Apparat Organ Quartet - Pólýfónía (2010) (AWESOME !!!)

Genre : Electronica, Experimental, Iceland
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Tracklist :

01. Babbage
02. Cargo Frakt
03. Konami
04. Pólýnesía
05. Pentatróník
06. Macht parat den Apparat
07. Síríus Alfa
08. 123 Forever
09. Söngur geimunglingsins

The Apparat Organ Quartet is an Icelandic band founded in 1999 by Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hörður Bragason, Músikvatur and Úlfur Eldjárn. AOQ use old discarded technology, home organs and cheap consumer cast-offs often salvaged from garbage dumps and then customized by the band for the rigors of live use. Apparat Organ Quartet is a 5 piece band: 4 organists and 1 drummer. They sometimes describe their music as “Machine Rock and Roll” but the standard definition of their sound is “Organ Quartet Music”, a completely new genre.

Apparat Organ Quartet was originally formed to take part in a series of improvised concerts organized by Kitchen Motors in September of 1999. (Apparat member Jóhann Jóhannsson is a founding member of Kitchen Motors). The idea was to put together an electric organ ensemble, in part inspired by Steve Reich´s pieces for electric organ (e.g. “Four Organs”). The band was in fact initially motivated by a desire to play these early minimalist works in concert. These ideas never came to fruition and instead they started to compose their own pieces, slowly evolving their unique sound through trial and error.

They have been compared to a dizzying range of acts, from Kraftwerk, Wagner and Goblin to Terry Reilly, Steve Reich and the Glitter Band. Apparat Organ Quartet use old discarded technology, home organs and cheap consumer cast-offs often salvaged from garbage dumps and then customized by the band for the rigors of live use. The band’s eponymous debut album, almost three years in the making, featured many strange and beautiful sounds thanks to their vast collection of antique synthesizers, Farfisas, Hammonds, home-organs, cheap portable keyboards and all sorts of malfunctioning machinery.

After eight long years, the five-piece are now finally ready to release a follow up.

“Apparat Organ Quartet has grown into a phenomenal force, playing soul-stirringly portentous mechanical music, equal parts progressive rock and horror film soundtrack, reminiscent of older acts like Kraftwerk and Goblin… as innovative and meticulous as Sigur Rós but who sound nothing like it.” Neil Strauss The New York Times