The Luna Moth‘s “33333” pretty much hits the musical spot for me right now. Clocking in at a title-appropriate 3:33, the track has a looping, hypnotic pull while still feeling very much performed and improvised. Driven by a pretty bass figure played by our own Levi Fuller, “33333” leans more towards the heady minimalism of Terry Riley or La Mont Young than the soft-LOUD-soft arc of countless post-rock bands of the last 15 years. The instrumentation is certainly rock-based – drums, electric bass and distorted electric guitar – but the feel is more slowcore vamp than buildup/release. Around the 2:25 mark, Mark Schlipper edges up the distortion on his guitar, but it serves as more as a color than a rallying cry to begin a crescendo befitting Friday Night Lights. It’s a brief set piece, but one of my favorite contributions to Ball of Wax 33.
The Luna Moth will be one of the fine acts performing at the Ball of Wax 33 release show on September 7th at Conor Byrne in Ballard. Be there . . .
There’s another numerological secret in the mix here besides the length of the song – virtual high-fives to anyone who figures it out 😉
Levi had just recently taught me what BPM meant, and I wondered if a song could be done at 33 BPM for Volume 33. He emailed me back and said it’s “sloooowwwwwwww,” but maybe The Luna Moth . . .
When I heard “33333,” I watched the second hand on my watch for a bit and guessed it had been pulled off. High-fives to alla you too!