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"HiGH ▀ iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS"
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a r t i s t : Telstar Ponies
t i t l e : Hares On The Mountain EP
d a t e : 2002
l a b e l : Static Caravan / Obelisk (STATICOBELISK001)
g e n r e : Indie
r l s. d a t e : January/2005
t r a c k s : 04
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 23,8 MB
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"For fans of the Ponies' vaunted psychedelia, this amounts to
the second coming, as the band split in '97. The reunion
waters were tested with a 2001 seven-inch, however, and now
comes this limited-to-800-copies 10-inch. The title track
drinks deeply from the medieval folk-drone goblet, and with
David Keenan and Rachel Devine's sordid Lee Hazlewood/Nancy
Sinatra vocal sparring, the mind-expansion factor is all the
more sensual and primal. Devine has a wonderful walkabouts
moment on the elegant "Terrible Night" and a solo piano nico
turn on "One Hand, One Heart". Not that the band forgets its
roots: "Athanasius K" is a free-form sonic assault of guitars,
sax and percussion on the order of the stooges' "L.A. Blues."
- Fred Mills, Magnet Magazine
"The new self-titled ep from scotland's Telstar Ponies (Static
Caravan/Obelisk) opens with radiant interpretations of two
timeless pieces of music. The first, a supple reworking of the
traditional scottish song, 'Hares On The Mountain', has a
beautiful split vocal structure with singer Rachel Devine's
devilishly sweet voice set against guitarist (and Wire
contributor) David Keenan's deep, steady counterpart. 'One
Hand, One Heart', taken from Leonard Bernstein and Steven
Sondheim's score for 'West Side Story', is reduced to an
undressed simplicity on piano, but is no less effective.
'Terrible Night' and 'Athanasius K', meanwhile, display the
Ponies at their neo-psych-folk best, as scream-pitch feedback
plays around a fierce, shattered valley of erratic trumpet and
crashing drums." - Mia L Clarke, The Wire
"Followers of 90s indie may remember this scottish outfit for
their fire label days, and now they return, with a limited
collaborative release through everyone's favourite
independent, Static Caravan, and Obelisk. It's not what you'd
expect from SC, and owes more to Beefheart than Autechre, but
there's no denying that fine, traditionally-inspired numbers
like the title track tower above much else in this column this
month." - Record Collector Magazine
"Telstar Ponies' return is one which will surprise a few, those
whose memories go back to the sonically-fuelled sounds the
band once generated. 'Hares On The Mountain' comes with the
addendum "Trad. arr. D Keenan" which may act as a clue towards
the band's new folk direction. A nice enough piece with Keenan
and Rachel Devine duetting together, a Richard and Linda
Thompson for the post-folk generation. There's a Bernstein/
Sondheim cover arranged by Bill Wells here too, and as if all
bases hadn't been covered, 'Athanasius K' is the kind of
noise-drenched piece we were talking about a moment ago."
- Is this music? Magazine
"Telstar Ponies leader David Keenan writes regularly for the
wire. So as a result their new 10" on Static Caravan/Obelisk
reminds one of the early works of Yoshimitu Karayuchi crossed
with late-period jazz skronk of Carabuni Willakhochi...oh with
a bit of cast thrown in...... ha ha only joking. It's
interesting folk-influenced independent music. Folk rock if
you like. The first track 'Hares On The Mountain' has
brilliant drums and moves along at a rare old pace. Some of it
veers too far off into 'experimental' mode but there's some
pretty excellent tunes and arrangements here to more than make
up for that." - Norman Records
http://obelisk.youngteam.co.uk/staticobelisk1.htm
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01-Hares On The Mountain [05:15]
02-One Hand One Heart [01:44]
03-Terrible Night [03:34]
04-Athanasius K [03:06]
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13:39 min
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