MANDAÏ DISTRIBUTION - independent music distributor

Copyright : 2002-2025
HOME | MAIL ORDER | DISTRIBUTION | LINKS | CONTACT | FAQ | NEWS | CONCERTS
SEARCH
The on-line catalog contains 2453 references
BROWSE BY
- Artists
- Labels
- Formats
- Styles
- Mid prices
- Last items
- LP
- 10in
- 7in
- Mandaï Gift Vouchers
NEWSLETTER
- Subscribe
LOGIN
Sign in or Register.

CONCERTS
02/04/2025
The Flying Luttenbachers @ Db's
05/04/2025
Secte @ Cobra Jaune
13/04/2025
Bunuel @ Le Botanique
17/04/2025
Bunuel @ Roadburn Festival
18/04/2025
La Marmite @ Le Belvédère
19/04/2025
Peter Kernel @ Out of the Crowd
More concerts ...
NEWS
26/03/2025
We'll soon start presales for new Koenjihyakkei live album (2xCD/2xLP) soon.
19/03/2025
We still have few copies of Pneu's new album.
19/02/2025
Orders are slowly out for deliveries. We hope all orders will be out for the end of the week.
12/02/2025
Due to Bpost strike, we won't send any orders this week. Things should be back to normal by next week.
More news ...
FEEDBACKS
d... (Belgium)
Even in covid times : all excellent...
k... (Russia)
Great! I received it today. Thank you....
F... (Belgium)
thanks for the "after sales service...
More feedbacks ...
DESCRIPTION
CAPILLARY ACTION
Capsized

Label : Natural Selection Records
Year : 2011
Format : CD
Style : Rock
Availability : In stock

Price : 14.50 € - BUY
Description :Capillary action is a physical phenomenon in which liquid rises against gravity. For instance, if you have a small puddle on your kitchen counter and put the edge of a paper towel in it while holding the towel vertically, water will spread up the towel. In the most basic sense, capillary action is liquid moving in an unexpected direction. This is what makes it an effective name for Jonathan Pfeffer's band-- unexpected directions are at the root of Pfeffer's songwriting, which is partly predicated on defying the momentum of uninterrupted 4/4 rhythms. We used to call what he does math rock, but that's not quite adequate to cover all the weird jazz elements the latest lineup of the band brings in, or the way he and the band tease listeners with bits of surprisingly poppy melody before yanking out the rug.

The opening couplet of the second verse on the album, 'It's agreed that this is a suicide mission/ But we're past the point of no return now', feels almost like a private joke between band and listener-- by the time we hit it, we've already swerved through a couple of time signatures, a few start-stops, and a breakneck prog-funk groove, and it's clear that this is not a relaxing album. That won't be a surprise to people familiar with the band, but the way they go about it will. Whereas 2008's So Embarrassing often reverted to brutal, punk-inspired noise rock as a sort of punctuation mark, those outbursts are largely curtailed here, in favor of sophisticated vocal harmony and passages that borrow from free jazz. Pfeffer also leaves his electric guitar in the case, sticking to a nylon-stringed acoustic, while the band is built around upright bass, drums, trumpet, and accordion.

Thing is, I didn't even notice the lack of electric guitar until the third time I listened to the album. The band wrings remarkable volume and aggression out of its setup, due partly to the fact that Dan Sutherland's drums are recorded with a heavy emphasis on the low end. They snap like you're in the room with them, which makes songs like album highlight 'Feeding Frenzy' sound explosive. On that song, the drums are augmented by a battery of other percussion, including gongs, woodblocks, and handbells. In fact, there's not a single non-percussion instrument on the song other than voices, but again, it doesn't call attention to its novelty.

Not everything works as well. Sometimes a weird rhythm just sounds weird-- 'Sweepstakes' has what sounds like a pre-composed vocal melody that doesn't really agree with the lyrics, and it makes for an awkward vocal. A band that pushes itself out of usual rock comfort zones as unflinchingly as Capillary Action is almost inevitably going to have moments that don't work as well as others, though. It's being willing to take those risks and succeeding most of the time that makes them a good band, and Capsized a good album. (Joe Tangari, Pitchfork)

Produced by Jonathan Pfeffer. Engineered by Robert Cheek in Minocqua, Wisconsin Sept-Oct 2010. Editing & additional tracking by Devin Kerr at Good Hertz in Ann Arbor, Michigan Oct. 2010. Mixed by Robert Cheek at the Hangar in Sacramento, California Nov. 2010. Mastered by Devin Kerr Nov. 2010.

Press :Music in Belgium (FR - Thirionet - 10/05/2011)

FROM THE SAME ARTIST
CAPILLARY ACTION - Capsized
Label : Natural Selection Records
Format : CD - Price : 14.50 €
BEST SELLING

UNIVERS ZERO
Crawling Wind (LP) - 17.60 €
Sub Rosa

SQUID PISSER
Dreams of Puke (CD) - 15.80 €
Skin Graft Records

SURMAN, JOHN
Flashpoints and undercurrents (2xCD) - 18.00 €
Cuneiform Records

THUMBSCREW (MARY HALVORSON, MICHAEL FORMANEK, TOMAS FUJIWARA)
Wingbeats (CD) - 14.70 €
Cuneiform Records
NEW RELEASES

SOFT MACHINE
Hovikodden 1971 (4xLP) - 123.80 €
Cuneiform Records

DELWOOD
Dis-Location (LP) - 25.80 €
Honest House

UNIVERS ZERO
Crawling Wind (LP) - 17.60 €
Sub Rosa

UPRIGHT FORMS
Blurred Wires (CD) - 15.80 €
Skin Graft Records

UZEDA
Quocumque Jeceris Stabit (LP) - 26.40 €
Overdrive

V/A
Ovo / Rotadefero (10in) - 16.60 €
Rota Records

THUMBSCREW (MARY HALVORSON, MICHAEL FORMANEK, TOMAS FUJIWARA)
Wingbeats (CD) - 14.70 €
Cuneiform Records

PNEU
Get Old or Die Tryin (CD) - 13.70 €
Head Records
-MORE NEW RELEASE-