We Are the Works In Progress

To benefit ongoing relief efforts in tsunami-ravaged Japan, Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino spearheaded the We Are the Works in Progress compilation and released it on her band’s label, Asa Wa Kuru. The eclectic set opens with Four Tet's “Moma,” an instrumental balance of IDM and krautrock that has more in common with Terry Riley’s “G Song” than Interpol’s “Song Seven.” (Those two tracks are also here; the former finds minimal composer Riley crooning over vintage keyboard wizardry, while the latter is a postmillennial post-punk standout from Interpol's 2005 Evil EP.) “In Here the World Begins” is another welcome gem, mined from Broadcast’s 2009 tour EP Mother Is the Milky Way. Over a lo-fi mantra of muted guitar distortion and pulsing analog keyboards, the late Trish Keenan’s demure voice hovers and floats into a melody. Makino’s band appears twice: first with the gossamer title track of 2010’s Penny Sparkle LP and then a demo recording of the title track of 2007’s 23. Other notable tracks include Deerhunter’s sublime post-rock instrumental “Curve” and David Sylvian’s progressive, keyboard-based “Bamboo Houses.”