Published on May 10, 2013
If you're a fan of instrumental music, you've no doubt familiarized yourself with the Los Angeles duo El Ten Eleven, an outfit that is nearing legendary status after only just five albums. The pair, comprised of Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty, consistently finds inventive ways to create music, often using their trademark guitar/bass doubleneck, fretless bass, acoustic/electric drumming,c and unique looping.
As per usual, there is a lot going on across Transitions, El Ten Eleven's 2012 album. Sure, the sounds are primarily rooted in post-rock and post-punk, but the two certainly flesh out plenty of interesting textures. “Yellow Bridges” is a glorious electro pop tune free from the aid of computers, while “Thanks Bill” harkens back to the mid '80s with bright synth against electronic drums. “No One Died This Time!” with its flow of electronica will get your body prepared for the club, and “Birth” uses clapping and a distorted bass before evolving into layers of beauty. Interestingly, Duran Duran's “Tiger Tiger” is covered, though the end result if far from the original, and the appropriately titled “Lullaby” closes things out with calm music that fizzles out into a creative hybrid of distortion and ethereal sounds.
The guitar acrobatics across Transitions are some of the best El Ten Eleven have ever penned. The title track “Transitions” is quite possibly their most intricate tune ever, as it seems nearly impossible that only one person is playing the guitar. Though this disc is only seven tracks long, each song in itself is so well composed that no filler exists and songs surpassing 10 minutes never out welcome their stay.
This is a band that is seemingly boundless with their ability to write inventive, truly unique music. If you've never heard El Ten Eleven and have an ear for instrumental music, this is an absolute must.
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