SAD EYED LEMURS - February 2004

4/2 songs
21:58/11:43 minutes
***** ****
(DIY)

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Sad Eyed Lemurs are definitely a not yet known band, but at least they have the honour of being the most reviewed band or project at DisAgreement Online. Releases 6 and 7 must have been recorded in February 2004, and they continue the interesting work Mert Basaran, head of SEL, has shown on his last few CDs. Like always self-burned, without any kind of cover artwork or info sheet, you have to let the music work on your brain. Let's start with the 4 track release, clocking in at 22 minutes, with rather good music. The opener baulavt starts with a subdued guitar, before being joined by hypnotic keyboard parts. The second track voluzeta work the same way, showing parallels to some work by Philip Glass. The third (and longest) piece semiplur is rather dull, though, as not much is happening, before sinwhal ends this release with another hypnotic masterpiece, with added layers of jazzy keyboards, making this song a highlight in the body of work of SEL.

Why there is another 2 track CD is a good question, as those two songs would have fit nicely on the other release. The opener inperrant has something of a pop appeal (in a weird way, though), with vocals sounding as if there is a story behind them. The b-side (if you can call it like that) is one of the rare times where SEL is using a real English word: immortality1. You could say that the 2-track release is more depressive, and more vocal-centred.

Both releases are actually quite fine, and those who want to check out hypnotic, repetitive music with a certain Residents weirdness should check SEL. Just don't ask me with which album to start, just get them all!