Imperial China
“Phosphenes”
(Sockets/Ruffian)
Imperial China has a good thing going. Hailing from the same Washington, D.C. scene that once upon a time produced more original and amazing bands per capita than almost any other city in the U.S., these three dudes capture the feel and the spirit of the “D.C. sound” – which many can recognize but few can explain – but rarely rehash the ideas of their predecessors. It could be argued that their first recording, 2008’s self-released EP, Methods: (which was what brought this band to our attention), displayed an admirable hunger for creating new and interesting sounds but lacked a instinct for self-editing which would have helped the proceedings run a little more smoothly. Also, let’s be honest, the vocals needed a little work. Despite these flaws however, Methods: showcased a band with good ideas and lots of potential.
Happily, with Phosphenes Imperial China delivers on its promise in spades. Both the epic first track “All That is Solid” and the Fugazi meets Battles instrumental “Mortal Wombat” showcase veteran DC drummer Patrick Gough’s (ex-Pitchblende) strong but unflashy rhythmic sense as well as multi-instrumentalists Brian Porter and Matthew Johnson’s propensity to experiment with multiple textures in one song. It seems the band’s philosophy is to subsume virtuosity on any particular instrument in order to create a sonic mosaic in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Sure, this approach isn’t novel by any stretch, but very few bands that go down such a path succeed in creating anything more than jumbled mess and that is exactly where IC separates itself from the pack. Songs like the dancey “Bananamite” and dreamy “Go Where Airplanes Go” display generous amounts of focus and restraint, shedding all self-indulgence without losing the feeling of restless experimentation that is this band’s trademark. Additionally, both songs prove that Brian Porter, whose vocals were once a bit of a liability, has really found his voice and actually adds a substantial amount of emotion and intensity to the compositions.
“A Modern Life”, which comes across something like an early Tool b-side, provides the album’s only misstep. Though the song is enjoyable, it strays a little too far from the rest of the material for it to make its inclusion very sensible. That said, Imperial China recovers very quickly with the one-two punch of the wild instrumental “Corrupting the Integrity of the Grid” and the slow burning “Invincible”. The latter track might just be the albums finest, featuring an unforgettable build up of tension that the band releases in such a satisfying fashion you might want to smoke a cigarette afterwards. “Letter of a General” closes the record in a down right creepy fashion, with tribal drums propelling Matt Johnson’s increasingly spooky guitar lines forward until the whole thing hits a sonic wall, leaving the listener with a profound desire to ask “what just happened?”. But like, in a good way….
Make no mistake, despite any minor flaws we may have mentioned, Phosphenes is one of the best records we’ve heard this year, and Imperial China, in our opinion, has proven itself to be the most exciting new band to come out of DC in a long time. We recommend that you pick this album up at your earliest convenience.
Imperial China – All That Is Solid
Check them out on Sockets Records
