Tinty guitars, Western fanfare, brilliant dissonance, church organ lines, and an all out epic build up. This song plays a bit like an old western silent movie in black and white. Except, with electric guitars and organs. The song has moments where the tension builds and builds, only to release into a bit of an organ fugue followed by that surf-esque guitar sound. There is a great deal happening and a lot of listening to be had in the less then two and a half minutes of “Red Blue.”
Triskaideka is an instrumental band from Seattle. They borrow some surf rock sounds, though don’t fall into that category by any means. Likewise, they seem to have their psychedelic moments, and yet again, they don’t fully fall into that category either. For their current offering on bandcamp, you will find a half dozen songs all worth purchasing and many listens, all featuring their signature organ, guitar, bass and drums combo.
With “Red Blue,” as well as their other songs, I like their clean execution. I like their ability to tell a story without words through their play with music. This song is dynamic, going from soft and reserved to loud and explosive. They tease out themes in the quieter sections with their organ and guitar parts. The six-eight measure makes you sway along. Everything fits together well. Beautiful instrumental parts perfectly fitting the song. It’s not so complicated that they lose the listener’s interest. Rather, they take you through the cathedral and on out through the desert. It’s easy to have your own movie play through your head while listening to “Red Blue.”
A stripped-down duo form of Triskaideka will perform at the Ball of Wax 67 release show on March 12th at the Chapel Performance Space. Join us!