The Long Shadow Of The Paper Tiger

With two members of Chicago’s Mahjongg birthing the electro-dance trio Lazer Crystal, Mahjongg fans might have feared the end was near. But the departure of guitarist Jeff Carillo does signal a new beginning, and The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger finds the band careening confidently into a house/glitch/techno blend. It’s a good fit. The Long Shadow may be the group’s most accessible work to date, as those impenetrable Mahjongg moments we’ve come to expect are less a presence here, and the idea seems to be, simply, riding the groove out. There is richness to the synths and electronic wizardry, an insistent yet not unsettling component in the many percussive treats (from the deepest boom to the clitter-clattering bits like chattering teeth). Even the processed vocals seem borne of organic, rooted matter rather than the ether. A particular hotspot is “Grooverider Free,” which stretches their three-minute single, “Free Groove Rider,” into a sort of loopy overdrive for five minutes before morphing into a whole new song: the last four minutes feature lushly layered winding synths and frenetic congas that make for a wild ride.