EP C

We Say...

Review by Nick Southall

Battles didn’t quite arrive fully formed in 2007 with the astounding single “Atlas” and its parent album Mirrored; the post/math-rock supergroup first started making waves back in 2004 with a single (“Tras”) and brace of EPs that combined slamming and experimental instrumental rock with Warp-friendly electronic textures, a bedrock formula the band would expand upon with jazz, glam rock and more for their debut full-length.

EP C, their third release, shows that Battles’ sound has always been driven by the powerful, off-kilter beats of ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier; like a syncopated, groovy Bonham, he hits the kit hard but on the off-beat, tossing enough juddering oddness in to keep things interesting as well as impressive.

The sparse, precision-engineered interlocking riffs and rhythms of “B + T," three intertwined guitars (courtesy of Dave Konopka, Tyondai Braxton and ex-Don Cabellero axeman Ian Williams), keyboards and drums meshing in a complex formula, is complemented by the low-key, almost ambient electronic explorations of “UW," the electronic bass farts and darting keyboards of “HI / LO" and the weird, echoing dub-jazz interlude of “IPT-2." “TRAS 2” is probably the EP’s highlight, melding intricate pinpricks of guitar and keyboards; the thrill is in trying to guess what Battles will do next, even if, as is often the case, they just repeat.

Unadorned by the kinds of crossover-inviting hooks and vocals that makes Mirrored so outrageously good, the music Battles produce on EP C is no less exceptional, both rocking harder and swinging more enjoyably than the avant garde usually lets itself.