustand ihres Landes mixen. Ein vielschichtiges Klangerlebnis, das unwillkürlich inhaltliche Assoziationen provoziert und Inspiration aus zahlreichen transkulturellen Quellen schöpft, so auch aus der Musik des Orients. - Diese Scheibe wurde als komplett schwarz beschichtete CD gepresst. cd

German to English translation:
Behind the inconspicuous name, an old-school industrial release emerges from the city of Artesia in the USA, which mixes a soundtracks with noisy sound loops, sawing guitars, melodic fragments and amazingly unusual rhythms considering the present condition their country is in. A multi-layered sound experience, which produces mechanical associations and draws inspiration from numerous multicultural sources, as well as the music of the Orient. - This disk was pressed as a completely black coated CD. cd

FUNERAL PROCESSION Sept 2003 (www) Utrecht, The Netherlands

GINGER LEIGH - A True Life Story
style: eclectic industrial

This is already the third album of Ginger Leigh I have had the pleasure listening to. And as usual I'm treated to a rich spectrum of sounds, ranging form harsh noise to exotic world music. "A True Life Story" seems to be a little harder in general than his previous work, it is more relentless and less cheerful. In the first song 'Take me away to dreamland' sharp noises interfere with the eastern orchestral melody. Really harsh is 'Push/pull', which I already tried with success at some industrial dance floors. Dynamic ethnic percussion is mixed here with heavily distorted power electronics-type vocals, which are screaming fiercely. 'NARC' is another hard, monotonous attack, while 'Unpaved Roads' sounds like the soundtrack to an old Bombay movie. With this artist you can expect anything...

Ginger Leigh again convinces with a mixture of eastern madness and industrial fierceness, and this time he is more violent than ever. One of the songs is perhaps not by accident called 'I dreamt a dream of WAR'.

Type: cd, 16 tracks
Label: self-released
More info: http://www.gingerleigh.com 
This cd was reviewed by HD
Posted on Monday 15 Sept 2003

GODSEND ONLINE Sept 2003 (www) Evansville, IN, USA

GINGER LEIGH - "A True Life Story" CDR - More undefinable sounds from this prolific and enigmatic composer, 'A True Life Story' slinks from abrasive noise grinds ('Push/Pull' is a scorching assault) to darkly seductive Middle-Eastern dubs ('Elephant Milk' could be a long-lost MUSLIMGAUZE track). Later tracks alternate between looped-up and shrill rhythmic noise with a tribal influence to dark digital textures, almost always with a harsh, bombastic, and volatile temperament. A uniquely brutal release with an exotic flair, GINGER LEIGH's 'A True Life Story' is at once breathtaking and harrowing. (Ginger Leigh) -Todd Zachritz

WETWORKS EZINE July 2003 (www)  Frederick, MD, USA

GINGER LEIGH - A TRUE LIFE STORY self-released cdr 2003
Wow, this album is very impressive. Ginger Leigh's music falls somewhere between harsh Power-Noise ("Narc" and "Push/Pull") and middle-eastern rhythms ("Unpaved Roads" and "I Know What I Gotta Do"). I'd compare her work to a noisier version of Muslimgauze at times. Each track on "A True Life Story" tells it's own unique tale, from pummeling beat-driven power electronics to softer ethnic sounds full of great percussion. Ginger Leigh has only a few releases under her belt but is already carving out a place in experimental music for herself and her unique compositions. "A True Life Story" is a thought-out slab of noise, full of richness and depth. You need this album!  Reviewed by: GunHed

MARTWY ZMIERZCH #3 July 2003 (www) Kunto, Poland

GINGER LEIGH - A TRUE LIFE STORY self-released cdr 2003
This is something totally different to what I have listened to lately. 'A True Life Story' is the release name and I am talking about American Ginger Leigh. Often compared to Muslimgauze for me it is a mixture of experimental harsh noise / industrial with calm and psychedelic oriental voices from the Middle East. These voices are much more making the background as the noisier parts are in the foreground. Pounding sounds, feeble child and women screams are making this cdr like a soundtrack to some mad and psychically incorrect film. Suming up 'A True Life Story' is something fresh, original and varied. This variety makes me really for this album ('Push | Pull' or 'I dreamt a Dream of War') and against ('Misplaced Summer') as well. I recommend this one to open minded seekers of diversity and innovative activities. -Pawel Nawrocki

OUTSIGHT July 2003 (www) Royal Oak, MI, USA

GINGER LEIGH - A TRUE LIFE STORY 
Ginger Leigh, POB 683, Artesia, CA 90702-0683
<http://www.gingerleigh.com/>
Mysterious industrial rocker Ginger Leigh is mad about something. At first I thought it might be about Bush and the Second Gulf War as I thought I heard "Bush" in the screamed words of "Push/Pull" and noted the song "I dreamt a dream of WAR". But, that seems to be not the case and it is hard to imagine what true happenings necessitated such surreal catharsis as "Elephant Milk". The album is a mix of Bauhaus-like neo-Gothic chill with unfettered sonic assault and a dash of Asian flavor. This is the curried crossroads between Bile and early Christian Death. (4). -Tom “Tearaway” Schulte

JACKAL BLASTER June 2003 (www) St. Mary, MO, USA

GINGER LEIGH - A True Life Story 2003 (self-release) 43:33
Focusing more on industrial rhythms and noiser electronics than in the past, Ginger Leigh broadly expands her soundscapes on this excellent new release. Comprised mostly of new tracks that veer into harder noise than before, A True Life Story also contains a few older, percussion-based, songs from the past. Again, samples, vocals, and bubbling, beat driven electronics make up the picturesque, alchemic sounds that Ginger Leigh concocts, and A True Life Story is as much a deep, richly thought-out, and intensive recording as anything previous. Here though the emphasis is placed on noisy, beat oriented electronics, and less on Middle Eastern rythmns and patterns. Keeping the Arabian influences more in the foreground and less dependent on it forces both the composer and the listener to draw on other aspects of the music that is just as interesting and unique. One of the great things about an electronics/ambient/industrial/avant-garde composer like Ginger Leigh is a mindset of individuality and progressive continuity, where each and every album is different, yet enveloped in a uniqueness that only a certain artist could create, and in turn keeping the listener on edge by never knowing what to expect. Although a young artist with only a small handful of releases, Ginger Leigh has certainly created her own lasting identity through a highly creative output that draws on a number of different electronic styles. I highly recommend any of her releases. - Jeramy Ponder

DARKLIFE Issue #VIII Spring 2003 (www) Berlin, Germany

GINGER LEIGH "FROM ARTESIA WITH LOVE"
GINGER LEIGH "10 STORIES 10 LIES"
From Artesia (California) with Love and with a flying carpet ride to carry a great deal of the Muslimgauze spirit across the most part of these two valuable releases for Ginger Leigh. Middle East atmospheres and rhythms rendered in pure lo-fi, distorted fashion rub shoulders with raw and powerful industrial with a feel to it ranging from exotic to urban. Add in the melting pot bits of sinister sixties psychedelic taste, some calls to garage punk, thundering power electronics and even goth and you can picture the sonic atmospheres depicted by this wicked American dude, all flavored in noise. Quite interesting and extreme lo-fi experimentation following little or no clichés, will appeal to open minded fans of the industrial genre. Sinister ethno-industrial for lack of a better definition. Recommended! www.gingerleigh.com -Gianfri

ELD RICH PALMER Issue # 11 Feb 2003 (www) Mlawa, Poland

GINGER LEIGH "10 STORIES 10 LIES (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)"
Against a background of rhythmless, amusical releases that have been getting into my hands, any which the above adjectives don't apply to are at an advantage of relieving me from the monotony of a standard. Don't mean that I'm not happy with the status quo, but such anomalies simply do me good. Today one of them is an item from an artist I'm totally unfamiliar with: Ginger Leigh from the US. Her appearing in my musical environment could be compared to a lightning in a wintry sky. I'm surprised and impressed. 13 pieces of high-energy blend of Eastern ethno-trance, electronic throbbing and boldly incorporated noise elements, e.g. feedbacks, harsh sounds. Undeniably that short description brings to mind MUSLIMGAUZE and indeed we're on the right track but we need to make some notes that will stand up for Ginger Leigh. A well-known formula of combining East-Asian themes with the post-industrial that MUSLIMGAUZE worked out is not developed but rather interpreted here for a personal use. The dialogue of Leigh and Jones doesn't seem to be an even one, but hardly anybody is willing to follow that path these days anyways. However, she is far from the deliberate slovenliness and radicalism the untimely deceased Briton has been known for, her work is characterized by meticulousness about musical and technical aspects, accessibility to an inexperienced ear, and 'cinematic' atmosphere. Drawing a parallel between those two approaches to the music of Near East, Ginger Leigh appears a commercial artist! One of a great style, however! "10 STORIES..." is a worthwhile item insofar it isn't judged in terms of originality. What puzzles me is only the very layout of the disc. If the first ten tracks belong together, what about the remaining three which aren't that stylistically different, save for the NY Dolls cover? [krzysztof sadza]

ORTUS OBSCURUM Dec 2002 (www) Skultuna, Sweden

GINGER LEIGH: 10 STORIES 10 LIES
Released by: self-financed
Release date: 2002-06-23
Format: CD
Total Length: 43:01 min

General Facts:
Information on Ginger Leigh remains scarce, yet as far as I know, this artist has done a couple of commissioned works and prefers to let the music speak for itself. The project released its debut CD in 1998 and since then. 4 CD's have followed - this one being the latest.

Review:
This CD took me by surprise. It is always very nice to experience new innovative and inventive bands of these proportions. It is even better when the music has an attitude and with Ginger Leigh, this is certainly a fact. '10 STORIES 10 LIES' presents 13 very impressive tracks of music that easily sticks to the mind like superglue. The emphasis of Ginger Leigh's music seems to be the rhythms. They are placed in the foreground of the production in front of a wide array of melodies played by ethnic instruments and electronic sounds. The music has a lot of playful spontaneity, yet it is in no way unserious. It seems that the artist has really been contemplating on the material featured here without letting it become too dry and rigid. As the material is very eclectic, there's no really suitable definition of the music presented here. Sometimes it reminds me a lot of Muslimgauze, sometimes absolutely not. Ginger Leigh doesn't seem to be afraid of playing with their music. '10 STORIES 10 LIES' is clearly a junction between several different genres, ranging from electronic C-64 space music to more ethnically oriented stuff with the most unordinary middle-eastern finishing spices. One track is actually an unexpected outburst of cocky rock-music. I can't say I'm very fond of this kind of music but in this context, it works fine. This is a very enjoyable piece of experimental music that I recommend to those who are tired of hearing the same stuff released, over and over again. A splendid album. - Ectonaut

HEIMDALLR Autumn 2002 (www) Châtel-St-Denis, Switzerland

GINGER LEIGH - 10 STORIES 10 LIES - CD - 13 titres
"From Artesia with Love", l'album de Ginger Leigh sorti l'an passé, m'avait admirablement impressionné, avec ses tribulations électroniques teintées de rythmes et de mélodies ethniques si chères à Bryn Jones. Pour agrémenter cette bonne surprise, Ginger Leigh revient avec un disque encore plus somptueux et réussi que son prédécesseur, délaissant un son aux structures orientales pour se concentrer sur des compositions beaucoup plus personnelles, à la maturité impressionnante. Une musique électronique sombre et répétitive, une rythmique tantôt plombée, tantôt aérienne et enjouée. Des compositions puisant dans les délicatesses de l'electronica associées aux puissances ravageuses de l'industriel, tout en y intégrant subtilement et insidieusement une rythmique ethnique du plus bel effet. La voix, présente sur quelques morceaux, apporte une touche solennelle et tragique, aussi sombre que rédemptrice. Il devient rare aujourd'hui de trouver des albums d'obédience industrielle capables d'innover, et Ginger Leigh s'impose désormais naturellement comme une valeur montante de la musique actuelle. L'album de la confirmation. Recommandé!  -Stéphane Fivaz

"From Artesia with Love", the album from Ginger Leigh that came out last year had admirably impressed me with its unpredictable electronic changes treated with the colors of ethnic rhythms like the sounds of Bryn Jones. To add to this wonderful surprise, Ginger Leigh returns again with a new disc that is more expressive and more successful than his predecessor, abandoning the sound of the eastern structures to concentrate on more personal compositions that exhibit impressive maturity. Some of this is dark repetitive electronic music held together by rhythms and at times it is atmospheric and cheerful. The compositions illustrate the delicacies associated with electronica to the devastating powers of the industrialist, all the while integrating subtly and insidiously ethnic rhythms for one more beautiful effect. The voice present on a few pieces is a solemn and tragic one with a dark redeeming quality. It is becoming more rare today to find albums of industrial obedience able to innovate, and Ginger Leigh is essential from now on naturally like a rising value of the current music. This album confirms it.  Recommended!  -Stéphane Fivaz

LEGENDS #127 Oct 2002 South River, NJ, USA

GINGER LEIGH - 10 STORIES 10 LIES 
After perusing Ginger's web site and all of the reviews that she's gotten I can't help but feel like I'm missing something. I really enjoy the collaging and textural work of this release, but the low quality, almost broken tattered vinyl sound of the recording leaves me scratching my head. This recording sounds like it was made in 1930. It's flat, poorly Eqed - if EQed at all - and seems to have had a heavy reliance on Sonic Foundry's Acid.

Nevertheless, though, there are some truly creative moments in this recording. I just wished that Ginger had taken the time to clean up the recording and make it a little more accessible and listenable before she put it out there. If you're curious to know what this recording sounds like, imagine Land of Rape and Honey-era Ministry recorded on a four-track with tattered, fourth generation overdubbed Maxell tapes that were picked up on a budget at the local Wal-Mart.

But... once you get past the unlistenability of the recording, it's an excellent recording. What the hell is this guy talking about, you might ask? Well in a time when anybody can get audiophile quality recordings out of their PC or Mac it's a little hard on the ears when I hear something that's this abrupt, but at the same time the Throbbing Gristle-like coarseness is organic and draws me in.

The musical ideas that make up this recording are undeniably good. In fact they sort of remind me of my own work. When I set out to record I'm so interested in the process that I just throw the stuff on my HD, or to tape and call it good. After years, though, of being bagged on for my lo-fi work, I have to say that I take the time now to put together a strong recording. This recording is strong, particularly in musical idea and concept. I would venture to say that Ginger is going to have an awesome discography in time. These ideas seem like the sketch book, as compared to the masterpiece that Ginger hasn't manifested in hard copy form yet. I'll say, though, when she does finish that work that is probably mixed, mastered, and EQed, I look forward to it as I'm sure that it will be a most fantastic recording and one that will certainly be worthy of all the press and support that it will get.

What does it sound like? I hear traces of Big Black, Muslimgauze and a sort of garage-band version of Dead Can Dance. This recording is loop-based, yet not minimalistic, and quite ornamental. Much of the material that makes up this work is of a middle-eastern orientation, yet there are a lot of experimental aspects to this recording. There are a lot of deep drones, resonated electronic sweeps that seem to swell beyond the periphery of 0db, digital, thus creating distortion and an interesting effect, intentional or not. All and all this is a fine work, but truly an indication of the excellent work that is still yet to come. 

Reviewed by Matt Borghi

Contact Information:
E-Mail: jajouka@gingerleigh.com
Web: http://www.gingerleigh.com

AURAL INNOVATIONS #21 Oct 2002 (www) Columbus, OH, USA

OUTSIGHT Sept 2002 (www) Royal Oak, MI, USA

GINGER LEIGH - 10 STORIES 10 LIES 
Ginger Leigh, POB 683, Artesia, CA 90702-0683
<http://www.gingerleigh.com/>
Dense electronic compositions of Middle Eastern sounds and bright, percolating rhythms make "10 Stories 10 Lies" a sonic magic carpet ride to desert scenes of one's own imagination. This dream-like quality is interrupted by the spoken word delivery on "I Know What I Gotta Do" and then we are dropped off that ride into unsettling mechanical exotica on "Something is Wrong." This is the essence of Ginger Leigh: the fusion of shades of Arabia with the quasi-industrial. The ragged and rough sound quality makes the album an attention-getting mosaic of juxtaposed textures and impressions. -Tom “Tearaway” Schulte

JACKAL BLASTER August 2002 (www) St. Mary, MO, USA

Ginger Leigh - 10 STORIES 10 LIES : Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Recorded and Produced by Ginger Leigh. 2002 (self-release) 43:00

It seems only natural that Ginger Leigh's music would be presented through a soundtrack, given the very picturesque nature of the scenery and images the music conveys in the listener. Besides the soundtrack reviewed here, Ginger Leigh's music can also be heard in the "Best Director" winner at the No Dance Film Festival, 2002 film, Lucky. 10 STORIES 10 LIES presents Ginger Leigh's compositional skills within the entirety of an independent film score, and similar to earlier works, the transformation from music to transcendental moving pictures is clear and vividly kaleidoscopic.

Like John Zorn's Filmworks series, here Ginger Leigh's work lies between cultural barriers and avant-garde lines, where each individual track is a piece within a larger puzzle, and there are always vague, abstract, images surrounding them. Beginning with a lightly driving Middle Eastern percussion piece, tracks 2-4 lie within more mysterious avant film territory. "Watching you while you sleep" is a heavily layered, subterranean rumbling weight, with deep processed vocals, reverting to a rhythmic industrial pace slightly similar to Deutch Nepal's territory. "The Smell of Incense, Spice, and Urine" is short and minimal electronic blinking, while the "Burial Song" and "Little Angels" reverts to more of the exotic industrial culture blend of electronica and Middle Eastern atmospheric drones. The NY Dolls cover "Chatterbox," and the driving "Black Hair" are hard and distorted punk, like a walk through a noisy underground nightclub in New York City; not out of place given the jump and cut movement of the film music, which always returns to the dominant Arabian cultural identity. "Pearl Necklace" is simmering, bubbling ambient electronics and found environmental sounds, bits and pieces like Amorphous Androgenous or Future Sound of London's ethereal nature. The final track "The World Spinning Beneath Me" is a vortexed, circularized pounding of beats and distortion, reverting back to the centralized sound of rhythm, like noisy Muslimgauze or Zipper Spy, ending with an array of photogenic images, sounds, and cinematic atmospherics.

Ginger Leigh has created quite a musical cinematic journey through chiaroscuro shadows with 10 STORIES 10 LIES. As with successful soundtracks, particularly from experimental artists, the music is able to stand independently on its own. A viewing of the film, and a comparison between the images on the screen with those already sketched in the viewer's mind, makes for an even further rewarding awareness of the music and its expanding qualities. - Jeramy Ponder

ANGBASE Summer 2002 (www) Houston, TX, USA

Ginger Leigh  "From Artesia With Love" CDR
A mixed bag of distorted Muslimgauze-styled middle eastern loops, rumbling, lo-fi ambient noise, and full-on sampled weirdness. Like track 7's mix of Jew's harp, orchestral strings and bass-heavy menacing loop and an ear-piercing female shriek that brings everything to a sudden close. These pieces would work well if imagined as horror movie soundtracks - perhaps inspired by Goblin's work with Dario Argento in the 70s - tracks 7, 8, 9 do a good job of this. This music is obviously loop-based, with no more than 3 or 4 loops interlaced and with an added distortion edge - like on track 10, where a white-noise barrage drops in uninvited. Nevertheless, the most unusual cut here might be track 5, which is a minimal rock tune ala the Velvet's "Loaded" or Xpressways' finest with some nicely distorted chuck berry riffs. Maybe it's my favorite track because it has character - it feels natural and the music fits the recording quality perfectly. On the disc-ending track 11 the loop overstays it's welcome - pounding away over a sustained string chord, with the occasional creepy rattles sprinkled about. Early Foetus could make this sort of home-made creepy soundtrack work because he transcended the technology he was working with - he made you wonder if he indeed managed to score a Fairlight or a full orchestra for "Nail" or "Hole" - this however is tied down to a hissy sound that is at odds with the aspirations of some of the pieces. -Carlos M. Pozo

FUNERAL PROCESSION July 2002 (www) Utrecht, The Netherlands

Ginger Leigh - 10 STORIES 10 LIES 
style: industrial exotica

Ah, here we have Ginger Leigh to bring some sunshine in our urban blues. After "From Artesia with Love" he takes us again on an adventurous trip through hidden big city slums, deserted industrial terrains and forgotten corners of the Middle East. The covers states that is an 'original motion picture soundtrack'. I have no idea for what film that would be, perhaps some wild exotic Bollywood movie, with some scenes in an industrialized environment.

It is amazing how many different sounds and moods this artist manages to cram into one album, or even into one song. If I'm not mistaken, all music is created in an electronic manner. Despite the title, this album contains 13 tracks, each with a different pace and atmosphere. My favourites are the Eastern ethnic world of 'River of Tears', the uptempo adventurous ride 'Alice in Wonderland', the tribal drumming of 'I know what I gotta do' (with a Boyd Rice type voice) and probably a handful more. Oh, and don't forget to mention the noise-punk of 'Black Hair', which makes the Stooges sound well-educated.

Ginger Leigh makes the world more colourful. This music should be played in boring offices and supermarkets, and our daily lives would never be the same again...

Type: cd, 13 tracks
Label: Red River Productions
More info: http://www.gingerleigh.com 
This cd was reviewed by HD
Posted on Friday 26 July 2002

JACKAL BLASTER July 2002 (www) St. Mary, MO, USA

Ginger Leigh - From Artesia with Love  2001 (Red River Productions) 42:28
Where the earliest Muslimgauze releases, as well as those by Tribes of the Bow, were purely Middle Eastern ethnic acoustic percussion and mixed instrumentation, later releases, up until Byron Jones' death, took the Arabian percussion to very noisy and unpredictable levels. Here, the mysterious and relatively unknown artist Ginger Leigh conveys a similiar mindset to later Muslimgauze releases, but without the political activism that was the core existence of Jones' work.
Where the large and vast foreground is dominated by the appearance of Middle Eastern hand percussion and instrumentation, the background is interwoven with ambigious noise, samples, and other electronic oddities. Much like a film score, the music works more like pictures - ambigious images with a conglomerate mix of cultural diversity. Techno aggravation is also explored, as is spacey, droning moments of ambience, yet it always seems to revert back to the core East Indian abusive percussion. At times, the emphasis shifts completely toward the electronic side, as the industrial pounding borders on an almost monolith approach as on "Force It!" or the more static nature of "Red River", but the overall effect of the work is an adventuous, dreaming atmosphere. While Eastern rhythms may play a dominate role, electronics is the single key factor, particularly as the unpredictability of the world that Ginger Leigh shows us unfolds into a visible, futuristic, exotic form of musical cinema. -Jeramy Ponder

GODSEND ONLINE July 2002 (www) Evansville, IN, USA

Ginger Leigh - "10 Stories 10 Lies"  CDR 
Billed as an "original motion picture soundtrack", this California-based solo artist brings an impressively diverse arsenal of moods and motifs in this 13-song journey. From loopy proto-power-electronics 'Alice In Wonderland' to freako exotica with 'I Know What I Gotta Do', Leigh provides an array of heavy-duty post-industrial electronics, Middle-Eastern rhythms, and oddly surreal sounds, all the while never truly fitting into a rigid set of ideals or set styles. 'Black Hair' sounds like a bastard love-child between MUSLIMGAUZE and THRILL KILL KULT maybe, with it's overdriven bass, distorted vocals, and galloping tabla rhythms. The bottle-rockets-in-the-mosque sounds of 'Little Angels' is reprised from his last album, while the NEW YORK DOLLS cover, 'Chatterbox', is an unexpected rough-and-tumble ride into sleazy rock & roll territory. Then it's back into 'Pearl Necklace', a lovely classical/drone piece that would work nicely in a David Lynch film. All-in-all, a more than solid work that doesn't fail to surprise and even shock in its unique combination of vibes and disparate cultural reference points. (Ginger Leigh) -Todd Zachritz

FLUX EUROPA May 2002 (www) London, England

Ginger Leigh - From Artesia with Love 
Another CDR full of varied sounds created by Ginger Leigh from Artesia USA. All music was created electronically. There's lots of styles including warped versions of world music mixed with samples and effects. Also there's a fair amount of techno. There's also some noisy power electronics. In all a nice schizophrenic collection of sounds. http://www.gingerleigh.com. (JM)

ABOVE THE RUINS March 2002 (www) Limburg, The Netherlands

Ginger Leigh - From Artesia with Love 
Long Beach, California....hmmm...that brings back some memories for me when I was listening to Trash Metal in the middle of the 80s. This project however does not play trash metal but a strange blend of Indian traditional music and harsh industrial/techno beats with some noisy loops. Not bad but also nothing new. My favorite track is "taxicab ride through the city"....very strange and very cool. -Peter S.

FUNERAL PROCESSION Feb 2002 (www) Utrecht, The Netherlands

Ginger Leigh - From Artesia with Love 
style: ethnic industrial

This stuff brings me in a very good mood! I put this promo cd on without a clue what to expect and immediately it had me in its spell. I never heard of Ginger Leigh before, but he (?) seems to be very productive and already had good reviews in internet publications like Flux Europa, Achtung Baby! and Heimdallr. The music of Ginger Leigh is wild and ritual, energetic and hypnotic and above all eclectic and full of ideas. Every song has a different mood and takes you to other places and spheres. There are many ethnic ritual elements in the music, reminding me of late Muslimgauze. Don't be surprised if Indian percussion is suddenly mixed with industrial noises or techno beats! 

The first song is called “taxicab ride through the city” and you can really visualize a wild urban adventure when hearing this track. Further on the cd is a track called “passing trains”, again very dynamic, it could be a soundtrack to an old silent movie which contains an exciting scene with a steam train. And I think that's the main force of this cd: with each song your fantasy completes it with an image that is often exotic and adventurous. This mix of electronic industrial fused with eastern sounds and melodies really works! An eclectic journey through a multicultural landscape...

Type: cd, 11 tracks
Label: Red River Productions
More info: http://www.gingerleigh.com 
This cd was reviewed by HD
Posted on Monday 11 February 2002

HEIMDALLR October 2001 (www) Châtel-St-Denis, Switzerland

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love
(Red River Productions, CDR)
Je n'avais ma foi jamais entendu parler de Ginger Leigh auparavant, et force est de constater que cette découverte fut enrichissante. Un album coup de coeur dès la première écoute. Une musique alliant différentes influences, du Moyent-Orient, de l'Inde, en passant par la musique industrielle, électronique, minimaliste, ambient et répétitive. Ginger Leigh est une sorte de Bryn Jones éclectique, touche-à-tout, qui se placerait sans problème dans le catalogue éparse de Staalplaat. Moults tambours et percussions, légèrement calfeutrés sur de longues plages électroniques, enveloppés de mélodies imparables et verticales, de samples à la dérive et de rythmes envoûtants. Comment ne pas succomber à ces morceaux, dont la finesse et l'intelligence n'ont rien à envier à leur douce harmonie. Parfois le son se fait plus revanchard, parfois plus docile, en sachant allier sonorités exotiques et contemporaines. Le train de la pochette nous invite dans un voyage que je vous recommande fortement, jusqu'à Artesia, Californie, à la rencontre de l'alliance éternelle des samplers et des tambourins, de l'Occident et de l'Orient. Excellent! - Stéphane Fivaz

I have never heard of Ginger Leigh before and was forced to recognize that this discovery was enriching. From the first listening, this is an album from the heart. The music combines the various influences of the Middle East, of India, industrial, electronic, minimalist, ambient and repetitive. Ginger Leigh is a kind of eclectic Bryn Jones, in touch with all, which would be placed without a problem in the catalogues of Staalplaat. Drums and percussion are laid across long electronic beaches with prepared and impaired vertical melody samples to drift through the rhythms. How can you not succumb to these pieces, of which the smoothness and the intelligence do not have anything to envy their soft harmony. Sometimes the sound is made more rigid, sometimes more flexible, while knowing how to combine exotic and contemporary tonalities. The train on the CD insert invites us on a voyage that I strongly recommend to you, from Artesia, California, with the meeting of the eternal alliance of the samplers and the tambourines, the West and the East. Excellent! - Stéphane Fivaz

AURAL INNOVATIONS #18 2002 (www) Columbus, OH, USA

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love
(Red River Productions, CDR) 

Ginger Leigh fuses blistering industrial electronics with eastern atmospheres to produce an unusual, yet compelling mixture of sounds. The style changes with nearly every song according to which of the two elements dominates. The electronics also range from soft to mostly extreme and caustic. “Taxicab Ride Through the City” is a mesmerizing track that starts the album off with tablas and a hypnotic keyboard sequence. This main rhythm is interspersed with dramatic and synthetic Indian film score synths, cobra-charming flutes, and industrial bass punches. The song reminds me of an industrial version of some of the eastern escapades on Gong's “Shapeshifter” release. “From Artesia with Love” is more of a background track that uses repetitive drums and sitar strumming along with mournful violins with an eastern voice. “Passing Trains” is pure dance electronic pulsing accented with samples of screeching factory steel inspired by the landscape of the aforementioned city of Artesia. The shift in styles is rather drastic despite the hints of in “Saffron” is another drastic jump back into a soft, relaxing experience of shimmering sitar drones and soft, gliding synths. These jumps are obviously intentional, perhaps as a commentary on the multicultural population amid industrial settings that Artesia (and Los Angeles) signify. The remaining tracks are mostly industrial electronic with touches of eastern music. Some of the tracks here would have an almost universal appeal while others would be too harsh for most listeners. I enjoyed almost every track, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone who has a problem with extreme electronic or industrial music. The music is very engaging, but not very consistent as far as flow or style. As I said, though, I don't think it was intended to be. I was a bit disappointed in the production. The melodies are slightly muffled while the bass is sometimes overwhelming. Considering the style and philosophy behind the music, that too may have been intentional. I enjoyed the CD quite a bit, so if you find the concept interesting, I'd encourage you to try it out. - Anish Bhatia 

LEGENDS #118 2002 South River, NJ, USA

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love
Think of all the wonderful gifts Long Beach California has given us: Snoop Doggy Dogg, No Doubt, Alyssa Milano. Add to that list Ginger Leigh: an eclectic musician straight outta South California. Many compare Ginger to Muslimgauze; I would add Steroid Maximus, Foetus, Praxis, Brian Eno and Tom Waits. Ginger draws from a rich pallet of musical flavors: from Middle-Eastern and Arabic sounds, to low-fidelity hardcore techno. And best of all, his music sounds nothing like Skinny Puppy*. The balance of the songs on “From Artesia with Love” share an exotic (because I live in New Jersey) Middle-Eastern flavor (and forgive my cultural ignorance) – from the rich rhythms and vibrant melodies of “taxicab ride through the city” and title track “From Artesia with Love” to the minimalist drones of “saffron”, you’ll find it hard to believe these songs originate from a bare-bones studio in California. Listening to these tracks, and others like “STAR MAPS” and “little angels”, can be a truly transcendental experience – close your eyes and you’ll find yourself speeding through a Moroccan marketplace or staring at the stars while lying on a blanket of sand. “From Artesia With Love” isn't limited to the exotic. “Passing Trains” is a low-fidelity techno/Zoth Ommog type piece that takes me back to the late 80's/early 90's Industrial sound - very basic and low-fidelity, yet the type of song that would set the tone for a night of dance floor drunkenness and debauchery. Ginger scrapes the noise genre with “force it!”, and convincingly enters the soundtrack genre with “Red River” and “darkness”. A real surprise on the album is the lone vocal track “god is in the mountain” that could easily slip onto one of Tom Waits' recent albums without anyone noticing. Fans of the bands mentioned in the introduction paragraph should be pleased to discover an up and coming entrant into the diverse ambient genre. Ginger has a long way to go - mostly in the production department - before he can take the stage with the big boys. With plenty of effort and some more time spent on the finished product, Ginger could find a place amongst the greats. -Dan Century
* If I have to review one more Skinny Puppy clone band, I'm going to quit reviewing music forever. Better yet, if you're a Puppy clone band I'll smash your CD, burn it, take a picture of the remains and then submit the picture as my review. Don't misunderstand me: I love Skinny Puppy, but I can't stand the fact that so few people are able to create original music.

ACHTUNG BABY! Dec 2001 (www) Rostov-on-Don, Russia

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love

Экстремальная музыка из "Америки под ружьем", до краев наполненная упоительным безумием Ближневосточных мусульманских ритмов, арабской звуковой калиграфией и этно-ритмическими пейзажами. Все изящно и непритенциозно обернуто в странные мистериозные пейзажи телесериалов 60-х, потустронние ментальные космогенные созвучия, урбанистические шумовые оболочки полифонии и промышленных мантр. Как итог - 42 минуты странного пугающей миксажа из ансамбля мастеров Джаджуки, не раз вдохновлявших мэтров от Брина Джонса до Пи-Ориджа и Led Zeppelin, синтетических плясок алжирского поп-оркестра Pop-Rai' Rachid Style ("Rai Rebels", 1990) и битов Muslimgauze, пост-модернистского Балкан-фолка, секретности иронии и гротеска the Residents и призрака Уильяма Берроуза, метафизической потусторонности Элиота Шарпа и паранормальности Х-Файлов, путеводителя по "одноэтажной Америке" и тургиду по многоэтажным бескрайним просторам "National Geography"... Все в одном - музыканте и главном действующем лице любительских электро-сессий на CD-Rs, второй год покоряющих зияющие высоты мира, по имени Ginger Leigh. Будь то нескончаемая "Поездка в такси через город", плотно насыщенная витиеватыми мароканскими туманами зноя, гашиша и агонизирующего танца, вторящие ей эхо вдогонку афгано-индуистские псалмы "Из Артезии с любовью", в посвящение родному одноименному городку в Калифорнии на побережьи Лонг Бич, близ легендарной в истории криминала Красной реки, или же диалог вагонных колес несущихся в Некуда как остановившееся время составов "Passing Trains" - попытку передать через короткую инструментальную пьесу рифмованный срежещущий организм еще одного "поезда-беглеца" без роду-без племени, везде здесь обнаруживаешь ироничное чувство юмора музыканта-"ботаника", через звук настойчиво продолжающего вслушиваться в дыхание простых вещей, заселяющих наш мир, как таинство жизни по ту сторону лунно-солнечного света, пыли дорог и записных книжек романтиков-скитальцев, умытых полуденным дождем. "Saffron" окунет вас в полифоническую струнную мантру, словно высекаемую созвучаями древних ситар, "Бог - это гора" - в дьявольскую реверберацию гитарного скрежета и фузированного вокала, деструктивно и параноидально проговаривающего фразу-сюжет недоснятого любительского фильма под монотонные, навязчивые и волнующие колыбельные ритмы надтреснутого калипсо-фокстрота. "Force it!" сгребет вас как бульдозерный хлам, с хрипом и стоном под бравурные механико-турбелентные марши выбрасывая в поднебесье. А "Here comes the Asian cowboy" заманит на монгольские пастбища, отведать кумысу и вздремнуть под душещепательные трели национальных смычковых неопознанных инструментов потомков Чингиз-Хана. Балканский фолк разбудит под барабаны, домбры и рожки в "Star Maps", а "Маленькие ангелы" окунут в придорожную цыганщину бубнов, флейт и пространных механизмов.Завершающие композиции альбома - мир, проникаюший в тебя самого, получающий там продолжение,с привычным лейтмотивом дороги на бескрайних просторах потустороннего. -Igor Vaganov

Extreme music from “America under fire” is filled up to the brim with the delightful madness of Middle Eastern Muslim rhythms, Arabian sounds and ethnic rhythmical landscapes. All is gracefully and unpretentiously wrapped up in strange mysterious landscapes of 60s shows, in metaphysical cosmic notes, in urban noise environments of polyphony and in industrial mantras. And the result is 42 minutes of a strange and frightening blend from the Master Musicians of Jajouka (they inspired many known musicians from Brian Jones to Genesis P-Orridge and Led Zeppelin), from synthetic dances of Algerian pop-orchestra Pop-Rai' Rachid Style (“Rai Rebels”, 1990) and from Muslimgauze rhythms, from post-modern Balkan folk music, from secret irony and grotesque of The Residents and from the ghost of William Burroughs, from metaphysical Elliot Sharp and from paranormal essence of X-files, from the guide on “One-Story America” 1 and from many-story unlimited space of National Geography. And this is all combined in one musician named Ginger Leigh, in a single character of amateur electro-sessions on CD-Rs, who is conquering gaping heights of the world for the second year. Everywhere you discover the musician - “botanist” ironic sense of humor - through the sound of attentive heart beat of simple things inhabiting this world like mystery of life on the other side on moon-sun light, road dust, and washed by midday rain, notebooks of romantic wanderers. Whether it be never-ending “taxicab ride through the city” - densely saturated with florid Moroccan heat fogs, with hashish and agony dance. Or the  following, like an echo of Afghan-Hindu psalms, “From Artesia with Love” - dedicated to his native Californian city of Artesia via the Long Beach coast that is sitting near the legendary in criminal history Red River. Or, “Passing Trains” with its dialog of car wheels rushing to nowhere, it has stopped the time of passing trains, with its attempt to express a rhymed and screeching organism of yet another “train-fugitive” through a short instrumental play. “Saffron” will dip you in polyphonic string mantra as if cut by tunes of ancient sitar. “god is in the mountain” submerges you in devil reverberation of a guitar gnash and vocal that is destructive and paranoid in pronouncing of a phrase-plot on incomplete amateur movie under monotonous, persuasive and exciting lullaby rhythms of a hissing old damaged record player playing calypso-foxtrot. You will be swept by “Force It!”, like trash by bulldozer, with rattle and groan, under ostentatious mechanic-turbulent marches throwing you out in the sky. And, “Here comes the Asian Cowboy” will entice you on the Mongolian pastures to try koumiss and to take a nap under soul-touching trills of unknown string instruments of Genghis-Khan descendants. Balkan folk will wake you with drums, dombras and horns in “Star Maps”, and “Little Angels” will dip you in roadside Gypsy tambourines, flutes and obvious mechanisms. Final compositions of this album are the world penetrating inside of you, receiving there continuation, with a habitual theme of a road in the boundless space of the other side.  -Igor Vaganov

1 Note “One-Story America” is a book by famous Russian satirists Ilf and Petrow written after their visit to America in 20s or 30s. ‘One-Story’ relates to the fact that most of American houses are actually one-story and not like the skyscrapers in N.Y. 

L'ENTREPOT November 2001 (www) Turnhout, Belgium

CHRONICLES OF CHAOS #55 2001 (www) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

INCURSION PUBLISHING Issue #38 2001 (www) Maple, Ontario, Canada

GINGER LEIGH: From Artesia with Love 
I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. Part Muslimgauze imitation, part dark and aggressive techno, From Artesia With Love is an eleven track full length from California resident Ginger Leigh. The record begins nicely enough, with a sojourn through middle-eastern percussion and a sampled string arrangement which sounds like it's coming from an old vinyl record. Similarly with track 2, which is pleasant enough, still nothing we haven't heard before from Bryn Jones and his unwitting compatriots. Yet from this point on is where the album begins to fall apart for me. With the third track it takes a turn for the worse by introducing some energetic dancefloor techno with some high-pitched whistling and a harsh shrieking like that which could once be heard on the artist's website some months ago. From here it's pretty much hit and miss; found sounds, ambience and a touch of mystery here and there mixed with a more rough-edged palette of percussion loops, noise and sampled strings with all the flavours of an ageing movie soundtrack with middle-eastern motifs. But at the end the album doesn't sit too well with me; just as there are some interesting moments here, there are others that seem lacking in originality and direction. Ginger Leigh's music is something of a curiosity, and not without its good points, but in all I found this a mediocre effort inspiring a mixed reaction. Check out his previous EP, Broken By the World, for a more succinct and economical look at what Ginger Leigh is all about; it shows all sides of his current programme (aggressive electro vs. soundtrack vs. Muslimgauze-style percussion loops) all in just over 20 minutes. [Richard di Santo]

GODSEND ONLINE Oct 2001 (www) Evansville, IN, USA

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love 
Ginger Leigh- “From Artesia With Love” CDR - This California-based solo composer draws in a number of disparate musical elements into his weird sonic stew. Exotic, Middle-Eastern-flavored percussion and samples (ala MUSLIMGAUZE) are the first thing to crop up, then by track 3, it's energetic and thumping techno with an aura of distortion. The kind of techno that might scare some more conventional clubgoers with it's maelstrom of dark post-industrial effects. 'God Is In The Mountain' is a bizarre and noisy programmed-rock track that kind of goes nowhere. Further on in the disc, things take a turn for the even more bizarre as the creeped-out soundscapes begin, then more Middle-Eastern themes, distant drones, electronic screeches, etc. 'From Artesia With Love' doesn't always congeal itself fully, but there's enough interesting sounds and juxtapositions to be challenging and unique. Solid work for more adventurous ears. -Todd Zachritz

OUTSIGHT Oct 2001 (www) Royal Oak, MI, USA

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love 
Red River Productions, POB 683, Artesia, CA 90702-0683
<http://www.gingerleigh.com/>
Ginger Leigh fuses angry, thunderous industrial sounds with hyper, accelerated east India melodies. This curried cyber-crunch is an excellent juxtaposition of the exotic and delicate with rigid, artillery-fire rhythms. Ginger Leigh has been doing this sort of at-home production for a decade, now. If Steve Albini had set up shop in Calcutta instead of Chicago, this could be the sound of Big Black. -Tom “Tearaway” Schulte

BARCODE MAGAZINE Oct 2001 (www) Middlesex, England

GINGER LEIGH - From Artesia with Love 
Despite an occasionally interesting brew of asian drum loops and vocal samples, From Artesia With Love is a rather poor effort. ‘Passing Trains’, a rather tacky take off of Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour De France’, with choo-choo samples instead of bicycle gears, is cringingly contrived and makes for rather irritating listening. When they attempt the spiritual approach, as on ‘Saffron’, the music simply meanders along, lacking the ethereal inspiration they were surely hoping to create. However, they almost manage to pull it off on ‘God Is In The Mountain’, which at least half-succeeds in mentally hauling the listener from the armchair. The didgeridoo of ‘Here Comes The Asian Cowboy’ and jangling guitar threads of ‘Star Maps’ once again hint at something untried and tested but it still remains a rather shallow listening experience overall. Having said all of this I get the nagging feeling that they’re onto something and their motivation is genuine. I still remain interested enough to endeavour to find out what they might come up with next.