Rhyton (Bonus Track Version)

Brooklyn's Rhyton came to be through what the band refers to as an "organic" series of conversations about music between friends and some common ground met over late-night drinks. It's easy to imagine the scene; three dudes with different bands in Brooklyn's neo-psyche/improv circle, hanging out a few cocktails deep and excitedly proposing "We should jam sometime!!" The trio of Dave Shuford (D. Charles Speer & the Helix, No-Neck Blues Band), Jimy SeiTang (Psychic Ills), and Spencer Herbst (Messages, Matta Llama) did indeed jam sometime, and then jammed several shows, and eventually these jams culminated in the megajam that is Rhyton's debut album. Recorded quickly over the course of three days and assembled from the sessions' strongest moments, the five extended instrumentals that make up the album amble by in a constant stream for the most part, happily aimless. Shuford's guitar tones and dual-amp setup contribute to the more interesting sounds here, utilizing the stereo spread with bouncing tremolo patterns and disintegrating fuzz. His bandmates' rhythms serve mostly as a backdrop for his soloing and pedal switching, as on the mildly Middle Eastern groove of "Shank Raids." Tracks like "Teké" and album opener "Stone Colored" stand out, taking Rhyton's washy improvisations into a more developed form.