John Colpitts, better known as Kid Millions, has held a considerable role in experimental rock over the past decade though he may not receive the deserved recognition for his contributions. Drumming in the psych- and noise-rock torchbearers Oneida has been his longest-running endeavor, establishing his intricate yet free-flowing modus operandi. Ex Models' latest (and hopefully not final) album Chrome Panthers featured Colpitts as a pivotal member, pushing their abrasive personalities toward progressive, kraut-like barrages, and the band's guitarist Shahin Motia has accompanied Colpitts in recording, mixing, and engineering Sightings' stellar City of Straw. Among many other efforts and appearances, Kid Millions has been a great asset to many projects but is often relegated to subtler positions.
As Man Forever, Colpitts moves to the foreground to exhibit his affinity for percussion. The improvisational liberties he takes on his second solo outing Pansophical Cataract are not unlike those he's taken with fellow Oneida member Bobby Matador in the duo People of the North, particularly on their album (also released this year) Steep Formations. Between both efforts, he focuses on free-form expanse, allowing his patterns to either unfold or devolve into sporadic onslaughts absent of rhythm. Unlike Steep Formations, Pansophical Cataract is equal-handed in each method and is over a half-hour shorter-- in this case, the comparative brevity is a better fit for these two tom-centric excursions.
On the subject of Colpitts's development as a drummer, Man Forever's self-titled debut was texturally unfettered, with hi-hats encircling toms that bounced along fizzing snares, and was owed to his five-to-six-drum ensemble. Since then, the procedure has been simplified to two drummers playing on one drum each, conjuring a colossal roll accruing weight with advancement. The downsize from Man Forever and Pansophical Cataract points to Colpitts's adoption of strict minimalism. Duration is imperative, for both apexes of these sides are glacial and reach their most towering sizes at their close, which wouldn't fulfill a listener if merely skipped to. Their impact comes into view with consideration of their roots, sprouting from the austerity of low-end clangor to multifarious additions, be it bass, feedback, and amplifier drone. Pansophical Cataract elicits a primal response yet requires patience and diligence; it's difficult listening due to its ability to pull listeners toward polar ends of the thought spectrum.
[Man Forever Myspace]
[Buy Pansophical Cataract from Thrill Jockey Records]
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