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Countdown to Whartscape: T-6 Arbouretum (Dave Heumann)

Continuing in our series of Whartscape mini-terviews, next up is Arbouretum. We snuck in our set of Whartscape questions when we met Arbouretum’s somewhat reclusive front-man Dave Heumann at, get this, Cylburn Arboretum.

Get it?

Full interview from that meeting, consisting of things not related to Wham and Whart, coming in the next few days. Keep an eye out for their limited edition split LP Kale with friends Pontiak, featuring some John Cale covers, a couple Arbouretum originals and Pontiak’s entire album Sun on Sun. Album drops July 22…

But for now, on to the Wham City reflection and some fancy, Arbouretum-approved music!

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MP3: John Cale – Gideon’s Bible from Vintage Violence

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MP3: Arbouretum – Buffalo Ballet (John Cale cover) from Kale split LP (to be released 7/22)

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Arbouretum, Pontiak, Blake e/e/e @ the Talking Head

Live audio is up for Arbouretum here and Pontiak here, presented by Jeff the Baltimore Taper in association with Aural States.

Coming in late, I apparently missed a great set from Television Hill, another project of Dave Heumann from Arbouretum. But honestly, both Arbouretum and Pontiak ended up killing it so much I didn’t need another great set.

Blake e/e/e were still set to open though. They proved very perplexing to me with a curious brand of experimental folk. In their music, there is an almost constant strain of something mysterious, je ne sais quoi, that pulls me in an appealing direction. Their recorded material delivers, but unfortunately, through the live execution and follow-through on that initial attraction, there is a lot left to be desired. The set ended up as an average experience for me, though not necessarily an unpleasant one. I tried desperately to put my finger on what that was and the only thing I have come up with thus far is either bad pacing on their part or low attention span on my part. Other than that, the only thing I found disappointing in their set was that there was never a real pay-off to any sort of slow-mounted tension. They should probably take some lessons from Pontiak and Arbouretum on that point.

Pontiak mounted the stage and proceeded to rebuke my growing perception that the most engaging things going on in music right now are the products of excessive style/genre fusion, musical alchemy.

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Arbouretum Live @ the Talking Head

Arbouretum
The Talking Head
Baltimore, MD
June 4, 2008

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)
http://baltimore-taper.blogspot.com

Download full set as ZIP archive in the following formats: MP3 or FLAC
Stream or download individual tracks below.
Pontiak’s set here.

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Sound Off!: Arbouretum

Arbouretum’s Long Live the Well-Doer starts off with some stereotypically new-age string plucking accented by wind chimes. I immediately came up with an image of some hemp-pushing, mandala-worshipping yoga lover and almost chucked the disc in the trash.

But thankfully, I gave it a spin. And I never looked back.

Filled with wanderlust, Arbouretum’s brand of folk is among the best kind. Seemingly free-associative, but all the while guiding you on a lush journey through vast soundscapes that evolve from protoplasmic pieces to a brilliantly-shining, complex whole before your very ears.

Their music really speaks for itself. They front a spectacular bill tonight at the Talking Head, supported by Kodiak PONTIAK, among others. Check out this track and then come on out and bask in their hard-to-come-by live show tonight.

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MP3: Arbouretum – I am a Somnambulist from Long Live the Well-Doer

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