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February 02, 2005
Answering Machine Monologues
The Wind-Up Bird - Sorry That I've Become This Monster (pts. 1 and 2)
Joe Grimm and Jeff Smith are the two people directly responsible for this music, but the real catalyst, in fact, was the breakup of Grimm and his longtime girlfriend, who left a message on his answering machine that said, 'Sorry that I've become this monster. I love you a lot'. Those two sentences are the titles of each side-long movement on the Wind-Up Bird's second album, 'Whips'. I don't think I need to tell you ahead of time, but this song is heartbreaking.
'Sorry' starts off with a simple, delayed guitar phrase and some soft, weathered drones in the background. Then a more forthright violin asserts itself, carrying everything through until the track transitions into 'That I've', which depends more on laptop wake and foam. The whole lather eases towards crescendo, gently, with tremolo-picked guitar and violin darting in and out at will.
I know it's a long track (10 mins. all told), but it's worth it. One of the most gorgeous drone pieces I've ever heard. You can buy 'Whips' here, and check out an interview with Joe Grimm over at Stylus magazine.
Posted by matt at February 2, 2005 08:00 AM