The Dead C are essentials in experimental music. The New Zealand trio have been a prolific force since 1987, releasing material every year since then. Numbers aside, what makes The Dead C so enthralling is their style of experimentation: the majority of their work is improvisational-- certain albums may have a written piece here and there, often reiterating one of the band's best songs "Sky", but they're often surrounded by drawn out, noise-infested jam sessions. Their way of improvising is deceitful; it's difficult to decide whether they're proposing a new form of psychedelic exploration or drunkenly stumbling over their instruments.
Following the same trend as Secret Earth, The Dead C's latest album Patience consists of four tracks, two of which going over the 10-minute mark. However, Patience has a complete absence of vocals as opposed to its predecessor, beneficially emphasizing the improvisational aura. The 16-minute opener "Empire" is the most accustomed to a definable rhythm as the album gets: Robbie Yeat's drums are slowly pounding away, building momentum for the shuffling fills, Michael Morley spaces out his guitar chords with resonating amp hums, and Bruce Russel's feedback excursions seem completely of their own but are at the same time reactionary to the pace. The Dead C don't have a leading member-- instead, each of them have equal talent and are on the same level with each other; a perfect improvisational group.
On Patience, The Dead C prove that complexity and technicality aren't mandatory to attain an interesting form of musicianship. The formless interplay on "Federation" and the closer "South" allows the band to conjure up some untraceable noises using what they have at hand: cymbal clatter, gently plucked notes and harsh, squealing electronics. When each of the members perform within their own separate mindsets, their best elements are merged together to create a stunning, unique blend of ideas that seems almost cosmic, and the direct-to-tape fidelity only accentuates this.
In the press release for Patience, the title is considered appropriate because The Dead C challenge the listener's will to be compliant for the music's entirety, which is a very representative statement. An attentive listen would only be detrimental to the album's effect, nor would the listener achieve any kind of nirvana allowing the music to take them wherever. Gratification lies somewhere in the middle, but however you chose to listen to it, Patience is something to behold.
[The Dead C (fan) Myspace]
[Buy Patience from Ba Da Bing! Records]
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